By Paige Phillips and Shea Schrader
Published: Oct. 18, 2022 at 9:15 AM EDT
CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - Law enforcement is searching a Chatham County landfill for the missing toddler, Quinton Simon.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 18, the Chatham County Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said evidence gathered as led to the search at the landfill. Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said the department believes Simon’s body was thrown in a dumpster, and then unknowingly disposed of at the landfill.
The specific landfill is the one off Little Neck Road near L. Scott Stell Park.
Quinton was last seen on Oct. 5 when he was reported missing from his Buckhalter Road home. Since then, CCPD and the FBI confirm they believe Quinton is dead. They have named his mother, Leilani Simon, as the prime suspect in his disappearance and death.
Both Chief Jeff Hadley and Will Clarke with the FBI emphasized that this search process for Quinton is going to be grueling and isn’t something that’s going to be wrapped up in a few days.
Clarke described how physically involved the search will be saying that a team of people will have to move a pile of debris at the landfill onto what he called a “search deck.” They’ll then have to go through that pile and determine if any of Quinton’s remains are in it. If not, they’ll move that pile of debris and search another one.
It’s an intensive process that could take a long time.
As hard as it’s going to be for those searching, they know that getting Quinton to a proper resting place is the most important thing right now.
”We know this is going to be a physically, mentally, and emotionally grueling task for our investigators and team. Yesterday, our team posted this picture of Quinton here on this wall of this operation center as a reminder of who we are searching for and why we continue to work so terribly hard,” Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said.
WTOC asked if there is any point they would quit searching, Hadley said they wouldn’t quit searching until they have a reason not to.
No one has been arrested yet.
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