Mother accused of killing her young son and dumping his body in a dumpster was found guilty of murder

SAVANNAH, Ga. (World Trade Organization/Gray News) – A jury convicted Leilani Simon, the woman accused of killing her 20-month-old son and disposing of his body in 2022.

Leilani Simon was charged with felony murder, hiding a body and lying to police in the death of her son Quinton Simon. He was found guilty of all charges.

Quinton Simon was reported missing on October 5, 2022. Six days later, Quinton’s mother, Leilani, was named as the sole suspect in his disappearance and death.

On November 18, 2022, Quinton’s remains were found in a landfill in Chatham County. Leilani was arrested three days later.

The jury’s verdict came after eight days of witness testimony.

Simon will be sentenced at a later date. He faces life imprisonment.

Prosecutors say it was a decision that overcame a lack of physical evidence.

“This was a complex case because we didn’t have a cause or manner of death because of what happened in this case, so that’s always a concern. But the law enforcement agencies involved did a great job investigating this case, and we did our best to present the evidence they had,” said Chatham County Deputy District Attorney Jenny Parker.

Jurors were presented by the prosecution with 40 witnesses and nearly 100 pieces of evidence that the state said showed Simon killed Quinton and dumped his body in a dumpster.

But still, the jurors’ almost six-hour deliberation was tense for those involved in the case.

“You don’t take a responsibility like this lightly, so I think they evaluated the evidence in how they approached it and took the time necessary to come to that conclusion,” said the Chief of the Chatham County Police Department. Jeff Hadley from the police.

Simon rarely shed a tear throughout the hearing but was seen crying before being taken away.

Parker says he believes justice has been served for Quinton and his mother.

“We can’t take this back. We can’t. But I hope this gives a lot of people who are following this case some closure and some confidence in the justice system,” Parker said.

Leilani Simon’s mother, Billie Howell, was not present at the hearing but told WTOC she felt justice was served.

Howell responded in a statement to WTOC: “Our family is devastated and Quinton deserves justice. We want Quinton to come home so he can be buried. I hate that I couldn’t be there for Leilani; we love her but we don’t stand behind any of this.”

WTOC asked Leilani Simon’s defense attorneys for comment, but they declined.

The Chatham County Police Department held a press conference following the verdict on Friday. Chief Hadley said in part: “Quinton Simon truly became a child of Chatham County in the weeks when our community was reeling from his disappearance. It is fitting that today, with the guilty verdicts of 12 men and women from our county, the final measure of justice is delivered for little Quinton. “We hope this brings some peace and comfort to everyone who loved Quinton.”

The Chatham County District Attorney’s Office also issued a press release following the decision.

“As with all other cases involving death or serious injury, especially child victims, I extend my condolences to the family of Baby Quinton and those who mourn his tragic loss of life,” said District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones.

Jones acknowledged in his statement that he hoped the ruling would not bring Baby Q back, but would make them more diligent in protecting vulnerable child victims and intervening early in cases where neglect and harm were clear.

“No matter what her sentence is, this mother will have to live with her actions every day of her life, and that is a prison in itself,” Jones said.