One of the WORST Child Abuse Cases Ever — The Tragic Story of Quinton Simon | True Crime Documentary

One of the WORST Child Abuse Cases Ever — The Tragic Story of Quinton Simon | True Crime Documentary

“Chatham 7 Alpha 2, 7 Alpha 1, County West Sergeant, we have a Signal 56… 535 Buckhalter Road. Complaint about her one-year-old son is missing. She woke up, her door was open, and he’s unable to open the door. Thinks someone came in and took him. Going to be a tan-skinned child with dark brown hair, green-blue eyes. Last seen at 6:00 a.m. this morning.”

**[Unknown Speaker / Mother’s Recording]**
“Receive is Leilani and her son is Hawaiian. I wanted you. I wanted you. I wanted your voices. I wanted your mother. But you… that it was only one way. That feeling was only one way. That love, that loyalty, it was all, it was all one way. You take care of my kids, okay? You couldn’t take care of me. Okay.”

—

### The Disappearance

Some crimes strike so deeply that they shake the very foundation of trust in humanity. The story of Quinton Simon, a cheerful, polite 20-month-old boy from Savannah, Georgia, is one of them. What started as a missing child report would eventually become one of the most heart-wrenching murder cases in recent Georgia history.

Quinton was born on January 8th, 2021, to Leilani Simon and Henry Moss. From the beginning, Quinton brought light to those around him. He was lovingly nicknamed “Monkey,” and he adored cartoons like Paw Patrol, PJ Masks, and Dragon Tales. He was known for dancing, singing, giving fist bumps, and remarkably for his age, saying “thank you” even when doing things for others. He idolized his older brother Zayne, copying everything he did, and was described by family and neighbors as smart, curious, and full of joy.

But behind this sunshine child’s smile was a turbulent household. Leilani Simon, Quinton’s mother, had a troubled past that included convictions for theft and trespassing. She also struggled with substance use and had a history of making poor decisions. These issues began to affect her ability to parent.

In July 2021, custody of Quinton and Zayne was granted to Leilani’s own mother, Billie Jo Howell. Although Leilani continued to live in the same home, she was not the boys’ legal guardian. Later, Leilani met Daniel Youngkin, known as Danny, and moved with him to North Carolina for a time. There, she was arrested and convicted again for theft from her workplace, this time classified as a felony.

While pregnant with her third child, she returned to Savannah with Danny and gave birth to a baby girl named Sky. All of them moved into Billie Jo’s house on Buckhalter Road.

The home became overcrowded: two adults, three young children, and Leilani’s boyfriend, all under one roof. Tensions rose quickly. On September 7th, 2022, police were called to the house following a physical argument between Leilani and her mother. According to the police report, the fight had started over laundry and escalated into a full-blown confrontation about finances, childcare responsibilities, and Leilani’s behavior.

Billie Jo had been working full-time and covering the household expenses. She told police she was tired of supporting her adult daughter and her boyfriend while also raising her grandchildren. The very next day, Billie Jo went to court and filed for eviction. She demanded that Leilani and Danny be removed from the home. Then, shortly after, Billie Jo left town on a work assignment, expecting her daughter to be out of the house by the time she returned.

For Leilani, the days that followed were filled with pressure. A family court ruling ordered her to start paying $150 per month in child support to her mother beginning November 1st. With no stable income, facing eviction, and now responsible for payments she couldn’t afford, Leilani found herself emotionally unraveling.

On October 5th, 2022, just days after receiving the eviction notice, something went terribly wrong.

—

### The Morning of October 5th

That morning, at 5:30 a.m., Quinton’s regular babysitter received a text from Danny telling her not to come that day. It was unusual. The sitter had been caring for Quinton and his siblings every weekday from 6:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A second message came later that morning, again saying she wasn’t needed.

By 9:00 a.m., the babysitter decided to go to the house anyway, but was turned away. Confused and worried, she called Billie Jo, who was out of state. That was the moment Billie Jo first learned something was wrong.

**[Argument Captured on Recording: Leilani and Billie Jo]**
**Leilani:** “Don’t put nothing in your door… My hand. This is my baby, not yours.”
**Billie Jo:** “Text your mind, baby. I text you and I told you my name.”
**Leilani:** “Oh, so now it’s my fault. You need to go get it.”
**Billie Jo:** “I text you. I asked you over and over the text, over and over.”
**Leilani:** “You want to blame me? I don’t care about the text. You think I would do that? Because I’m black? You don’t like anybody. You shouldn’t hold him.”
**Billie Jo:** “I was… I provided for you. You [ __ ] yeah, I did. I paid for your family. Your entire family. Keep recording. Well, keep recording. Don’t take my phone.”
**Leilani:** “Good. You put all this on social media. You were wrong. I begged you to help. Put that on social media! I begged you to help. I said, ‘Hey, Michelle, please get the kids. Take them, I’ll give you $300.'”
**Billie Jo:** “You’re a liar. I’m about to put it all over… Good, because you’re awful to say you’re going to plan a memorial. My baby’s not dead! You are a liar. My baby’s not dead!”
**Leilani:** “You’re a liar. You’re a lying…”
**Billie Jo:** “No, you are. My baby’s not dead! I thought you was a woman of God. You got Quinton. Do you have Quinton?”
**Leilani:** “I don’t have Quinton.”
**Billie Jo:** “Maybe you do. You got him.”
**Leilani:** “Okay. Well, I’m about to call the…”
**Billie Jo:** “You’re the only one that can go to my house and take him. You kids go in my house and take him all the time.”
**Leilani:** “Oh, yeah. Go ahead. Go ahead. We did not go in her house. I want to see it on the news. Yeah, maybe we need to look at green cars. She’s going to put a memorial up in her yard. Quinton’s not dead. No one said he was.”

—

### The Search Effort

At 9:39 a.m., Leilani reported Quinton missing. She claimed that when she woke up, the front door was open, and the boy had vanished from his playpen. She suggested that maybe someone had taken him, or perhaps he had wandered off. She even pointed suspicion toward Quinton’s biological father, implying he may have taken the child.

**Leilani (to media):** “I feel we have found him happy and alive. We want him back in our arms holding us. That’s what we want. We’re just hoping that he’s in somebody’s house and they’re feeding him, and we’re hoping that, you know, maybe they wanted a baby or couldn’t have a baby. Maybe they thought they were his savior, but it’s not.”

