SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Savannah mother accused of killing her 20-month-old son and then dumping him a dumpster will spend the rest of her life behind bars.
Leilani Simon’s sentencing comes a month after a jury found her guilty of malice murder and 18 other charges in the death of her son, Quinton Simon.
Simon called 911 on the morning of Oct. 5, 2022, to report her son was missing from his indoor playpen at their home outside Savannah.
After police spent days searching the home and surrounding neighborhood, Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said that investigators believed the child was dead.
He also named Simon as the sole suspect.
Police and FBI agents focused their investigation on a landfill two weeks after the boy was reported missing.
They sifted through trash for more than a month before finding human bones, which DNA tests confirmed belonged to Quinton.
- Georgia mother accused of killing toddler son wants statements to police thrown out
- Home where Ga. toddler lived before he vanished, was found dead in landfill up for sale
- It has been 1 year since Quinton Simon disappeared. Here is where the case stands
- Remains of Savannah toddler found in landfill returned to Georgia as mother faces murder charges
Investigators believe Leilani Simon put Quinton’s body in a dumpster, which ultimately ended up in the landfill. His remains were found just before Thanksgiving in 2022.
During the trial, Quinton’s babysitter, Michelle McCarta, took the stand.
“Quinton loved us. He was close to us. And I just felt like he would be better off at our house,” she said.
McCarta told the court that she kept Quinton overnight on a regular basis and said the child was in poor condition when he was dropped off.
“He would be in a long onesie, and he would have poop all over. I don’t want to say a baby didn’t smell good, but he smelled like rotten milk. He had rings around his neck. We would immediately bathe him,” McCarta said.
Following her Leilani Simon’s conviction, Hadley released a statement, saying in part:
“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.”
Murder carries an automatic life sentence under Georgia law.
Because prosecutors did not seek the death penalty, the main decision for Judge Tammy Stokes was whether to grant Simon a chance of someday being released on parole.
The judge imposed another 10 years in prison for concealing the child’s death.
Simon did not testify at her sentencing hearing.
She did speak to give consent for the judge to release her son’s remains to her family.
Authorities had kept them in case further forensic tests were ordered.
“My son’s been through enough,” Simon said. “I want my baby home.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
©2024 Cox Media Group
