Quinton Simon's remains FOUND! FBI confirms bones discovered in landfill belong to missing toddler
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA: The body of Quinton Simon, the 20-month-old boy who was reported missing on October 5 by his mother, 22-year-old Leilani Simon, has been found. As reported earlier, Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said police found remains at the landfill on November 18, but they were not identified and further testing was being conducted. But now, according to a statement from the FBI on Monday, November 28, it has been confirmed that the remains belong to the toddler, whose cause of death has not yet been determined.
The FBI said, “On Monday, November 28th, authorities officially ceased operations at the landfill,” and thanked local police for the “monumental team effort,” management and workers at the landfill for opening their facilities to investigators and the forensic anthropologists from Georgia Southern University who helped in verifying potential human remains. The FBI said their laboratory division used DNA analysis to match Quinton to the human remains found at Waste Management Superior Landfill located in Savannah, reports Fox6.
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The update comes just one week after the mother was arrested on November 21 and charged with malice murder, concealing the death of another person, false reporting and making false statements. "Quinton Simon's case and legal proceedings against his mother are now in the hands of the Chatham County District Attorney's Office," said the FBI in their statement, as quoted by Fox6. At present, Leilani is being held in the Chatham County Jail.
Details of Quinton going missing
The toddler went missing on October 5 from his home in Savannah and was last seen at about 6 am in the 500 block of Buckhalter Road, and was reported missing at approximately 9.40 am by his mother, Leilani. She told a police dispatcher that she got up to find her son gone and believed someone had entered the room and taken him.
Quinton’s babysitter, Diana McCarta, said she received a message at 9 am asking if she knew where he was, and “immediately” went to the location to help search for Quinton before his mother called police. In an interview with WTOC-TV in October, as stated by NY Post, the mother said, “We want him back in our arms, holding us. That’s what we want. We’re just hoping that he’s in somebody’s house .. maybe they wanted a baby or couldn’t have a baby. Maybe they thought they were his savior. That’s our best hope at this point.”