Law enforcement took immediate action. The Chatham County Police Department, the FBI, mounted patrol units, search dogs, and helicopters were all mobilized. It became the largest search effort in the department’s history. Heat-seeking drones were deployed overnight. The community gathered to help, and neighbors recalled previous times when they had seen Quinton outside unattended.

One detail in particular disturbed investigators: Quinton had never opened doors by himself before. According to the family, his older brother had done so in the past, but not Quinton. That simple fact cast doubt on Leilani’s story.

Despite the massive search, the Georgia Amber Alert system was not activated. Authorities explained that there were no initial signs of abduction. The child’s biological father was questioned and quickly cleared. Still, there were no leads, no surveillance footage, and no trace of the boy.

The following days brought more confusion and frustration. Neighbors were interviewed. Law enforcement went door-to-door. Local news outlets reported around the clock. Volunteers walked through fields and woods. Meanwhile, national media started to pick up the story.

Billie Jo returned from her work trip and was seen visibly distraught, pleading for the safe return of her grandson.

**Billie Jo (Press Interview):** “We both left right then. I got here about 3:00 yesterday… And I got here about 3:30 in the morning. It’s just been crazy. I mean, we don’t know nothing. Whether it’s the answers we want to hear or answers we don’t want to hear, we just want to know something. My concern is him. We are concerned with his well-being. We appreciate everything that everybody has done, all the people that came out and searched for him. He’s a happy kid. He always had a big smile on his face. He’s not here. He’s just a baby and I want him home. Leilani is my daughter. She’s 22. She hasn’t always done the right things… sometimes she does really great and sometimes she doesn’t. I don’t know what to think right now. I don’t know what to believe. I don’t think anybody ever believes that this is going to happen to them. I just know I’m hurting. We want answers. Thank you to everybody that’s looked for him… please don’t stop looking. We wish everybody to pray for us.”

—

### The Investigation Turns Inward

Yet, all eyes were slowly turning back toward the one place no one wanted to believe was possible: inside the home.

In the days that followed Quinton’s disappearance, Leilani Simon sat with detectives four separate times. With each interview, her story changed—shifting timelines, contradictions, and implausible claims. What began as a story of a toddler vanishing from his playpen evolved into something much darker.

At first, Leilani claimed she had been home asleep and only discovered Quinton missing around 9:00 a.m. She said she had gone out earlier to get pain medication from a friend named Misty. But when detectives reviewed her phone records and location data, there was no trace of this so-called friend, no communication, and no visit. Instead, texts and GPS data revealed that Leilani had driven to an area near a known drug dealer’s home, someone she identified as “Red.”

It was a chilling shift in the narrative. Her hysterical breakdowns during questioning, according to detectives, often began precisely when holes in her story were pointed out. The more they pressed, the more it unraveled.

A search warrant was executed on the family’s home. Investigators found vomit-stained bedding in Quinton’s playpen, but no blood. His beloved Mickey Mouse toy was found discarded in the mess, and Quinton himself was still nowhere to be found.

On October 12th, a week after he vanished, Chatham County Police made the devastating announcement: they believed Quinton was dead, and they named his mother, Leilani Simon, as the sole suspect.

Still, they didn’t have a body, and without it, they couldn’t press charges. Yet, tensions in the community exploded. Protesters began gathering outside the home demanding justice. Police were called out repeatedly to control the escalating crowds. Meanwhile, Leilani remained free. And then, in a moment that horrified the public, she and her mother were spotted drinking at a beach bar, knocking back tequila shots while the FBI searched a landfill for her child’s remains. It was beyond comprehension.

—

### The Landfill Search and The Trial

By October 18th, investigators had narrowed their focus to a local landfill. Surveillance footage captured Leilani’s vehicle near a dumpster at Azalea Mobile Home Park, roughly a mile and a half from her house. It was enough to start a search.

For weeks, FBI and local police officers dug through 1.2 million pounds of waste. Rain, heat, exhaustion—it didn’t matter. They weren’t giving up. Finally, on November 18th, one of them found what they were looking for. Officer Sophia Zurka from the Chatham County Police Department uncovered a fragment of a child’s skull. The remains were immediately sent to the FBI lab in Quantico. Three days later, confirmation arrived: it was Quinton.

That same day, investigators held a press conference. The landfill search was over. The case was now moving into its next chapter: justice.

Leilani was arrested and charged with 19 counts, including felony murder, concealing the death of another, false reporting, and multiple counts of lying to police. According to prosecutors, she had killed Quinton on the night of October 5th by striking him with an unknown object, then disposed of his body in the dumpster.

Her final interview before arrest was haunting. Leilani admitted to using illegal substances that night. She claimed to have hallucinated, blacked out, and couldn’t remember what she’d done—only seeing Quinton’s face in a moment of clarity before everything went blank. She said the next thing she remembered was driving away from the trailer park, but that wasn’t enough to shield her from justice. She was held without bail and the case moved forward.

The trial began on October 9th, 2024. The prosecution presented overwhelming evidence: GPS data, surveillance footage, police interviews, body cam footage, and text messages. A portrait emerged of a young mother unraveling under the weight of poor choices, addiction, and desperation.

**[Trial Testimony: Analyzing Surveillance Footage]**

**Prosecutor:** “Slide 17. This is a video clip, right?”
**Witness (Analyst):** “Yes, sir. This is the video camera angle from New Ride Auto pointing towards Buckhalter. You can also see a little bit of Highway 17.”
**Prosecutor:** “And what time is this footage from?”
**Witness:** “The timestamp says 1:16 and 15 seconds on Wednesday, October 5th, 2022.”
**Prosecutor:** “And what are we going to see in this clip?”
**Witness:** “You’re going to see a vehicle pass through your view on the road… on Buckhalter. It’s going to be traveling northbound, or towards Ogeechee Road. When it hits that intersection of Buckhalter and Ogeechee Road, it will take a right. It appears to be a Dodge Journey. A light-colored Dodge turning.”
**Prosecutor:** “Now, this series of video clips is in chronological order of when the events occurred, correct?”
**Witness:** “Yes, sir, they are.”

