Quinton Simon: Mother Charged With Murder In GA Toddler's Death

SAVANNAH, GA — Leilani Simon, the mother of missing Savannah toddler Quinton Simon, has been charged in connection with his disappearance and death, Chatham County authorities said Monday evening.

Simon, 22, is being charged on suspicion of malice murder, concealing the death of another person, false reporting and making false statements, police said. She is being held in the Chatham County Detention Center as she awaits a bond hearing, police said.

The Chatham County Police Department said no other arrests in connection with the case are anticipated.

Police named Simon a prime suspect in Quinton's disappearance and death on Oct. 12. The toddler, who was 20 months old, went missing from his Buckhalter Road home on Oct. 5. Simon was the person to report Quinton missing, police said.

Authorities, including experts from the FBI and from agencies as far as Atlanta, have spent the past month extensively searching the Waste Management landfill, where they believed his remains to be located.

Police said Monday that they believed they uncovered his remains Friday. Tests were run at a FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, Monday afternoon and police said there is preliminary confirmation that the remains are human remains.

"Further testing, including DNA evidence, is being conducted to confirm that the remains are, in fact, human and whether the remains are Quinton’s," police said.

Police have yet to say why they believed the remains were in the landfill or what led them to believe Quinton had died.

In late October, Simon did an interview with WTOC-TV, saying she had hoped her son was somewhere being taken care of by someone.

Law enforcement went through 1.2 million pounds of trash in a 30-day time span, police said, noting "working conditions were grueling and hazardous, and searchers knew that the chances of finding Quinton were low."

According to the FBI, landfill searches have a 5 percent success rate.

“The FBI’s expertise was instrumental in solving this case and locating Quinton,” Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said in a news release. “They are the undisputed experts in missing child cases, and they were with us at every turn in our investigation. Their expertise, manpower and resources are unmatched, and we are tremendously grateful for the FBI’s assistance.”

Police called the landfill search a massive operation, saying it took the efforts of Chatham County Police, the GBI, FBI, Chatham County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Support services were provided by the Savannah Police Department, Savannah Fire Department, Chatham Emergency Services, Chatham Emergency Management Agency and Chatham County Occupational Safety.

“We are indebted to the many law enforcement and public service agencies who assisted with this search, which was a crucial part of our investigation,” Hadley said in the release.

Hadley said each member of Chatham County Police have been affected by Quinton's case, adding he is proud of the department's performance.

"Our Criminal Investigations Division deserves special recognition," he said. "Their devotion to Quinton and to making sure this crime did not go unsolved is an example of police work at its finest. Our detectives worked tirelessly and were determined to follow every lead and uncover every piece of evidence in this case.”

Hadley thanked people for their support of the police department during the investigation.

"We appreciate those who kept their faith in the system, who kept their faith in us and our investigative process, and for those who waited patiently for the evidence we needed to make sure Quinton has every opportunity to receive the justice he deserves," he said.