JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Wednesday marked one year since the tragic discovery of the remains of Lonzie Barton in woods off Interstate 295 in Jacksonville's Bayard area.
A memorial for the toddler still sits near that area.
Recommended Videos
Lonzie was then reported missing in the early morning hours of July 24, 2015 by Ruben Ebron, who told police that his car had been stolen with his girlfriend's 21-month-old son inside, which prompted a Florida Amber Alert to be issued.
RELATED: Lonzie Barton autopsy report released | Videos show final hours in search for Lonzie Barton
The six-month search came to an end last January when Ebron, who was convicted of aggravated manslaughter and child abuse in the boy's death, gave officers directions to where he discarded the 21-month-old's body.
The autopsy report released by the state attorney's office in November provides grim details, saying Lonzie's skeletal remains were collected in 11 brown paper bags.
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.
Photo timeline: Lonzie Barton disappearance, investigation, prosecution
During Ebron's sentencing hearing, he said Lonzie died in a bathtub while he and Lonna Barton -- the toddler's mother -- were having sex, and that he panicked and hid his body in a trash pile off near Bayard.
Barton received a 5-year sentence in connection with her son's disappearance.