*[The examination continued, tracking the Dodge Journey step-by-step through security cameras across Savannah, eventually tracking it entering the Azalea Mobile Home Park, moving past the dumpsters, stopping for over two minutes with its headlights shining near the dumpsters, and then exiting the park.]*

**Prosecutor:** “Judging by where they’re stationary, and knowing what I knew from the white vehicle being parked there, I believe it to be in the area of the dumpsters. Initially, are you able to tell what vehicle that is?”
**Witness:** “No, sir. But when the vehicle gets moving and passes a hurricane fence towards the exit… you get a look at it, and it appears to be the same crossover vehicle, a Dodge Journey, that we’ve been seeing in all these other clips, exiting the mobile home park towards Ogeechee Road.”

—

### The Interrogation

**[Police Interrogation Audio]**
**Detective:** “I know you know what happened.”
**Leilani:** “I don’t know what happened. I don’t know where he is.”
**Detective:** “Here’s why I know, right? Because the story that you already told law enforcement, you’ve got that story in your mind and you’ve been rehearsing for quite a while. We’ve already analyzed that 360, right? Your cell phone data, where you’ve been, who you talked to. It shows where you were. You’ve gone off this story for a while now and I know it’s not true.”
**Leilani:** “I’m being honest.”
**Detective:** “We know through videos you were not that sure. But we do know where you’re at. When you were in the trailer park, you pulled right back out?”
**Leilani:** “Yes. I pulled in and I pulled out.”
**Detective:** “Okay. So why does video surveillance show you stopping by that dumpster in the trailer park? In your mind, you’ve looked at all these timestamps and falsely came up with a story that’s partly true, but there are very many missing pieces. You haven’t been completely honest about where you were at.”
**Leilani:** “I was 100% honest about where I was at. Nothing happened when he was in my care. I did not hurt him. I did not take him anywhere! Last night was questioning me, making me question myself. I’m sure the reason that something happened like that…”
**Detective:** “Well, if you keep telling yourself the story, and we’re done with that story, you can keep trying to convince yourself… but you put the timeline together to cover up what happened, and you’re the only one that can tell us what happened. You told me how you felt when you were on the side of the road, scared, right? As a mother, look, we just want to find him. You can help us find him. When you left and you drove through the trailer park and you stopped for a while, what was going through your mind?”
**Leilani:** “I didn’t stop for a while. I told you that he was in that bed when I woke up.”

—

### A Mother’s Statement

During the sentencing phase, the emotional wreckage of generational trauma and addiction was laid bare when Billie Jo took the stand.

**Billie Jo Howell (Court Statement):**
“I know drugs has had a huge impact on our entire lives. Even in Leilani’s childhood, I failed her as a mom. I allowed addiction to take over my life at a young age. You and your brother were just babies, and you lived with my sister, and I made sure you were okay. But through those times it was still really hard on you, because you wanted your mom, just like I know they’re going to want their mom.

I’d already changed my life and I’d been working really hard, but I had changed my addiction from drugs to work. I still neglected your needs, your emotional needs. I still wasn’t there for you to be your mom. My decisions have played an impact on things that have happened in your life. And there’s absolutely nothing I can do to take it away. But I’m working every day… taking classes, because I want to be better. Because I have to believe that it’s still not too late, and that we still have a chance regardless of what it looks like.

Quinton and the other children changed my life even more. But I was so afraid for you that I never let you fail. I always just rode in and fixed everything, which wasn’t good for you. It didn’t allow you to grow and to be able to make good decisions for yourself. I do take accountability today because I should have been a better mom and a better grandma. I should have seen something.

You deserve better and so do your children. All three of them. We might not be able to bring Quinton back, but he needs to come home. And we’re all going to hold him one last time. I just want to make it better, Leilani. And I don’t know how. All I can do is be here for you and answer every phone call, talk to you, and be there. Listen. Really listen. I’m really listening. I love you and we’re going to get through it because I raised you to know that I love you unconditionally. And today, I do not put conditions on that. Because I love you. I love you.”

**[Cross-Examination of Billie Jo]**
**Defense Attorney:** “Let me ask some questions. Did you ever see any of this favoritism towards Zayne or Sky where Quinton was the outcast?”
**Billie Jo:** “No, sir, never.”
**Defense Attorney:** “You understand the sentence is life without or life with parole? Do you think that Leilani is so far gone she should get a life without parole sentence?”
**Billie Jo:** “No, I don’t, because I wasn’t so far gone. I’m not. And I refuse to let somebody make me believe that I am. It may be too late for a lot of things, but I’m here today.”
**Defense Attorney:** “So, you’re asking the court to impose a life with parole sentence, correct?”
**Billie Jo:** “Yes.”

**Prosecutor (Mr. Hilliard):** “You’re her mom. Since day one, the day Quinton was reported missing, you have been there for her.”
**Billie Jo:** “Yes.”
**Prosecutor:** “You understand the jury has now convicted her of murdering Quinton with the intent to kill him. Do you understand that? That 12 neutral, unbiased citizens taking a cold look at the evidence have said that is what happened here beyond a reasonable doubt. You get that, right?”
**Billie Jo:** “Yes, sir.”
**You get that right?**

Yes, sir.

**In all of the conversations you’ve had with her, has she ever taken responsibility for doing that?**

No, she hasn’t. But she has taken responsibility for her drug use.

**I know that you’ve taught her to take responsibility for her actions because when she says in the news interview, “If it comes out that I’m responsible, I’ll take responsibility,” and she said that separately another time to the police. And I believe that that is coming from your upbringing of her. Do you think that’s fair?**

Yes, sir. I do.

**Has she ever actually done it in this case, though?**

No, she hasn’t.

**She hasn’t admitted to you that she killed Quinton?**

No, she hasn’t.

**She hasn’t told you how?**

No, sir.

**She’s said things to you about, “Well, you know, I just don’t remember and I’m not sure and I’m trying to piece it together,” and things like that, right?**

Yes, sir.

**And you understand that the evidence has just not been consistent with that kind of claim. Do you understand that?**

Yes, sir.

**That, you know, evidence shows that she made this very calculated drive to the dumpsters, scattered rice cereal in her car, drafted a text message to Danny about what she was supposedly doing on that trip, getting more Oragel, told a bunch of lies about it to the police. Right.**

Yes, sir. I watched the trial.

**And none of that is consistent with her just not knowing what happened. Would you agree with that?**

Yes.

