CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (Court TV) — A Georgia mother convicted of murdering her toddler son, whose remains were found in a landfill, is asking for a new trial.
Last year, a jury convicted Leilani Simon on 19 charges, including murder, concealing a death, falsely reporting a crime and 14 counts of lying to investigators in the death of 20-month-old Quinton Simon. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years.
Leilani Simon appears in court Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (Court TV)
The case began on Oct. 5, 2022, when Leilani called 911 to report her son Quinton missing, telling a dispatcher she believed he had been abducted from their home. After weeks of searching, investigators found the toddler’s remains in a landfill on Nov. 18, 2022. Prosecutors argued Leilani was upset after being rejected by her boyfriend and using drugs when she killed Quinton.
MORE | GA v. Leilani Simon: Toddler in Landfill Murder Trial
In their motion for a new trial, Leilani’s attorneys claim her statements to police were wrongly admitted after the Court denied a motion to suppress. They also argue that the court erred in allowing certain evidence about Leilani’s alleged sexual relationship with an alleged drug dealer that was previously ruled inadmissible.
During the cross-examination of Leilani’s ex-boyfriend, Daniel Youngkin, the state argued that the defense “opened the door for said sexual evidence and the Court reversed its prior rulings,” which allowed prosecutors to show the jury explicit text messages between Leilani and Craig Weston. In their motion, the defense argues, “The unfair prejudice of unrelated salacious sexual activity substantially outweighed any probative value.”
The motion further states the verdict was “contrary to the evidence and without evidence to support it.”
A hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 9, 2026.
