Quinton Simon: Chatham County judge denies bond for mother charged with murder of toddler son

Leilani Simon, 22, the mother charged with malice murder in the death of her son, 20-month-old Quinton Simon, has been denied bond by a Chatham County judge.

Her first court appearance was scheduled for 11 a.m. on Wednesday, but Leilani Simon waived her right to a bond hearing, according to Briana Jones at the Chatham County Detention Center.

Simon has been held at the jail since being arrested by Chatham County Police on Monday afternoon after FBI analysts at headquarters in Quantico, Virginia, confirmed remains found at the Chatham County landfill on Nov. 18 were human. FBI Supervisor Will Clarke said in a press conference Monday evening that DNA testing would take about a week to confirm whether those remains are, indeed, Quinton's.

Toddler missing since October

Leilani Simon reported her son missing on Oct. 5, and within three hours, according to Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley, FBI agents were on the scene, leading a multi-agency effort to find Quinton Simon.

Evidence gathered at the family's home on Burkhalter Road led investigators to a weeks-long search at the Chatham County landfill.

"We have a high level of confidence that those are Quinton's remains," said Hadley, who added that the discovery of the remains is a significant turning point in strengthening what he already believes to be a strong case.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Quinton Simon: Chatham County judge denies bond for mother charged with murder of toddler son