**Okay. But even still, despite all the conversations you’ve had, despite you being her mother, the person that she confided in, she hasn’t even taken responsibility privately in confidence to you.**

No, she hasn’t.

**Is that frustrating to you?**

Yes, it is.

**Do you wish she would just come out and admit to you as her mother?**

Yes, I do.

**One moment, please. I have no further questions.**

Thank you, Mr. Dean. We can hear you.

**Um, I’m a little confused, Ms. Howell, because being convicted of something doesn’t necessarily mean you did it, does it?**

No.

**Okay. It doesn’t.**

So, if you’re convicted of something you didn’t do and you don’t admit to it, it doesn’t mean you did it. I mean, just because you’re convicted of it…

**That’s correct. Any questions? So, being convicted of something is not the same thing as admitting something you actually did now, is it?**

Yes, sir.

**Okay. So you can be convicted of something you didn’t do, right?**

Yes, sir.

**You can be acquitted of something you did do, right?**

Yes, sir.

**And there’s all manner of things in between, right?**

Yes, sir.

**Okay, that’s all the questions I got.**

Any further?

**No, you’re not.**

Babysitter Michelle McCarter testified that Leilani had admitted she didn’t love Quinton and had abused him in the past.

**Ms. McCarter, will you tell the jury your name, please, ma’am?**

Michelle McCarter.

**And are you the mom of Telia that we heard testify yesterday?**

Yes, ma’am.

**All right. Do you know the defendant in this case, Leilani Simon?**

Yes, ma’am.

**Okay. Do you also know Daniel Youngkin?**

Yes, ma’am.

**And did you know their children?**

Yes, ma’am.

**Did you know Quinton Simon?**

Yes, ma’am.

**Um, before we get deeper into this, I want to show you what’s been marked as State’s Exhibit 29. May I approach, Your Honor?**

Yes.

**Ms. McCarter, I’m showing you what’s been marked as State’s Exhibit 29. Do you recognize this?**

Yes, ma’am.

**Okay. And without saying what’s in it, is it a photograph?**

Yes, ma’am.

**Okay. And does it fairly and accurately depict what is in the photograph?**

Yes, ma’am.

**Okay. Your Honor, at this time, we tender what’s been marked as State’s Exhibit 29 into evidence, please.**

No objection.

**Okay. Exhibit 29 is admitted without objection. Okay. And now that it’s in evidence, can you tell us what this is a picture of?**

This is a picture of Quinton. When I was off, we took him to Red Lobster to eat.

**Okay. So, in this photograph, he was out with you.**

Yes.

**Okay. Your Honor, may I publish this to the jury?**

Yes, you may.

**I’m just going to do it old school.**

Okay.

**Ms. McCarter, how did you first become acquainted with the defendant and Danny?**

Through a church lady that went to church with us for many years.

**Okay. And who was the church lady? What was her name?**

Sandra Howell.

**Okay. And was she related to them in some way?**

Um, she was the sister of Billie Jo’s husband.

**Okay. So, that would be she was the sister of the defendant’s stepfather.**

Yes.

**Okay. And did she introduce you to them?**

Oh, yes, ma’am.

**Okay. And what was the purpose of her introducing you to them?**

Um, she had been keeping the children and her knee got real bad. So, she asked if me or my daughter or both could watch them because she wasn’t able to do that anymore.

**Okay. How many daughters do you have?**

I have three daughters.

**Okay. And which daughter was going to help babysit?**

Marissa McCarter.

**Okay. And is that your oldest daughter?**

Nope. She’s 19. She’s my middle.

**She’s the middle one. And then Telia is the youngest.**

Yes.

**Okay. So, did you go and meet with the defendant and her family to perhaps babysit the children?**

No, ma’am. Billie Jo had called me on the phone a couple of days later.

**Okay. And did she set up the babysitting arrangements?**

Yes.

**All right. Do you remember approximately when this was?**

Um, we started watching Quinton and them around the end of January, February of 2022.

**Okay. And that would have been before Sky was born.**

Yes.

**So, at that time when you first started babysitting, there were just the two boys.**

Yes, ma’am.

**Okay. And about how old would the boys have been then?**

Um, Quinton was young. Um, maybe nine months, 10 months.

**Okay. So they would have been… Zayne would have been a toddler and Quinton would have been an infant.**

Yes.

**When you first started babysitting…**

Yes.

**So how did it work? Who brought the kids to your house?**

Most of the time, Danny. Once in a while, Leilani.

**All right. And how often would the children stay with you?**

Um, at first, it was just when they worked. Um, and then it started being overnight, and a lot of times we would even call for Quinton to stay with us even when they were off.

**Okay. Now, who was paying you?**

Um, Leilani was paying, um, but it wasn’t like steady. Um, she would pay and then she would text me later and tell me she needed formula for Sky or diapers and could she come and get it, and she would pay me back when she got paid next time.

**Okay. And how much were they paying you to babysit? Do you remember what the agreed-upon amount was, whether you were actually getting that or not?**

Um, it was like $25 here, $30 there. Um, one time I think she paid a hundred. It was just different amounts.

**Okay.**

Because she would tell me she didn’t have it or she had to do this.

**So, is it fair to say that you and your daughter were being paid a lot less than the normal going rate for childcare?**

Oh, absolutely.

**All right. You said that Quinton would spend the night sometimes. Would both the boys spend the night or just Quinton?**

Zayne stayed a handful of times. Quinton stayed a lot.

**And why is that? Why would Quinton stay overnight?**

Honestly, Quinton loved us. Um, he was close to us, and I just felt like he would be better off at our house. Um, because there was a difference in the love she showed between Zayne and Quinton. And I felt bad. And I would work, and my daughter would say, “Can we just get him, Mom, because this happened today?” And I would say, “Yeah, call her and ask her if he can stay.”

**Can you think of some examples of how the defendant treated the boys differently?**

Well, she was working at Bojangles and she had brought food home, and Quinton loved food, and every time he’d see a bag, he would want it. He’s little. She would feed Zayne before she fed Quinton every time. And I just thought that was strange.

**So, do you mean she’d give Zayne food and make Quinton wait?**

Yes, ma’am. Absolutely.

**She wasn’t physically feeding Zayne.**

No, she would give him the food.

**Give him food…**

And he would eat, and then Quinton would be, you know, whining and wanting it, and she would give it to him eventually.

