Skip to content
NOWCAST 7PM WEEKDAY NEWS
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Grandmother of Quinton Simon sentenced to 10 days in jail for violating court order

WJCL 22 News is told that Betterton has had no contact with her daughter, Leilani Simon, and is being held in a separate unit.

Grandmother of Quinton Simon sentenced to 10 days in jail for violating court order

WJCL 22 News is told that Betterton has had no contact with her daughter, Leilani Simon, and is being held in a separate unit.

TODAY -- A CHATHAM COUNTY GRAND JURY INDICTED LEILANI SIMON WITH 19 COUNTS .. IN THE DISAPPEARANCE AND DEATH OF HER SON QUINTON SIMON. THE 20-MONTH- OLD ... WENT MISSING 70 DAYS AGO ... IN OCTOBER. OUR ANDY COLE ... TAKES US THROUGH THE EVIDENCE PROSECUTORS SAY ... POINTS TO HIS MOTHER ... AS THE ACCUSED KILLER./// ON WEDNESDAY... CHATHAM COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY SHALENA COOK JONES ANNOUNCED A GRAND JURY INDICTED 23-YEAR- OLD LEILANI SIMON ON 19 DIFFERENT COUNTS FOR DEATH OF HER TODDLER SON... QUINTON SIMON. SOT -- SHALENA COOK JONES/DISTRICT ATTORNEY, CHATHAM COUNTY THESE ARE THE CASES THAT KEEP US UP AT NIGHT. THESE ARE THE CASES THAT DESERVE JUSTICE. THE 8-PAGE INDICTMENT SAYS THAT ON OCTOBER 5... THE DAY QUINTON WAS REPORTED MISSING... LEILANI SIMON INTENTIONALLY BEAT LITTLE QUINTON WITH AN OBJECT (CITE COUNT 2) -- ULTIMATELY KILLING HIM. FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE INVESTIGATION... THE INDICTMENT SAYS LEILANI LIED TO INVESTIGATORS TIME AND TIME AGAIN. LEILANI FIRST LIED WHEN SHE IMPLIED TO INVESTIGATORS THAT QUINTON HAD BEEN ABDUCTED. LEILANI LATER LIED AND SHE WENT TO A CHATHAM COUNTY TRAILER PARK EARLY ON OCTOBER 5 TO MEET A FRIEND. IN THE INDICTMENT... LEILANI DID ADMIT TO DUMPING SOMETHING AT THE TRAILER PARK... BUT SHE LIED AND SAID SHE WAS THROWING AWAY HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE. (CITE COUNT 16) ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT... SHE ACTUALLY THREW QUINTON'S BODY IN ONE OF THESE DUMPSTERS -- JUST LIKE TRASH (CITE COUNT 10/13). COURT DOCUMENTS SAY LEILANI TOLD INVESTIGATORS SHE DOESN'T REMEMBER THAT. (CITE COUNT 19) 23-YEAR-OLD SIMON TRIED TO BLAME HER THEN- BOYFRIEND DANIEL YOUNGKIN. THE INDICTMENT SAYS SHE LIED SAYING DANIEL LEFT THEIR BUCKHALTER ROAD HOME THAT OCTOBER MORNING. (CITE COUNT 18/19) JUST A DAY BEFORE QUINTON WAS ALLEGEDELY KILLED... THE INDICTMENT SAYS LEILANI MET WITH HER DRUG DEALER (CITE COUNT 6). SHE TOLD INVESTIGATORS SHE WAS PAYING OFF A DRUG DEBT... BUT THAT TOO WAS A LIE. (CIT COUNT 11) ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT... SHE LATER LIED ABOUT BEING HIGH ON AN UNIDENTIFED DRUG ON OCTOBER 4... JUST HOURS BEFORE QUINTON'S DEATH (CITE COUNT 12) DISTRICT ATTORNEY COOK JONES IS CONFIDENT IN THE CHARGES... BECAUSE OF THE TIRELESS WORK OF LOCAL AND FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS. SOT -- COOK JONES THESE MEN AND WOMEN WORKED VERY LONG HOURS TURNING SHIFTS FOR SIX WEEKS STRAIGHT, WORKING TIRELESSLY AND WOULD NOT QUIT UNTIL QUINTON'S BODY WAS FOUND. WERE IT NOT FOR THERE TIRELESS EFFORTS, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP ON THE LONG ROAD TO JUSTICE AS WE HAVE TODAY. IN CHATHAM COUNTY... I'M ANDY COLE. WJCL 22 NEWS PROSECUTORS ALSO DECLINED TO SAY ... WHY LEILANI'S MOTHER ... BILLIE JO HOWELL ... IS ALSO BEHIND BARS. SHE'S CHARGED WITH CONTEMPT OF COURT. OFFICIALS HAV
Advertisement
Grandmother of Quinton Simon sentenced to 10 days in jail for violating court order

