HEARTBREAKING END
HUMAN remains have been found in the search for 20-month-old Quinton Simon after investigators launched an extensive search for the toddler in a landfill.
The discovery comes after it was announced that little Quinton's mother, Leilani Simon, was arrested and charged with the toddler's murder.
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Will Clarke, senior supervisor of the Savannah FBI said in a press conference on Monday that the agency has been working with the Chatham County Police Department with the purpose of bringing Quinton home.
“On Friday, search crews from the FBI and Chatham County found what we preliminarily believe are partial remains from a human child.”
He added that the remains were “immediately sent” for additional testing to determine if they belong to Quinton.
“It could be days before we have final results.”
More on Quinton Simon
Clarke said that the investigation is still continuing as there is more work to do and the FBI, along with the other law enforcement agencies involved will "continue to find justice for Quinton."
Chatham Police Chief Jeff Hadley said that evidence led them to a specific section of a local waste management landfill where they believe Quinton's body was unknowingly dumped.
Hadley presumed the toddler was "thrown in a dumpster" and "unknowingly disposed of at a local landfill".
The Chatham County Police Department informed the family several weeks ago that they believed Quinton was dead and named the child's mom, Leilani Simon, the prime suspect in her son's death.
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On the day the child was reported missing, police chief Hadley said Quinton’s mother’s boyfriend, Daniel Youngkin, reported seeing him when he woke up at 6am.
Hadley added: “Mother woke up at some other time later and reported the child missing at 9.39am.
"The boy’s biological father was not near him during the time of his disappearance. The child’s mother and her boyfriend have been working with detectives.”
Court documents reviewed by WJCL showed that the family was also at odds before Quinton's disappearance.
The records revealed that Billie Jo Howell, Quinton's grandmother, wanted to remove Leilani and Youngkin from her home.
The papers claimed that the pair “damaged” Howell’s property and that Leilani allegedly had a history of stealing from the family.
'MY SON NEEDS TO BE WITH ME'
In an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, one of Leilani's three baby daddies said that the 22-year-old struggled with her mental health while dating, outlined in the court documents.
Cody Wharton, whose son Zayne was one of the children removed from Leilani's home, claimed she was depressed and tried to overdose last spring while watching their son.
"She's always been unpredictable," Wharton said. "But I wasn't worried about Zayne's safety until all this started going on. She was a good mother. I don't know what happened."
During the interview, Wharton struggled to find the words to describe how he felt as he replayed every perceived oddity in a stream of consciousness that now he realizes might have been red flags.
For example, one past summer, he claims Simon was "overwhelmed" when he picked up his son and all he had was winter clothes.
Wharton is fighting for full custody of his son, but Georgia's strict custodial laws favor the mother.
"Zayne needs to be with me," Wharton added. " I want to make sure he's safe.
"Even now, I'm questioning everything. Is he hurt? What is he doing? I don't want to get a call saying your son is hurt and going to the hospital."
'UNFIT MOTHER'
Court records obtained by The U.S. Sun showed Leilani's two other children were taken from her mother's home on October 12 amidst the search for Quinton.
Child Protective Services in Chatham County removed the children shortly after police named Leilani as the primary suspect in her young son's mysterious disappearance and presumed death.
Leilani "is a chronic, unrehabilitated substance abuser of cocaine and cannabis," according to the court documents.
She allegedly admitted to using cocaine and tested positive for the drug at the birth of one of her children, the court document says.
Guardianship of Simon's children was granted to her mother, who "failed to provide adequate supervision" and left them in her daughter's care, according to the court document.
The children's grandmother "knew or should have known (her daughter) was unfit to provide proper care, while the maternal grandmother traveled out of state," the court documents say.
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TENSIONS RUN HIGH
The tragedy brewed a nasty spat between Howell, and Quinton's babysitter, Diana Michelle Mccarta, after a video captured the moment the women allegedly got into an altercation.
Howell reportedly burst into Mccarta's house and accused her of taking the missing toddler.
The grandmother is also heard screaming, "my baby's not dead," after McCarta spoke about creating a memorial.
The shocking footage was recorded by Mccarta’s daughter and passed to local outlet WSAV.
Howell - who reportedly has custody of Quinton, 20 months - and his babysitter Mccarta accuse each other of lying.
At one point, Mccarta dares the grandmother: “Hit me, hit me” - and Howell replies: “Do you think I would do that?”
She then shouts at Mccarta: “Do you have Quinton? You’re the only one who can go in my house and take him.”
The footage emerged after Mccarta revealed she received an "odd" text hours before little Quinton disappeared on October 5.
She said Leilani messaged telling her she was not needed to look after the toddler and his brother.
At the time, Mccarta told WSAV: “I got a text saying they would not be here, (I) would not be babysitting them, at 5.29am.
“Which was kind of odd because I have them even when she doesn’t work. And then I get a text at 9am saying, have I seen Quinton.
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“I immediately go to their house. I try to help them look, they didn’t want that. So, I’ve been just waiting around like everyone else.
“My heart is broken. I’m not his mother. I’m not his family. But I love him very much, and I just don’t know what could happen.”