JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Saturday will mark exactly one year since the investigation into the disappearance of Lonzie Barton began.
The night of July 23, 2015, the toddler's mother, Lonna Barton, went to work at her job at Wacko's gentlemen's club. She said it was the last time she saw her son.
Recommended Videos
Lonzie was then reported missing in the early morning hours of July 24 by Barton's boyfriend, Ruben Ebron, who told police that his car had been stolen with the 21-month-old inside, which prompted a Florida Amber Alert to be issued.
The night of Jan. 10, Ebron led a convoy of investigators to the property in Jacksonville's Bayard neighborhood on the Southside, where he said he disposed of Lonzie's remains, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Later, Ebron admitted that he was having sex with Lonna Barton, the toddler's mother, while Lonzie drowned in a bathtub.
Friday, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams reflected on the outpouring of support police received as they worked, and ultimately solved, the boy's disappearance.
"One of the things we learned is that we have a lot of support from the community. The outpouring of support it started with that event for us," Williams said. "Again, a great outpouring of support."
Ebron is serving a 20-year sentence after pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter in Lonzie's death, along with concurrent sentences for child neglect, lying to police and tampering with evidence.
Barton pleaded guilty in January to charges of child neglect and lying to police. She is serving five years in prison.