**Did you ever say anything to her about that?**

I did not.

**Um, are there any other ways that she treated the boys differently that you noticed?**

Um, just by the way she talked to him. When she would… once in a while that she did come and pick them up, she would, you know, grab Zayne and he would hug her because he was close to her. I mean, you could definitely tell it. Um, and then, you know, Quinton, 99% of the time, wanted to stay with us, and he would start crying. Now, if Danny came and picked him up, it was different.

**How is that? Did Danny come?**

He would go with Danny. He wouldn’t cry to stay with us. He loved Danny. He would, you know… Danny would pick him up and he’d hug him.

**Okay. All right. Did Leilani ever talk to you about how she felt about the boys?**

Yes, ma’am. She just… one time, um, and my daughter had more talks with her than I did. I didn’t really talk to her that much, but she just said that, um, she loved Quinton more… I mean, Zayne more than Quinton. And, you know, I didn’t question it. I just… she’s a crappy mom. I knew that. But I just never said anything to her. I would always call Billie Jo when I seen things that were going on.

**Okay. Did she ever… did in that conversation, did she explain more about like Zayne had been through things with her or anything?**

That Zayne had been her ride or die his whole life, and um, she did not like Quinton’s father.

**Okay. So, other than what you saw in your own home, did you ever see things outside? Like, did you ever observe the children at her house or outside their house?**

Um, on one incident, um, my daughter was going to our shed… that’s where our laundry room is… and she had come running in and saying, “Mama, Zayne and Quinton are in the ditch.” Well, it was the road on Buckhalter, but the ditch is right here. And Quinton was actually in the ditch, and Zayne was trying to get him out.

**Did you go out and see the kids outside?**

I did.

**Okay. Um, and at some point, were they returned home or taken back to your home?**

They was. They was returned. I asked Telia to take them home and find out where Leilani was. I immediately called Billie Jo.

**And observing these kinds of things, did you ever report it to any authorities?**

It had been reported. Um, it had happened several times, even before we started keeping them, that I didn’t know about, and it had been reported.

**Okay. Do you know what authority, if any, it had been reported to?**

DFCS.

**Okay. Um, and you say it had been reported. So, were you aware of somebody other than you reporting it?**

Okay.

**And if you could say yes or no.**

Yes. I’m sorry.

**That’s okay. And I won’t ask you what they said since we’re in court. I just need you to, you know, say what you did and said. Let’s move to the day that Quinton disappeared.**

Yes, ma’am.

**Do you remember that morning?**

Yes.

**All right. Actually, let’s talk about the day before before we move to that. The day before, um, were you supposed to watch the children that day?**

Yes.

**And what happened?**

Um, that… well, they picked up the kids. I did watch them, and Danny came and picked them up, and they were supposed to come back the next day, and around about 5:28, 5:29, I got a text from Danny saying that Leilani was keeping the kids today.

**Okay. Um, now, had that happened before where she would not go to work and the children would stay at home?**

No. Because even if she didn’t go to work, most of the time she sent them to us because she wanted to sleep.

**Okay. And how do you know that?**

Because, um… and she would stay at home because one day I had them, and me and my daughters were taking them somewhere. And when we rode by… well, when we got in the car, she was on her front porch. It’s like a little porch. And when she seen us, she actually ducked down and hid from us because she was supposed to be at work. But it didn’t matter. We loved him, so I would have kept him anyway.

**Can you tell us a little bit about what Quinton was like? Like, what did Quinton like? How… I mean, I know he was very young. He wasn’t even two years old yet, but were there things that he said or things that he liked that you know about?**

Yes. Um, he loved cheese. Um, every time I would get home from work, he would want mac and cheese, and he would go to the refrigerator and he would get my cheese out, my block of cheese, for me to cut it for him. And if I would have let him, he’d ate the whole thing. Um, he loved Blippi. He loved bubbles. Anytime we could go to the store and get him bubbles, he just loved them. He… he was a very happy baby when he was with us.

**Okay. Um, and you said that he would spend the night. When he would spend the night, where would he sleep?**

Usually, we would all make a pallet on the floor and we would let him watch Blippi until he fell asleep.

**Okay. And what is Blippi?**

It’s a cartoon.

**Okay. Yes, ma’am. Um, for those that don’t have little kids that don’t know what Blippi is… so, it’s a cartoon.**

Yes.

**Okay. The children, when they came to your home, um, were they sent with clothes, food, diapers, things that they would have needed?**

No, ma’am.

**So, how was that handled?**

Um, well, Zayne always came dressed. Um, several times we got Quinton and he would be in a long onesie and he would have poop all over. Um, I don’t want to say a baby didn’t smell good, but he smelt like rotten milk. He had rings around his neck. We’d immediately bathe him and put fresh clothes on him.

**Okay. Did you keep clothes for him at your house?**

I did because, um, I had to tell Billie Jo that she wasn’t sending anything for the kids.

**Okay. And did Billie Jo give you money to get clothes?**

Yes. Um, we went and got clothes. I took pictures of the clothes and the receipt and sent them to her.

**Okay. And so then after that, you just kept clothes at your house for…**

Yes, I kept half of the clothes there.

**Okay. All right. Now that we’ve covered that, now let’s go to um, the day that Quinton disappeared. So that day, what is the first time you became aware something was out of the ordinary? You said… so that morning, Danny had texted you that the kids were going to stay at home.**

Yes.

**Did you have at that point… did you have any more conversation with anybody about that?**

No.

**Okay. Then what’s the next thing you heard from anybody in that family?**

Um, me and my youngest daughter was on the way to McDonald’s. Danny calls and asked me, “Did I get Quinton or have I seen him?” And I said, “No, why?” And he said that Leilani said he was missing. So, um, my kids homeschool. Um, I ran to McDonald’s. We come back, I dropped my youngest daughter off, and me and my oldest daughter headed down to um, Leilani’s house.

**Okay. Do you remember about what time of the morning this was?**

Maybe around 9.

**Okay. And so you dropped off food at your house, and how close is your house to theirs?**

Catty-corner across the street.

**Okay. So y’all are neighbors. You’re real close by.**

Yes.

**Um, so you dropped food off and then you went over to their house.**

Mhm. Yes.

**And what do you drive?**

Armada.

**And what color is it?**

White.

**Okay. And when you got there, did you park in the driveway?**

I did.

