JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It was a fluid, even chaotic, day in the case surrounding missing toddler Lonzie Barton -- one that ended with a discovery that nobody wanted to make.
What was expected to be the start of trial for Ruben Ebron, the man considered the chief suspect in the child's July 24 disappearance, devolved in a flood of surprising developments Monday. First, just minutes before lawyers were set to begin jury selection in the high-profile trial, Ebron's defense team sought a continuance, waiving his right to a speedy trial after weeks of declining to make that request. That decision pushed at least until next Tuesday any legal proceeding in the case.
Just a few hours later, law enforcement confirmed that a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office search scene on the city's Southside had turned up human remains during a renewed search for Lonzie. Sources confirmed that police were tipped to the site by Ebron himself, during a Sunday night visit to the location.
At the same time, legal sources confirmed to First Coast News that a plea deal was in the works for Ebron, a storyline that culminated in a 2 p.m. court hearing that all parties attended – including Ebron's parents, Chief Public Defender Matt Shirk, and three attorneys from State Attorney's Office. But that court proceeding also evaporated – the courtroom cleared with no deal, both sides declining comment. Leaving court, Ebron's parents did not address what happened to the plea deal, or why their son decided to lead investigators to the body. Said William Ebron Sr., "My son is not a baby killer."
Finally, shortly after 4 p.m., JSO held a twice-delayed press conference at the search site, announcing they believed the human remains found were Lonzie's. According to JSO Chief Tom Hackney, the face of the investigation from the beginning, Ebron had led police to the child's body, which he said had been "disposed like a piece of trash."
"This family of this community is really Lonzie's family," said an emotional Hackney, noting that during the 172 days of searching, the young toddler had worked his way into the hearts of residents and law enforcement agents. As to the discovery, he said, "I can't say there's any joy, but there is some satisfaction."
Christopher Barton, the estranged husband of Lonzie's mother Lonna Barton, who considers himself Lonzie's father, was told about the developments in by law enforcement agents in Baker County, where he is currently in custody on drug charges. Sheriff Joey Dobson said Barton had been placed in the care of medical staff.
As of Monday night, Ebron and Barton remained in custody at the Duval County Jail. State Attorney Angela Corey declined to say what plea deals might be possible, noting that the discovery of the child's remains was a game changer. Neither did she say what prompted Ebron to lead police to the body, only that Lonna Barton's decision last week to testify against him "set in motion" a series of discussions with his attorneys that prefaced Monday's developments.
In what might be the understatement of the day, she observed, "These cases change, sometimes daily"
