Killer mom cries after guilty verdict in murder of toddler son found in landfill
A Georgia mother reportedly cried in court as she was found guilty of murdering her 20-month-old son, whose body was recovered from a landfill.
After six hours of jury deliberation, Leilani Simon, 24, was convicted of all 19 charges against her on Friday, including malice murder, concealing the death of another and multiple counts of making a false statement, WTOC reported.
The woman reported her son, Quinton, missing on the morning of Oct. 5, 2022, suggesting to police that he had been abducted by an intruder.
After days of scouring her neighborhood in Chatham County for the missing child, authorities announced that the boy was likely dead, and that his mother was the prime suspect in his killing.
MISSING TODDLER QUINTON SIMON'S MOM ARRESTED, CHARGED WITH HIS MURDER
Days later, the mother of three was spotted at a local bar with her mom and friends slamming Patrón shots. In a tearful interview with a local news outlet at the time, she denied any involvement in her son's disappearance.
Quinton's remains were recovered from a landfill on Nov. 8, 2022, and two days later, his mother was arrested.
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"Quinton Simon truly became Chatham County’s child during the weeks that our community was gripped by his disappearance. It is fitting that today, 12 men and women from our county delivered the final measure of justice for little Quinton with their guilty verdict. We hope this brings some measure of peace and comfort to everyone who loved Quinton," Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said at a press conference after Simon's verdict was handed down.
Jurors, who voted unanimously to convict Simon on all charges, heard from 40 witnesses and saw nearly 100 pieces of evidence that indicated the young mother had killed her son then disposed of his body, WTOC reported.
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Prosecutors said the young mother had beaten the 20-month-old to death with an unknown object. That same morning, Simon allegedly traveled to Azalea Mobile Home Plaza and "discarded her son's remains in a dumpster," according to the indictment against her.
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"This was a complex case because we did not have a cause or manner of death in this case because of what happened, so that’s always a concern. But the law enforcement agencies involved did such a good job investigating this case, and we did our best presenting the evidence that they had," Chatham County Assistant District Attorney Jenny Parker told WTOC.
LEILANI SIMON ALLEGEDLY BEAT TODDLER SON QUINTON SIMON TO DEATH: PROSECUTORS
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Simon's mother, Billie Howell, was not present for the trial. However, she told the local outlet that she felt justice had been served.
"Our family is devastated, and Quinton deserves justice," she said. "We want Quinton home so he can be laid to rest. I hate that I’m not there for Leilani – we love her but do not stand by any of this."