22-year-old mom killed her toddler and tossed him in a dumpster, Georgia officials say
The mother of a 20-month-old boy who was found dead in a landfill after disappearing from his home in October has been indicted, Georgia officials say.
Leilani Simon was indicted by a grand jury on 19 charges on Wednesday, Dec. 14, Shalena Cook Jones, Chatham County Defense Attorney, said in a news conference shared on Facebook.
Simon is charged with malice murder, two counts of felony murder, concealing the death of another, false report of a crime and 14 counts of making a false statement.
On Oct. 5, Simon, 22, reported her 20-month-old son, Quinton Simon, as missing from their home in Savannah. Within a week of his disappearance, local police and the FBI had identified Simon as the prime suspect.
After a nearly month-long search, Quinton Simon’s remains were found in the Waste Management Landfill in Chatham County on Friday, Nov. 18, and his mother was arrested and charged in her son’s disappearance and death.
The indictment brings new details about the incident to light.
Early on the day Quinton Simon was reported as missing, Simon fatally assaulted her son with an unidentified object, according to the document, WTOC reported. Leilani Simon then attempted to hide his death, disposing of his body in a dumpster behind a mobile home neighborhood, the outlet reported.
The night before Quinton Simon’s death, his mother had met with her drug dealer, the indictment said, according to 11 Alive.
Officials say the investigation is still active and ongoing.
“These are the cases that keep us up at night,” Jones said. “These are the cases that deserve justice.”
This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 5:07 PM with the headline "22-year-old mom killed her toddler and tossed him in a dumpster, Georgia officials say."
