Leilani Simon, a mother accused of murdering her 20-month-old son Quinton Simon and disposing of his body in a landfill, broke down in tears as opening statements were read at the start of her trial. Simon, of Savannah, has been charged with 19 counts, including malice murder, felony murder, concealing the death of another person and making false statements. She has pleaded not guilty.
On October 5, 2022, Simon called 911 and stated that his son was not in the park at his home near Savannah. After extensive searches of the house and surrounding area, Chatham County Sheriff Jeff Hadley announced that investigators believed Quinton was dead, identifying Simon as the only suspect.
Two weeks after the boy was reported missing, police and FBI agents moved their investigation to a landfill, where they searched for more than a month. Eventually, human remains were found and DNA testing confirmed they belonged to Quinton Simon.
During opening statements Monday, prosecutor Tim Dean described the chaotic state of Simon’s life at the time of his son’s disappearance. She specifically noted the deterioration of her relationship with her then-boyfriend, Daniel Youngkin, and her drug use.
Dean claimed that Simon spent the night of October 4 and the early morning hours of October 5 under the influence of cocaine and Percocet, during which he killed his son, placed his body in a dumpster and went to sleep. “She killed her own son, got into her car with his body, drove to a dumpster and threw him away like he was a piece of trash,” Dean told the jury. WTOC-TV reported.
Prosecutors showed videos of Simon’s interviews with police and body camera footage, highlighting how she changed her story several times. Nearly a week after his initial interviews, Simon claimed he may have fainted and couldn’t remember what happened.
In a 2022 police interview, Simon admitted: “I will never touch cocaine again. I become angry and impulsive when I do it.” However, prosecutors have not specified exactly how they believe Quinton was killed, noting that the boy’s body was too decomposed to determine the cause of death.
By contrast, the defense took only three minutes to make its opening statement, accusing the prosecution of building a case based on rumors and speculation. “The main conclusion is that Leilani Maree Simon murdered her son. The evidence simply will not support that bold conclusion,” said defense attorney Robert Persse.
The prosecution’s first witness, Sgt. Bobby Stewart testified about Simon’s behavior when he arrived at the scene after the boy was reported missing. When asked if his behavior was typical of parents in similar situations, Stewart responded: “No, sir, I did not.” More testimony, including statements from Chatham County police employees and the boy’s babysitter, is expected as the trial progresses.
