Jailhouse calls between Lonzie Barton's mom, grandma released

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — We know what happened to 21-month-old Lonzie Barton the night he disappeared.

But until now, we didn't know exactly what kind of evidence prosecutors were mounting against the last people to see Lonzie alive.

Action News Jax’s Ben Becker and a team of journalists have been analyzing the newly-obtained evidence. There are some jailhouse phone calls that also stand out.

Lonna Lauramore Barton, Lonzie’s mother, has had numerous phone conversations with her mother. Lauramore Barton is awaiting sentencing for her role in Lonzie's death. The conversations are open, direct and very critical of Ruben Ebron.

Lauramore Barton was transferred to the Baker County Jail earlier this month after entering a guilty plea in Duval County to charges of child neglect and lying to police. In the newly-released jailhouse phone calls obtained by Action News Jax, Lauramore Barton tells her mother her sentencing can't come soon enough.

In one call, Lauramore Barton can be heard saying, "I'm ready to get sentenced. Do you know what I mean? Where I can do my time and get done. I'm ready to come home and start all over."

Another jailhouse conversation turns to Lauramore Barton's relationship with her boyfriend at the time, Ruben Ebron. After months of denying involvement in Lonzie’s disappearance, Ebron finally took police to Lonzie's body in January.

Ebron told police Lonzie drowned in a bathtub while he and Lauramore Barton were having sex. Ebron said he panicked, dumped the body off Philips Highway and then staged an abduction. Lauramore Barton's mother clearly disapproved of the relationship.

Lonna: "Everyone mad at me?"

Mom: "I mean they are what the ****. Know what I'm saying. Told you to get off that dumb mother****** man."

Lonna: "I know."

Lauramore Barton's mother also tells her daughter everything will work out once she's sentenced for the charges in Duval.

Mom: "It's hard times but it will pass. Don't pay no attention to what them people are saying to you. We know the truth. We know you will get past that one in town because you ain't harmed your baby."

Lauramore Barton is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 29.

Also for the first time, we are able to confirm a meeting between Lauramore Barton and Ebron shortly after Ebron was arrested.

Lauramore Barton told Ebron that the reaction she was getting from the community about her missing baby was harsh.

Lonna: "People just been like oh yeah you little, something like, like murderer baby killer protector or something (laughs) I mean **** you."

Ebron: "Who said that?"

Lonna: "This little ***** at Little Caesars the other day."

Lonzie was only considered missing at the time of that one-on-one conversation.

Now we know the child was dumped in a field in Bayard after Ebron said he drowned in a bathtub.

Lonzie’s family said they are still waiting to get his remains. They want to bury the child in Baker County.

Cox Media Group