Leilani Simon, a 24-year-old mother in Savannah, Georgia, has recently been found guilty of her toddler son’s death. On October 25, 2024, a jury read a guilty verdict in the courtroom, leaving Simon in tears. She was prosecuted on 19 charges, including two counts of felony murder. The jury found her guilty of all 19 charges after 8 days of hearing testimony. Chatham County Assistant District Attorney Jenny Parker admitted to it being a complex case since the prosecution was left without an autopsy report or cause of death. Simon intends to appeal the verdict after she is sentenced. Justice has been served, and the young mother is being held accountable for her inconceivable actions.
Search and Charges
On October 5, 2022, Simon reported her son missing. The FBI and county investigators spent long days searching for her son, Quinton. Initially, Simon told police she had last seen him in his playpen around 6 a.m. However, she did not report him missing until 3 hours later. Police assumed the child wandered off based on Simon’s statements. The Chatham County Police did not immediately announce whether they suspected foul play or not. After a lengthy search and investigation, Simon’s son’s remains were found in a landfill. The FBI conducted a DNA analysis to confirm the bones matched the child’s.
On November 21, 2022, Simon was arrested and held in Chatham County Jail. The District Attorney’s office indicted her on 19 charges, including malice and felony murder, concealing a dead body, making a false report, and giving false statements. Her trial did not begin until almost two years after her son’s remains were found. After 8 days of witness testimony, jury deliberations began on October 24, 2024. It took them almost 8 hours across two days before they read a unanimous guilty verdict to the courtroom. Everyone present witnessed a sobbing Simon as she realized she might spend the rest of her life behind bars.
The Trial
The prosecution made a case on the basis that Simon killed her son and tossed his body in a dumpster. During the trial, the prosecution delivered over 40 witnesses and nearly 100 pieces of evidence. They lacked crucial evidence, such as the cause of death, causing their argument to be more difficult. According to District Attorney Jenny Parker, they presented all the evidence law enforcement gathered the best they could. In the prosecution’s opening statement, they made it clear they intended to prove that Simon murdered her son. They touched on her drug abuse, her failing relationship with her boyfriend, and the false statements made to the police.
The defense did not have much of an argument besides the fact that the prosecution could not prove how or when the murder took place. However, Simon made several false statements to the police about the surrounding events of her son going missing. She failed to mention that she went on a field trip the night before to a drug dealer where she bought cocaine. She also lied about meeting with a co-worker that same evening. Multiple witnesses testified on the prosecution’s behalf, stating Simon was a horrible and neglectful mother to her three children, especially Quinton. She does not deserve any of them, but she does deserve a life in prison.
Final Thoughts
Simon’s mother, Billie Howell, had custody of Quinton when he was murdered. Howell was not present at the trial; however, she told WTOC that justice was served. She also responded to WTOC, saying, “Our family is devastated, and Quinton deserves justice. 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.” Sentencing will take place at a later date, which is still unknown to the public. Leilani Simon is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole.
