By KATIE McLAUGHLIN Court TV
The FBI has returned the remains of 20-month-old Quinton Simon to his home state of Georgia following analysis at the Bureau’s crime lab in Quantico, Virginia. Quinton’s mother, Leilani Simon, 23, is charged with the boy’s murder.
L to R: Leilani Simon, Quinton Simon. (Chatham County Police Dept.)
Quinton’s remains are now in the custody of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), which will conduct further testing.
WATCH: Quinton Simon’s Grandmother: I Turned My Daughter in to the FBI
Leilani reported her son missing on October 5, 2022. The following week, authorities revealed they believed Quinton to be dead and his mother was their primary suspect. Human bones were discovered in a landfill near Savannah on November 18, 2022. DNA testing confirmed the remains belonged to Quinton. Leilani was arrested and officially charged with murder on November 21, 2022.
According to the indictment, Quinton died on the morning of October 5, 2022, after his mother assaulted him with an unknown object that caused “serious bodily injury.” The indictment states Leilani discarded Quinton’s body in a dumpster outside a trailer park near her home. Leilani later insisted she had simply disposed of “normal household garbage.”
READ MORE: Indictment: Mom used drugs before killing Georgia toddler
Chatham County Judge Tammy Stokes denied Leilani bond last week, despite her defense team’s arguments that she should be reunited with her remaining children, a 4-year old boy and a 9-month-old girl. They also argued that she doesn’t pose a flight risk.
Leilani faces 19 counts, including malice murder, felony murder, and concealing the death of another.
It is unclear if Quinton’s remains will be given to his family when the GBI finishes its testing.
