ORIENT, Ohio – An inmate convicted of the aggravated murder of his 5-year-old son in 2021 has died at an Ohio prison, according to state corrections officials.
Matthew Ponomarenko was found dead Sunday at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) reported the death as an apparent suicide. The official cause of death will be confirmed upon receipt of a death certificate.
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The Crime and Conviction
Ponomarenko, of Parma, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 45 years for the death of his son, Jax Ponomarenko, on March 25, 2021.
Court records show Ponomarenko admitted to police that he beat the autistic boy to death with a baseball bat inside their home on Russell Avenue. He told a dispatcher he was “hearing voices” when asked why he did it.
He pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated murder in November 2023. During a tense sentencing hearing, he shouted expletives at the court, prompting the judge to warn that the proceeding would be suspended if he continued.
His death marks a violent end to a case that deeply shocked the Cleveland community and left lasting grief over the loss of the young boy.