**Okay. I’m asking because we’ve seen some scene photos with a vehicle. And that’s that Armada that’s white is your vehicle.**

Yes, ma’am.

**Okay. When you got there, were there any police there yet?**

No, ma’am.

**All right. What did you do when you got there?**

I asked Leilani if I could go in and help her look because Quinton liked to hide. Um, he would hide from us under the bed, like he just liked to play like hide and seek. Um, she told me no. Me and my daughter, both, no. I asked, “Was the police called?” They said no. Danny said no. And I said, “Why haven’t you called the police?” And I told her, I said, “Call the police.” And then she did call the police.

**When you got there, was Paul outside?**

No, ma’am.

**Okay. So, Paul, did you later see Paul?**

Yes, ma’am.

**Okay. But when you got there, it’s just Danny and Leilani.**

Yes, ma’am.

**And where were they?**

Under the little carport. They have a little covered carport. There was like… when you pull in their driveway in the back, it’s like a little carport.

**Okay. Before you go in to get to the pool and the little play area.**

Okay. So, are you talking about where cars are parked or like the porch thing behind the house?

**Um, when you pull where the cars are parked, but they was kind of standing out from underneath the carport.**

Okay. Sort of in the driveway.

**Yes.**

Okay. So, they’re standing in the driveway. And what were they doing?

**She was standing there smoking cigarette after another. She was like screaming.**

Okay. At some point, did the police get called?

**Yes.**

Okay. Was that immediately after you suggested it or later?

**Um, I would say a couple minutes, she… I heard her get on the phone and call the police.**

Okay. And did the police show up quickly?

**Yes.**

All right. After the police arrived, what did you do or where did you go?

**Um, Paul had come down at that time and he was letting Zayne ride this little car thing. Well, he ended up doing it too fast. Zayne fell and slid across the concrete. And I had asked one of the policemen if I could take Zayne to my house until all this was kind of over, you know, situated, and they told me yes, I could.**

Okay. So, did you take Zayne and go home?

**I did.**

Okay. And at some point, were you interviewed by law enforcement?

**Yes, ma’am.**

When did that happen?

**Um, well, I have cameras, so, um, a gentleman come that worked, and he checked my camera system and asked me questions, and then I was also pulled into the police station by a detective.**

Okay. To go do like a formal interview.

**Yes.**

Okay. During the time that you were keeping the kids, did Leilani ever bring them to you to go somewhere other than work?

**Yes.**

Can you tell us about that?

**Well, she… a couple of times she said that she had to run to 204 to go take care of business. Um, and then a couple of times we kept them when she was off work, that we knew she was going to be off work, but we didn’t know what she was doing.**

Okay. When she would say she was going to 204, did you know what that meant?

**No.**

Okay. And how long would she be gone when she said she was going to 204?

**Um, maybe 30 minutes to an hour.**

Okay. Um, give me just one moment. Okay. Thank you, Ms. McCarter. That’s all the questions that we have, and defense counsel may have some.

**Thank you.**

Ms. McCarter, I’m Martin Hilliard. How are you this morning?

**I’m good. How are you?**

Is it safe to assume that you, prior to October of 2022, already had strong opinions about Leilani’s fitness as a mother?

**No, sir.**

You did not have strong opinions prior to October?

**Oh, yes. Okay.**

So, um…

**Sorry.**

Yeah. So, you… you didn’t think she was a good mom, and you were fairly vocal about it, and you didn’t… you didn’t hesitate to say something about it when you… when it was on your mind. Correct?

**Yeah. I didn’t think she was a good mom. Thought she was a shady mom.**

Well, there you go. Okay. So, that being said, um, I’m going to ask you… you started watching Quinton in January to February of 2022, correct?

**Yes, sir.**

And everything you’ve just told me, I’m going to ask you what you did. Okay.

**Okay.**

Did you ever make any police reports? You?

**No, I didn’t.**

Okay. Did you ever make any reports to DFCS? You?

**I… I talked to them. Yes, I did.**

That wasn’t the question. I asked you if you reported what you were concerned about.

**No, because DFCS got in contact with me.**

That’s again…

**No, I did not.**

You never reached out and you weren’t concerned enough between January and October to do that on your own, were you?

**I was very concerned…**

But not concerned enough to reach out and make a report.

**I didn’t have to. They reached out to me.**

Okay. Well, that being said, you didn’t reach out and make a report. Correct?

**No, I did not.**

All right. So, now let’s talk about the day-to-day. So, you started watching Zayne and Quinton in January to February of 2022, correct?

**Yes, sir.**

Um, how many days a week?

**Um, five to six.**

Five to six days a week. All right. And who was it, and what time would… who brought them and what time would they normally come over to your house in the morning?

**Um, early, around 5:30, 6.**

And who was it that normally brought them?

**Danny.**

Okay. And in the afternoons, what time would they go home?

**4:30, 5.**

And who was it that normally picked them up?

**Danny.**

And over the course of this eight or 10 month period that we’re talking about, January… January or February of 2022 to October of 2022, how many times would Ms. Simon be the one that dropped them off or picked them up?

**I would say a handful of times. 10, five… maybe 10.**

Okay. So, out of a possible 10 times a week for…

**Oh, not 10 times a week. I’m sorry.**

Just… just let me finish. So, drop-off in the morning, pick-up in the afternoon. That’s two times, right?

**Mhm.**

Let’s say it’s at least five days a week. That’s 10 times a week, right? Correct?

**Yeah. She didn’t come… no, not that much.**

I understand. What I’m saying is… so there’s 10 possible or 12 possible drop-offs or pickups in a week for the kids, right?

**Since I was keeping them.**

Since you were keeping them.

**Yes.**

And she would maybe do one a week… maybe. Two weeks?

**Yes.**

Is that a fair statement?

**Yes.**

Okay. So, it’s also a fair statement that Danny was the one who mostly did the dropping off and the picking up. Correct?

**Absolutely.**

And if I understand your testimony correct, it’s not uncommon for… even if she was asleep, for the kids to come stay with you. Correct?

**Correct.**

And Danny would be the one that dropped them off even on those days. Correct?

**Correct.**

So Danny was the one who mostly did the dropping off and the picking up and the one that interacted with you.

**Yes.**

That’s a fair statement.

**Yes.**

Okay. You also stated a minute ago that it was odd that you would get a text not dropping the kids off.

