ON THEIR ARRESTS..AHEAD ON WJCL NEWS AT 6. MEANTIME -- THE ARREST OF A CHATHAM COUNTY MOTHER... WHO IS NOW CHARGED WITH MURDERING HER TODDLER... CREATED A LOT OF BUZZ AMONG NEIGHBORS WHO LIVE ALONG BUCKHALTER ROAD. THIS IS 22-YEAR- OLD LEILANI SIMON...THE MOTHER OF 20- MONTH-OLD QUINTON SIMON... HE WAS REPORTED MISSING BACK IN OCTOBER. POLICE ARRESTED LEILANI MONDAY ON CHARGES OF MURDER... POLICE SAY THEY FOUND REMAINS ON FRIDAY DURING A LANDFILL SEARCH IN CHATHAM COUNTY. OUR OLIVIA WILE JOINS US FROM THE CHATHAM COUNTY JAIL WHERE LEILANI SIMON REMAIN RIGHT NOW. OLIVIA IT WAS AN ACTIVE DAY OUTSIDE QUINTON'S HOUSE TODAY.. MARVIS THAT'S RIGHT, NEIGHBORS WERE SHARING THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT THE CASE WITH ME TODAY, BUT EVERYONE DID EXPRESS THE SAME SENTIMENT, THEY'RE HAPPY LEILANI SIMON IS BEHIND BARS TONIGHT. CATHERINE MARTIN AND HER SON WERE OUT WALKING THE DAY 20-MONTH-OLD QUINTON SIMON WENT MISSING... NOW, THE DAY AFTER HIS MOTHER, LEILANI SIMON, WAS ARRESTED, THEY'RE OUT WALKING AGAIN. "I THINK WE ALL KNEW THAT SHE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT." MARTIN HAS LIVED IN THE WHAT SHE CALLS "QUIET" NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 50 YEARS.. "I MEAN THE DAY OF I COULDN'T EVEN BELIEVE A CHILD WAS MISSING THERE WAS NO MOTHER, I MEAN I WOULD BE OUTSIDE SCREAMING CRYING AHVING EVERYONE I KNOW TRYING TO FIND MY CHILD HERE, IT WAS VERY QUIET, THAT WAS STRANGE. ON MONDAY, POLICE REVEALED THEY FOUND WHAT THEY BELIEVE ARE QUINTON'S REMAINS AT THE LANDFILL THEY'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR WEEKS... THEY'VE BEEN SENT TO A LAB FOR DNA TESTING. "WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE THIS WILL CONFIRM THE REMAINS ARE QUINTONS." THE 22-YEAR-OLD IS CHARGED WITH MALICIOUS MURDER, CONCEALING DEATHS, FALSE REPORTING AND FALSE STATEMENTS... HER BOND HEARING WILL BE WEDNESDAY... THERE WAS A LOT OF MOVEMENT AT THE HOME TEUSDAY.... BUT MARTIN SAYS LEILANI'S ARREST IS ANOTHER STEP TOWARD PEACE FOR HER NEIGHBORHOOD. "MY HOPE AND MY PRAYER IS JUSTICE IS SERVED AND WAHTEEVR SHE DID SHE GETS WHAT SHE DESERVED" OLIVIA YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH SEVERAL NEIGHBORS WHO DIDN'T WANT TO GO ON CAMERA.. WHAT DID THEY SAY? MARVIS ONE NEIGHBOR FEELS POLICE SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO LEILANI SIMON'S MOTHER, BILLIE JOE, TOO, ANOTHER SAYS SHE WOULD SEE QUINTON RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE STREET UNSUPERVISED AND CAN'T LOOK AT HIS PHOTO WITHOUT CRYING. ALL THOUGH AGREE THEY ARE HAPPY LEILANI SIMON IS BEHIND BARS HERE AT THE JAIL TONIGHT. OUR OLIVIA WILE REPORTING
Neighbors in Savannah speak out following murder arrest of mother in Quinton Simon disappearance
Updated: 6:32 PM EST Nov 22, 2022
Neighbors on Buckhalter Road were eager to talk Tuesday about the arrest of 22-year-old Leilani Simon, the mother of young Quinton Simon.Quinton was last seen October 5. Police said early in the investigation that the child was presumed dead. On Monday, his mother was arrested for his murder.Catherine Martin says she and her son were out walking the day 20-month-old Quinton Simon went missing. Now, the day after his mother, Leilani Simon, was arrested, they were out walking again.“I think we all knew that she had something to do with it,” Martin said. “The day of, I couldn’t even believe a child was missing. There was no mother, I mean I would be outside screaming crying having everyone I know trying to find my child here, it was very quiet, that was strange,” Martin said. RELATEDTimeline: The Search for Missing Savannah Toddler Quinton SimonPolice: Protesters lead to 50 calls for service since Quinton Simon disappeared from Savannah homeGrandfather of missing Savannah toddler Quinton Simon struck, killed by hit-and-run driverOn Monday, police revealed they found what they believe are Quinton’s remains at the landfill they’ve been searching for weeks. The evidence has been sent to a lab for DNA testing.Below file video: Leiliani Simon charged in murder of Quinton Simon“We have every reason to believe this will confirm the remains are Quinton's,” Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said Monday evening.The 22-year-old is charged with malicious murder, concealing a death, false reporting and false statements. Her bond hearing will be Wednesday. Martin says Leilani’s arrest is another step toward peace for her neighborhood. “My hope and my prayer is justice is served and whatever she did she gets what she deserved,” Martin said.
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Neighbors on Buckhalter Road were eager to talk Tuesday about the arrest of 22-year-old Leilani Simon, the mother of young Quinton Simon.
Quinton was last seen October 5. Police said early in the investigation that the child was presumed dead. On Monday, his mother was arrested for his murder.
Catherine Martin says she and her son were out walking the day 20-month-old Quinton Simon went missing. Now, the day after his mother, Leilani Simon, was arrested, they were out walking again.
“I think we all knew that she had something to do with it,” Martin said.
“The day of, I couldn’t even believe a child was missing. There was no mother, I mean I would be outside screaming crying having everyone I know trying to find my child here, it was very quiet, that was strange,” Martin said.
RELATED
On Monday, police revealed they found what they believe are Quinton’s remains at the landfill they’ve been searching for weeks. The evidence has been sent to a lab for DNA testing.
Below file video: Leiliani Simon charged in murder of Quinton Simon
“We have every reason to believe this will confirm the remains are Quinton's,” Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said Monday evening.
The 22-year-old is charged with malicious murder, concealing a death, false reporting and false statements. Her bond hearing will be Wednesday.
Martin says Leilani’s arrest is another step toward peace for her neighborhood.
“My hope and my prayer is justice is served and whatever she did she gets what she deserved,” Martin said.
