Mother of Leilani Simon says daughter has been placed on suicide watch at jail

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - It’s been a little over a week since Leilani Simon was arrested for murder, after her son, Quinton Simon’s remains were found in a Chatham County landfill.

As of Monday, the search of the landfill is over, and the case has been handed over from the Chatham County Police Department to the District Attorney’s Office.

The command center at L. Scott Stell Park, has been set up here for the last six weeks but is in the process of being broken down. The FBI’s trailer is still here but will be taken away sometime soon.

A Chatham Emergency Management trailer was also here for weeks but isn’t here anymore.

Meanwhile, Leilani Simon is still being held at the Chatham County Detention Center, after no bond was set at her arraignment.

WTOC spoke with her mother, Billie Howell Tuesday.

Billie was the one who drove Leilani to the Savannah FBI office to be arrested, and she says that she hasn’t seen or heard from Leilani since then.

She says that other inmates at the jail have been calling her to update her about Leilani’s condition, but she hasn’t been able to personally talk to her.

Billie says that Leilani has been placed on suicide watch.

She says she’s in the process of contacting state officials about getting a change of venue for a potential trial, because she doesn’t believe that Leilani would be able to get a fair trial in Chatham County after all the attention that’s been on this case.

Leilani did waive her right to appear at her arraignment, but is due back in court on Jan. 11 for a preliminary hearing.

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