http://www.news4jax.com/news/lonzie-barton/lonzie-barton-autopsy-report-released

Lonzie Barton autopsy report released
News4Jax obtains medical examiner's report detailing toddler's death

By Francesca Amiker - Reporter , Frank Powers - Assignment manager , Colette DuChanois - Web producer
Posted: 4:50 PM, November 08, 2016
Updated: 5:17 PM, November 08, 2016

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The medical examiner's report on the death of Lonzie Barton has been released by the state attorney's office, marking an end to the case of the toddler who disappeared 16 months ago.

The autopsy report obtained by News4Jax Tuesday -- nine months after the child's remains were found in woods off Interstate 295 in Jacksonville's Bayard area -- provides grim details, saying Lonzie's skeletal remains were collected in 11 brown paper bags.

When Ruben Ebron, the man who told police that his girlfriend's 21-month-old son was abducted when his car was stolen last summer, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in the death of the toddler, the state attorney's office acknowledged that there were old rib and skull fractures found on the remains.

The medical examiners' report notes "blunt trauma," including that Lonzie suffered eight blunt force rib fractures before his death and at least two skull fractures near the time of his death.

There were no drugs found in his system, according to the report.

The medical examiner was unable to pinpoint a cause or manner of death, which was a key factor in the eventual plea deal accepted by Ebron that has him serving 20 years in prison, along with concurrent sentences for child neglect, lying to police and tampering with evidence.

James Boyle, Ebron's attorney, said the autopsy results line up with the information his client told prosecutors and police.

"If you remember at that time that Mr. Ebron was sentenced, the state attorney's office held out the possibility of additional charges if the findings were inconsistent with what he described to the police and to the prosecutors. There's nothing in here that contradicts anything that Mr. Ebron says, so I don't believe this would have any effect on Mr. Ebron's case," Boyle said.

The state attorney's office said it will have no comment on the release of Lonzie's autopsy report, noting the skull and rib fractures had been acknowledged months ago, and referring News4Jax to the statements made when Ebron's guilty plea was accepted Feb. 5.

On that day, State Attorney Angela Corey said because the medical examiner could not pinpoint a cause of death, "this plea was the right thing to do," and that "the disposition was the only way, the only way to bring him (Lonzie) home."