**Yes, I did.**

Okay. And that’s because even if she was home, she would stay sleeping. Now, who was it that sent you the text on the… at 5:30 on the morning of October 5th?

**Danny.**

Okay. And he said the kids were staying home with Leilani. Correct?

**Yes.**

Okay. That was odd, was it not?

**Yes, because she never kept them… right.**

Okay. So, did that stand out to you as being odd at the time?

**No, not… I never thought she would hurt her child. So…**

Well, I understand you have your conclusions, but it was odd that Danny texted that to you, though, wasn’t it?

**No, I don’t think it was odd that he texted it to me.**

Well, you just say that… you can’t have it both ways, Ms. McCarter.

**Well, no. I think it was odd that she kept them because she never did, but I don’t think it was odd that Danny texted it to me.**

Okay.

**Because I had more communication with him than I did her.**

Correct. Because he was the one who mostly watched the children. Correct?

**Yes. Yes.**

He was the one who mostly took care of the children. Correct?

**Absolutely.**

Defense Attorney: “So that being said, 90% of the time he was the one over there with care, custody, and control based on what you observed, wasn’t it?”

Ms. McCarter: “Yes.”

Defense Attorney: “Okay. Now you stated that Quinton would be better off at your house and y’all kept him a lot of times. Correct?”

Ms. McCarter: “Yes.”

Defense Attorney: “All right. And physically, was Quinton thriving?”

Ms. McCarter: “No. How can a kid thrive that doesn’t get shown the love and get food and get everything else that another kid would get? I don’t think he was thriving.”

Defense Attorney: “Would you be surprised to find out that medically he was?”

Ms. McCarter: “Yes, I would.”

Defense Attorney: “Okay. Now, whenever you responded that day and you came over to the house, you said it was Danny that called you, but is it possible that you were wrong? It might have been Leilani that called you that came over.”

Ms. McCarter: “No, Leilani did not call me.”

Defense Attorney: “Okay. All right. And whenever you got over there and you said she was, uh, screaming and upset, correct?”

Ms. McCarter: “She was screaming, but she wasn’t crying. I feel like that if something was to happen to one of my kids, I would be hysterical and I would also be out looking for my child.”

Defense Attorney: “Ms. McCarter, do you understand that different people respond to different stressors in different ways?”

Ms. McCarter: “I just don’t… when something’s wrong with one of your children, I think you would respond, uh, crying, upset, and looking and calling 911 first before you call anyone else.”

Defense Attorney: “And I’m going to ask you, Ms. McCarter, you’ve already formed opinions about Ms. Simon at this point in time, correct?”

Ms. McCarter: “I have. Okay.”

Defense Attorney: “And is it possible that you’re projecting those opinions onto what her behavior should be according to you?”

Ms. McCarter: “Absolutely not.”

Defense Attorney: “So you think objectively that everybody should act the way you think they should?”

Ms. McCarter: “No, I don’t think everybody should act that way. But a mother, a mother that has children that you carry them in your stomach, by your heart… Why wouldn’t you? Why wouldn’t she?”

Defense Attorney: “Well, I understand that, but what I’m saying is you seem to be actually saying yes, you agree with me. I’m saying you’re projecting your opinions and your ideas and your beliefs onto other people.”

Ms. McCarter: “No.”

Defense Attorney: “Is it possible that’s what you’re doing?”

Ms. McCarter: “No, it’s not possible when I’m not doing that.”

Defense Attorney: “Okay. And who was it that paid you every week?”

Ms. McCarter: “Sometimes Leilani, sometimes Danny. It would come from their different Cash Apps.”

Defense Attorney: “So, and but you again, they’re Cash App records and…”

Ms. McCarter: “Mhm.”

Defense Attorney: “So, and they were paid but not necessarily always regularly, but they paid you.”

Ms. McCarter: “They did.”

Defense Attorney: “Okay. And you also mentioned this thing about giving food. Now, were there separate containers for Zayne and separate containers for Quinton, or was it one container of food?”

Ms. McCarter: “It was… she would bring a bag of food home, and it would have, um… they would both want it, but she would always give Zayne first. She would always give it to him first, and she would tell Quinton, ‘Stop. Wait.'”

Defense Attorney: “All right. And Zayne was the older of the two, if I’m not mistaken. Correct. And how old was Zayne at this point in time?”

Ms. McCarter: “Three.”

Defense Attorney: “Okay. And how old would Quinton be at this point in time?”

Ms. McCarter: “10 months maybe.”

Defense Attorney: “So, um, have… and again, you may have, you may not. Um, but you thought that that was some sort of indicia of preference.”

Ms. McCarter: “Well, yes, because when you have more than one kid, you would take it inside. You would have it, well, in plates and give it to both of them, not just serve one while the other one’s crying for the food. You would feed both of them.”

Defense Attorney: “Well, Ms. McCarter, I understand that’s what you believe, but you understand other people may believe differently and disagree with you.”

Ms. McCarter: “And that’s okay. They can disagree with me, but if you have kids, you have to do it… you should do it a certain way. I mean, you should feed both of them. You would want both of your kids to eat, not just one, while the other one’s crying.”

Defense Attorney: “Okay. Well, but Quinton did get to eat, though, did he not?”

Ms. McCarter: “Yes. A few minutes later.”

Defense Attorney: “All right. But you understand there’s a difference between withholding food from a child and feeding the child in a different order than you would do, right?”

Ms. McCarter: “Yes.”

Defense Attorney: “All the questions I got for you.”

Narrator: Officer Zurka recounted tearfully the moment she discovered the child’s remains.

Prosecutor: “Good afternoon.”

Officer Zurka: “Good afternoon.”

Prosecutor: “Could you introduce yourself to the jury, please?”

Officer Zurka: “My name is Sophia Zurka.”

Prosecutor: “That is the last name that I’m going to have to ask you to spell.”

Officer Zurka: “Z-U-R-K-E-E.”

Prosecutor: “And I take…”

Judge: “Mr. P, make sure you have your mic on.”

Prosecutor: “Thank you. Mhm. Uh, I take it you are a Chatham County Police officer.”

Officer Zurka: “Yes, sir.”

Prosecutor: “How long have you been with the Chatham County Police?”

Officer Zurka: “I have been with the Chatham County Police Department since September of 2021.”

