The mother of Lonzie Barton has been sentenced to five years in jail for child neglect and lying to police charges in the child's death.
Lonna Barton pled guilty to the charges before her boyfriend, Ruben Ebron, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter.
State Prosecutor Rich Mantei is frustrated with the conflicting information coming from Barton and Ebron and the State's inability to disprove either story based on evidence. The State Attorney's Office abided by a plea deal struck with Lonna because, technically, she didn't violate the terms of the agreement.
"When you don't have the ability to (approve and disprove things) because people lie, because people withhold, because people delay for months and months and months before they come forward... Yes, it's frustrating," Mantei said after the sentencing hearing.
"More frustrating is the fact that there's a little child dead who should still be with us," Mantei said.
Mantei told the court he believed Lonna acted only in her self-interests. Speaking after the hearing, Mantei was unable to say what Lonna's motives were behind coming forward to investigators.
Ebron led police to Lonzie’s presumed remains last month in Bayard, though the medical examiner still hasn't verified if the remains, without a doubt, belong to the toddler. He told police he and Lonna found Lonzie face town in a tub of water after they had sex.
Lonna told investigators Lonzie was alive when she left for work, while Ebron says they found him, dead, together.
In the sentencing hearing were Ebron's parents, who believe Lonna didn't receive a fair punishment.
"I'm disappointed," William Ruben Sr. told reporters. "I don't think it's equal justice. (Lonna) knows more. (Lonna) saw more."
Mantei denounced the possibility of Lonna qualifying for probation because of her repeated druge charges in Baker County while she was out of jail on bond. Mantei told the court he believed Lonna deserved a prison term.
No witnesses testified for either side, but Lonna's attorney told the judge Lonna bought fever reducer, eye drops and ear drops for Lonzie the day she went missing and intended to take him to the doctor the next day.
Lonna's attorney went on to say she lied about being pregnant in hopes that Ebron would lead police to Lonzie's body.
We will continue to update this story with more on Lonna's sentencing.
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