JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With both Lonna Barton and Ruben Ebron in jail on similar charges, investigators will undoubtedly continue to question them about the disappearance of 21-month-old Lonzie Barton, experts say.
But what tactics will police use to get the truth out of them?
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Private investigator James Brown, who worked with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office for 30 years, said in this case, police will use different tactics when interviewing Barton and Ebron, in an attempt to eventually pit the two against each other.
"Being truthful is human nature," Brown said. "Being untruthful is where the work comes in."
Barton has been charged with child neglect and lying to police. Investigators said they believe Barton has been lying to them since the night her son was reported missing.
Ebron, Barton's boyfriend, is facing two counts of child neglect and one count of lying to police. Police have said they are pursuing a murder case against Ebron in the toddler's disappearance. He is the man who was last seen with the boy.
ONLINE: Complete coverage of Lonzie investigation | Photo timeline of Lonzie case
Brown said it's only a matter of time, before the public learns the truth about what happened to Lonzie. He said investigators are working with two different personalities -- Ebron, who's had several run-ins with the law, and Barton, who could be easily intimidated by police.
"Any time you have two parties that have knowledge, the key is to extrapolate that knowledge from either party without the other party knowing it," Brown said. "In this situation, you have one subject that's familiar with law enforcement and another that may not be."
Brown said Barton likely has more to lose than Ebron, and she may not be able to withstand being behind bars.
But he pointed out that Barton has been protecting Ebron by not telling police the truth from the start. Police said Barton denied she even knew Ebron when she was initially questioned on the night her son vanished.
DOCUMENT: Lonna Barton arrest report
UNCUT VIDEO: Lonna Barton first appearance
Even so, Brown suspects eventually Barton will tell police everything she knows.
"Sometimes the guilt just weighing so heavily on them is a major factor in making people come forward," Brown said.
News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said once jail time is on the table, it's more likely that one of the two suspects will divulge everything he or she knows, in exchange for a plea deal.
Missing child investigation
It's been more than three weeks since Lonzie disappeared from his family's apartment on the Southside, and police still haven't found a trace of the boy.
Ebron, who was watching the child, first claimed that the toddler was abducted when his car was stolen with Lonzie inside. Hackney countered the story Ebron told by releasing home surveillance video showing Ebron ditching his car in the same spot where it was found less than a mile from the apartment complex. Detectives are now holding him on child neglect charges but believe that he murdered Lonzie.
"We are still full steam ahead in making a murder case for Ruben Ebron," Hackney said.
Hackney said the child neglect charge against Barton dates from July 23 -- the day before Lonzie disappeared -- when she found a bruise on the back of Lonzie's head that he suffered while Ebron was watching him. Ebron is the man who was last seen with the child.
Hackney said that after finding the bruise, Barton also found yellow fluid coming from Lonzie's ears, and she said the toddler kept vomiting.
"Despite being in an argument over a bruise and how it occurred without a satisfactory answer, she left Lonzie and the 5-year-old in the care and custody and control of someone who may have done something to her child while she went to work at Wacko's," Hackney said.
Police said Lonna Barton also knew that Ebron sold and kept drugs in the home where Lonzie lived.
"Lonna knew Ebron kept, used and sold narcotics. She knew he was a drug dealer," Hackney said.
Hackney said Barton went to the police department on Tuesday to speak with investigators.
"She actually came down here on her own (Tuesday), not aware that she was going to be arrested or that there was an arrest warrant out for her," Hackney said. "She's cooperative to this point, and what she believes and what she doesn't believe, I'm not going to try to put myself into her head. Frankly, I wouldn't want to be there."
The reward for information leading to Lonzie's recovery is now $13,200, thanks to private donors.
That's in addition to up to $4,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case. A tipster with the right information could get a grand total of $17,200.
The number for Crime Stoppers is 1-866-845-TIPS. You don't have to give your name to get paid. To submit a tip, check the status of a tip or donate to Crime Stoppers, go to www.fccrimestoppers.com.