SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Leilani Simon has been indicted by the Chatham County Grand Jury on murder charges in the death of her 20-month-old son, Quinton Simon on Wednesday.
According to the District Attorney, Simon is facing a 19-count indictment including 1 count of malice murder for the intentional killing of Quinton Simon and 2 counts of felony murder.
Eight-page indictment:
District Attorney, Shalena Cook Jones held a press conference at the Chatham County Court House at 4:00 p.m. to explain the nature of the charges and update the public on the status of the investigation.
Watch the full press conference below:
The indictment tells a story of Quinton’s last moments alive. Prosecutors believe that Leilani beat Quinton Simon “with an object” causing “cruel and excessive pain” which then caused the 20-month-old’s death.
According to the indictment, Leilani Simon left her Buckhaulter home the night of Oct. 4 to meet her drug dealer, and again early Oct. 5 to toss Quinton’s body in the dumpster at Azalea Mobile Home park.
Quinton Simon case history:
Police say the last time Quinton was reportedly seen was at early in the morning on Oct. 5. The Chatham County Police Department (CCPD) said its prime suspect in Quinton’s death and disappearance is his mom Leilani.
On the morning of his disappearance, Leilani told police that Quinton was taken. Her boyfriend Daniel Youngkin and Quinton’s siblings were also in that home the morning Quinton disappeared.
WSAV knows that police questioned Daniel in the hours after the search for Quinton started. But since then, WSAV doesn’t know where he’s been.
According to police, Daniel was the last person to say they saw Quinton Simon alive in a pack-n-play at 6 a.m. Three and a half hours later, his mom Leilani alerted police that Quinton was missing.
Police began searching a Chatham County landfill on Oct. 18, because it said evidence led them to believe the 20-month-old toddler’s body was dumped there. However, on Nov. 14, CCPD said the likelihood of finding his remains was low.
Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia Department of Natural Resources dug through thousands of tons of trash to find him.
According to police, remains were found at the landfill that Law Enforcement had been searching on Friday, Nov. 18. Leilani was arrested a few days later on Nov. 21.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Atlanta confirmed on Nov. 28 that the human remains found at the Superior Landfill belonged to Quinton Simon.
