Thursday 24 November 2022 12:50 AM Quinton Simon's mom's final moments before murder arrest trends now
The grandmother of missing toddler Quinton Simon who told the FBI that her daughter was a 'flight risk' ahead of her arrest, has posted a video breaking down into tears following an accusation that 'she knew her daughter killed him.'
The toddler's mother Leilani Simon, 22, was charged with his murder after human remains, believed to be those of the little boy, were found in a Georgia landfill site.
Leilani will spend her second night in jail after being arrested and charged on Monday after reporting her 20-month-old son missing on October 5.
In a short video to Tik Tok Leilani's mother and Quinton's grandmother Billi Jo Howell, 45, can be seen sitting in a chair with her hand resting on her forehead.
Howell appears to be distraught with a comment visible on the video asking: 'Why were you harboring Leilani when you knew she killed Quinton the whole time?'
'Why would you assume I did,' Howell begins to say before taking a brief pause.
'I've lost so much, but nobody cares.'
Billie Jo Howell posted a video to Tik Tok breaking down into tears following the accusation that 'she knew her daughter killed' her grandson Quinton
Howell, 45, thinks the missing toddler accidentally drowned in a bathtub because her daughter and boyfriend were out of it on drugs
Breaking down into tears the distraught mother and grandmother then turns away from the camera ending the short clip.
Speaking to WTOC Howell expressed her deep sadness explaining that she couldn't go into further detail about the case, before handing the phone to a family friend.
The family friend said that a few weeks ago that Leilani had checked herself into a treatment center and had been there ever since.
Howell had been in communication with the FBI on a daily basis since her grandson's disappearance was reported as had Leilani.
The friend went on to say that Howell had heard that her daughter was planning to check herself out of the treatment center when she called the FBI.
'[Howell] had to make one of the hardest decisions of her life, and call the FBI agents and let them know that [Leilani] was signing herself out,' the family friend who remained nameless said.
'[Howell told the FBI that Leilani] could not come back here, and [that] she was going to be a flight risk, because she could not come back here.
The friend went on to say that Howell worried her daughter 'was going to be back on the streets doing God knows what, with God knows who.'
At the request of FBI, Howell picked up Leilani from the treatment center and spent the last few free hours with her daughter 'buying some time' for the FBI.
'They asked her to buy some time. So, she went and picked up Leilani's belongings from another center, and then she took Leilani to have her last free meal,' the family friend said.
Howell had been in speaking with the FBI on a daily basis since her grandson's disappearance was reported, as had Leilani. Here the pair are speaking to media before Leilani's arrest
Diana McCarta, who babysat Quinton for 10 months, recounting the day she received a text message saying she wouldn't have to babysit the next day, she wants justice for Quinton
After taking her daughter from the treatment center she had been staying and having a meal, Howell took Leilani to the Savannah FBI office, where just a few hours later she was arrested
After the meal, Howell took her daughter to the Savannah FBI office, where just a few hours later she was arrested and charged with Quinton's murder.
Friends, family and acquaintances have had a strong reaction to the arrest, Diana McCarta, who babysat Quinton for 10 months, recounting the day he went missing.
'You wonder what he had to endure from the time that he left my house, to the morning when I got the text [saying I wouldn't need to babysit the next day],' she told WTOC.
'I can't even imagine, and I don't want to think about it because it drives me crazy.
'I just don't know how any mother could hurt their child. I don't know what could be going through their head for them to hurt their child.'
Leilana was transported to the Chatham County Detention Center on Monday where she will await a bond hearing.
Police say they do not anticipate making any other arrests in connection with the case.
The 22-year-old has been charged with malice, murder, concealing the death of another person, false reporting and making false statements in connection with the disappearance and death of her son.
During a press conference on Monday night Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said police confirmed they had found human remains on Friday with DNA analysis currently being conducted - after a month-long search.
'Our search teams at the waste management landfill found what they believed were human remains this afternoon,' he said.
Leilani is charged with malice, murder, concealing the death of another person, false reporting and making false statements in connection with the disappearance and death of her son
Twenty-month-old Quinton Simon had been missing since October 5 but his remains are believed to have been found in a landfill site in Georgia
During a press conference Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said police confirmed they had found human remains with DNA analysis being conducted
'The FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia confirmed that they are in fact human remains and additional testing including DNA analysis is being conducted and we have every reason to believe that this will confirm the remains are Quentin's.'
Hadley became visibly emotional during the 15 minutes press conference as he described the findings as a 'heartbreaking development'.
'This is a heartbreaking development for everyone who loved Quentin for the many people who came to know him after his disappearance and for our department when we first received the call that Quentin was missing, we were hopeful that we would find him alive and unharmed,' he said.
'But as we have been telling you for weeks all of our evidence pointed to his mother being responsible for his death and disappearance and his remains being found in the landfill.'
The Chatham County Police Chief told how the search of Little Neck Landfill, which continues, began one month ago with the partial remains of a human child eventually being found.
'What happened to this 20-month-old child is unthinkable,' said Will Clarke, senior supervisory resident agent in charge of the FBI's Savannah and Brunswick offices.
'No child should be harmed by anyone, let alone the person in their