Prosecutor: “Did you work at any other police departments prior to joining the Chatham County Police Department?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes, sir.”

Prosecutor: “Where was it at?”

Officer Zurka: “The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office in Kansas.”

Prosecutor: “Okay. How’d you end up coming here from Kansas?”

Officer Zurka: “Uh, I moved here. Being in law enforcement, it’s a very stressful job. So, Georgia offers a lot to do outside of work, the ocean, the beach. So, it’s very beautiful here.”

Prosecutor: “Now, you’re here today because you’re the first person, um, to find a piece of Quinton, right?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes, sir.”

Prosecutor: “Now, um, I’d like to show you slide eight from State’s Exhibit Three, which has already been admitted into evidence. This has been introduced and admitted into evidence as a still frame from Sergeant Stewart’s body-worn camera from, um, the initial response at 535 Buckhalter Road on October 5th. Um, is that you here?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes, sir, it is.”

Prosecutor: “Was this area, was this your beat that you were patrolling that day or…”

Officer Zurka: “No, it was not. I was in Beat Eight that day. This is considered Beat Seven.”

Prosecutor: “And how did you end up there?”

Officer Zurka: “When there is a missing child, um, time is of the essence. So, it’s all hands on deck at that point. So, I went over to assist with the search.”

Prosecutor: “And on this day, were you involved in, um, canvassing the neighborhood or the woods or something like that, looking for Quinton?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes, sir.”

Prosecutor: “So, is it fair to say that you started looking for Quinton initially on October 5th?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes, sir.”

Prosecutor: “Day one. Later, did you become involved in the search at the landfill?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes, sir.”

Prosecutor: “How did you become involved with it?”

Officer Zurka: “I asked to be a volunteer to help.”

Prosecutor: “Had you heard, I mean I presume you had heard that this was a thing that was about to start happening, correct?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes.”

Prosecutor: “How did you hear about it?”

Officer Zurka: “Our department.”

Prosecutor: “Um, and were they soliciting like department-wide or volunteers or what?”

Officer Zurka: “I can’t recall on that. I just know they asked us to be some extra hands to help.”

Prosecutor: “And you volunteered?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes, sir.”

Prosecutor: “Why is that?”

Officer Zurka: “Being one of the first on scene, I wanted to see it through and to help in any way that I could.”

Prosecutor: “And going forward from that, were you involved as a searcher at the landfill?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes, sir.”

Prosecutor: “Um, what day did you start on? Not necessarily the date, but like, was it the first day of the landfill search?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes. Yes, I was there for the first day.”

Prosecutor: “And were you involved throughout?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes.”

Prosecutor: “Was there any day that that search operation, uh, was going on that you weren’t there?”

Officer Zurka: “No, sir.”

Prosecutor: “Could you have gotten out of it, uh, at some point if you hadn’t wanted to?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes.”

Prosecutor: “What was that like? Um, doing that for, I don’t know, five weeks or whatever it was.”

Officer Zurka: “It was… it was a lot. It was mentally, emotionally, and physically draining every single day.”

Prosecutor: “Now, I’d like to, uh, draw your attention to November 18, 2022, the day that, um, Quinton was found out there. What do you remember about, um, the morning?”

Officer Zurka: “From what I can recall, it was like every other morning. It started out, we have a briefing, kind of talk about how the day is going to go. Um, we get ready, when we start, we start searching. Would you like me to kind of go through, I mean, our attire, be more specific in that aspect or…”

Prosecutor: “No, we’ve had that with the previous witness. So I guess let me ask you this. In the morning, is it a normal day?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes, sir.”

Prosecutor: “What do you remember about, um, the point where it became not a normal day?”

Officer Zurka: “I was just breaking through the garbage and then I had observed a white, small object. Could fit in the palm of my hand. Um, it looked like bone to me. So, I remember seeing my lieutenant, Lieutenant Foster, ’cause they were all on the side and, you know, contacting him and they came over and removed it.”

Prosecutor: “I’d like to finish with, um, what’s been introduced into evidence as State’s Exhibit 77. And 77 has been admitted. Is that correct?”

Officer Zurka: “It has. Yes.”

Prosecutor: “Okay. That was the one. Can you look through here and tell me if you recognize, um, the object that you’re describing?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes, I do.”

Prosecutor: “Is that it on the first page there?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes, sir.”

Prosecutor: “Can you pull this out and display it to the jury, please?”

Officer Zurka: “Yes. This is the, uh, object that I was talking about.”

Prosecutor: “What do you remember happening from there?”

Officer Zurka: “Um, I just remember notifying my lieutenant and then them coming over and collecting it.”

Prosecutor: “And then after that?”

Officer Zurka: “We continued to search.”

Prosecutor: “And did you yourself find any more items of…”

Officer Zurka: “No, I don’t recall because really any items that we found that we thought were potentially bones we would put in the buckets for them to collect and to get tested. So whether or not specifically I found any other items that were tested…”

Prosecutor: “Um, yeah, it’s a difficult thing for you to answer, right? Um, let me ask you this. After having been out there for weeks, going through line after line, tell me what it felt like to see that little piece of Quinton’s skull and pick it up and realize what it was.”

Officer Zurka: “Um, it was heartbreaking.”

Prosecutor: “Was it rewarding also? I have no further questions, Judge.”

Narrator:

On October 25th, the jury delivered its verdict: guilty on all 19 counts.

Exactly 2 years after her arrest, on November 21st, 2024, Leilani Marie Simon was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, plus 10 additional years. When given the opportunity to speak, she declined. The only thing she asked was for her son’s remains to be given to her brother, Paul.

“I want my baby home,” she said quietly.

On November 27th, her attorneys filed a motion for a new trial, claiming the verdict was not supported by evidence. The appeals process will likely take years. In the meantime, Leilani was transferred to Arrendale State Prison near Athens, Georgia.

The case of Quinton Simon left a permanent scar on the Savannah community. A little boy full of life who always said thank you even when he didn’t have to was failed in the most unforgivable way by the very person meant to protect him.

His short life became a symbol—a symbol of how innocence can be destroyed by neglect, violence, and apathy, but also a reminder of the power of community, of justice pursued relentlessly, and of the voices that rose in outrage, not just for Quinton, but for all children like him.

Rest in peace, little monkey. You mattered. You were loved. And your story will not be forgotten.