On Thursday, November 9, 2023, Matthew J. Ponomarenko, a 34-year-old resident of Parma, Ohio, was sentenced to life imprisonment with parole eligibility after 45 years for the murder of his five-year-old son, Jax Ponomarenko.
The sentence follows the shocking incident that occurred on March 25, 2021, when Ponomarenko brutally killed his son using a baseball bat at their Russell Avenue home.
On the day of the crime, Ponomarenko made a distressing 911 call, admitting to the murder and stating he was hearing voices, suggesting a possible psychotic episode. Responding officers found Jax with multiple blunt-force injuries to his head and face in the living room of the home, where he was pronounced dead. The investigation revealed signs of torture and reckless abuse.
Initially, Ponomarenko pleaded not guilty after his August 2021 indictment, but he later changed his plea to guilty. The plea provided for a combined sentence for three counts: aggravated murder, endangering children, and a kidnapping charge. The charges were downgraded from a capital murder charge as part of the plea agreement. The plea arrangement also resulted in the dismissal of a second count of endangering a child.
A crucial aspect of the case was the assessment of Ponomarenko’s mental state. He was found competent to stand trial in a pretrial report, and his defense attorneys withdrew a claim of serious mental illness because they would have been required to show more proof in another hearing.
Jax was autistic and communicated using a tablet. The boy’s death has left a deep impact on the family and the community.
Ponomarenko’s criminal history includes a previous conviction for child endangerment in 2017. He was held on a $5 million bond and received a credit of 960 days of jail time served before his sentencing. As part of the Reagan Tokes Law in Ohio, he could face four additional years in prison before he is eligible for parole, under indefinite sentencing rules.
At his plea hearing, Ponomarenko was removed from the courtroom after using profanity towards the judge but was allowed to return and make a statement. He must also register as a violent offender if he is ever released.
The case has drawn significant attention due to its brutality and the father’s confession. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, responsible for the prosecution, highlighted the life sentence as a closure to this tragic chapter.
