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SAVANNAH, Ga. — Opening statements began Monday in the trial of a Georgia woman accused of killing her 20-month-old son and dumping his body in a trash can two years ago.
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Leilani Simon, of Savannah, was indicted on 19 counts alleging bad faith murder, felony murder, concealing the death of another person and making false statements in the death of her son, Quinton Simon. She pleaded not guilty.
Simon called 911 on the morning of October 5, 2022, to report her son missing from an indoor playpen in their home outside Savannah. After police spent days searching the home and surrounding area, Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said investigators believe the child is dead. He also named Simon as the only suspect.
Police and FBI agents focused their investigation on the landfill two weeks after the boy was reported missing. They searched through trash for more than a month before finding human bones, which DNA testing confirmed were Quinton's.
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In opening statements Monday, prosecutor Tim Dean described the turmoil in Simon's life at the time of her son's disappearance, and in particular her deteriorating relationship with her then-boyfriend, Daniel Youngkin, WTOC-TV reported. Dean said Simon spent the late hours of October 4 and 5 high on cocaine and Percocet, killing his son, throwing him in the garbage and then going to sleep.
“She killed him, her own son, got into a car with his body, drove to a dumpster and threw him away like garbage,” Dean said.
Jurors were also shown video footage of Simon's interviews with police and body camera footage. Dean said Simon changed his story about his whereabouts several times. Nearly a week after the talks, Simon changed her story again, claiming that she may have blacked out and doesn't remember what really happened.
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“I will never touch cocaine again. When I do this, I become angry and impulsive,” Simon said in a 2022 police interview.
In the nearly two hours Dean spent building the case against Simon, he never said why prosecutors believed she killed her son. The state said the child's body was too decomposed when it was recovered to determine how it died.
In contrast, the defense delivered just three minutes of opening statement, in which it accused the state of basing its case on rumors and speculation rather than hard evidence.
“The main conclusion is that Leilani Maree Simon murdered her child. The evidence simply does not support this bold conclusion,” said defense attorney Robert Persse.
One of the first prosecution witnesses was Sgt. Bobby Stewart, the first officer to arrive on the scene after a reported missing toddler. Stewart testified about Simon's behavior when he arrived.
“Do you think her behavior is consistent with other parents you have talked to about missing children?” asked the prosecutor.
“No, sir, I didn't do it,” Stewart replied.
Further testimony is expected Tuesday, including additional Chatham County police personnel and a babysitter and her daughter.
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