Whoa! It turns out authorities DID find evidence of missing toddler Quinton Simon, who is believed to be deceased after his mother reported him missing on October 5, before the search was put on pause.
As we reported on Monday, the toddler’s mom, Leilani Simon, was officially arrested and charged with his murder after being the authorities’ primary suspect in the case. At the same time, it was announced that a massive search for the 20-month-old child’s remains in a Georgia landfill was paused for the week due to Thanksgiving, which is tough news for the family, as they’re desperate for answers and justice. Considering officials and volunteers have been combing through tons of garbage for several weeks now, it also seemed like maybe the task was just too large and that any signs of him would be hidden forever in the trash. But…
According to Chatham County Police Chief Jeffrey Hadley in a press conference on Monday, remains were found on Friday in the landfill and they are believed to belong to the young boy. The remains have been sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia for confirmation. Wow!
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The Chief, who was understandably emotional about the case, explained the significance of the discovery and Leilani’s arrest, telling news outlets via CNN:
“This is a heartbreaking development for everyone who loved Quinton. For the many people who came to know him after his disappearance and for our department. When we first received the call that Quinton was missing we were hopeful that we would find him alive and unharmed, but as we have been telling you for weeks, all of our evidence pointed to his mother being responsible for his death and disappearance and his remains being found in the landfill.”
Oof. It’s just so tragic. While holding back tears, Hadley added candidly:
“She [Leilani] doesn’t deserve a Thanksgiving, quite frankly if I can go off script a little bit. Quinton deserves that.”
The 22-year-old mother, who first reported her child missing from their Savannah home last month, is currently being held in the Chatham County jail awaiting a bond hearing. It’s unclear if she’s obtained an attorney yet. Authorities have not released any additional information about how Quinton tragically died or his mother’s actions, simply saying the case is still under investigation.
[Image via Chatham County Police Department/Twitter]