WJCL 22 News is told that Betterton has had no contact with her daughter, Leilani Simon, and is being held in a separate unit.

We are learning new information about the jailing of Billie Jo Betterton, also known as Billie Jo Howell, the grandmother of formerly missing toddler Quinton Simon.Betterton was jailed Monday, December 12, for violating a court order.Her mugshot shows her wearing a suicide-prevention smock.According to the Chatham County Sheriff's Office, Juvenile Court Judge Lindretta Grindle Kramer found her in contempt of court and sentenced her to ten days in jail.Betterton is due to be released on December 22nd.WJCL 22 News is told that Betterton has had no contact with her daughter, Leilani Simon, and is being held in a separate unit.It's unclear what order Betterton was accused of violating.MORE COVERAGE:Quinton Simon case timelinePreliminary hearing held for mother of Quinton SimonFBI confirms remains found in Savannah landfill belong to missing toddler Quinton SimonLeilani Simon indicted on murder charges in death of 20-month-old son Quinton On Wednesday, Simon was indicted on 19 counts including murder in the death of her son, Quinton.Quinton was reported missing on the morning of October 5 from Billie Jo Betterton's Buckhalter Road home.Leilani Simon lived there with Quinton, her other children, and her boyfriend.Some of Quinton's remains were found weeks later in a Chatham County landfill.According to District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones, Leilani Simon intentionally caused Quinton's death and the indictments allege Leilani dumped his body into a dumpster at a mobile home park off Ogeechee Road roughly three miles from the family's Buckhalter Road home.Leilani Simon was denied bond during a hearing on December 6.She is due back in court on February 13, 2023.

We are learning new information about the jailing of Billie Jo Betterton, also known as Billie Jo Howell, the grandmother of formerly missing toddler Quinton Simon.

Betterton was jailed Monday, December 12, for violating a court order.

Advertisement

Her mugshot shows her wearing a suicide-prevention smock.

According to the Chatham County Sheriff's Office, Juvenile Court Judge Lindretta Grindle Kramer found her in contempt of court and sentenced her to ten days in jail.

Betterton is due to be released on December 22nd.

WJCL 22 News is told that Betterton has had no contact with her daughter, Leilani Simon, and is being held in a separate unit.

It's unclear what order Betterton was accused of violating.

MORE COVERAGE:

Quinton Simon case timeline

Preliminary hearing held for mother of Quinton Simon

FBI confirms remains found in Savannah landfill belong to missing toddler Quinton Simon

Leilani Simon indicted on murder charges in death of 20-month-old son Quinton

On Wednesday, Simon was indicted on 19 counts including murder in the death of her son, Quinton.

Quinton was reported missing on the morning of October 5 from Billie Jo Betterton's Buckhalter Road home.

Leilani Simon lived there with Quinton, her other children, and her boyfriend.

Some of Quinton's remains were found weeks later in a Chatham County landfill.

According to District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones, Leilani Simon intentionally caused Quinton's death and the indictments allege Leilani dumped his body into a dumpster at a mobile home park off Ogeechee Road roughly three miles from the family's Buckhalter Road home.

Leilani Simon was denied bond during a hearing on December 6.

She is due back in court on February 13, 2023.