What do Leilani Simon’s neighbors think of the guilty verdict?

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – Neighbors are reflecting on the conviction of Leilani Simon, a former Burke County woman accused of killing her 20-month-old son Quinton Simon.

Neighbors say Buckhalter Road was flooded with spectators in the days after Quinton was killed. disappearance.

Now a sense of relief has filled the area after the guilty verdict was announced on Friday.

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People who live on the street say so much has happened in the area in recent years and they are happy to be back to some sense of normalcy and say they are glad justice has been served.

The verdict was passed just after seven o’clock from the jury after nearly two weeks of hearing testimony and reviewing evidence.

Leilani was found guilty on all 19 counts in her son’s tragic death.

“She can’t hurt him anymore. He can’t be harmed anymore,” Jerry McCusker said.

McCusker, Leilani’s neighbor, has lived on Buckhalter Road for nearly 14 years.

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At the time of Quinton’s death Leilani Simon was on probation in Burke County for stealing $50 worth of coins.. She said her child’s father convinced her to go into a neighbor’s camper and steal money from a coin jar. He reportedly needed her to do this because he couldn’t get through the window.

She remembers the day investigators first came looking for Quinton. search is underway her property – along with her neighbors along this street.

“I took her there. We looked at everything there. We approached the edge of the forest and looked back there. As I said, the next morning, Thursday morning, I went from home to church, just looking in the ditches and praying all the time, “God, please don’t let me find this child in this ditch.” McCusker said.

Jerry says Leilani’s story about how Quinton disappeared didn’t make sense to begin with.

“Not at 6 o’clock in the morning, I don’t think a child that young would leave the house,” McCusker said.

From there she says all over the street: people flocked to Leilani’s house.

She makes this point because none of the same YouTubers and bloggers were present at Quinton’s trial.

“They had cars along the road. They stood near the house and shouted at them. I thought it was stupid because it didn’t help Quinton in any way,” McCusker said.

She followed him throughout the trial, wanting justice for the little boy across the street.

“I prayed that he would get justice. That she would be like this, as I said, at first seemed just crazy. It just didn’t seem plausible,” McCusker said.

From left to right: 31-year-old Jessie Louis Brown Jr., 19-year-old Khia Shields.

Jerry says he hopes the verdict will help bring closure to the case.

“I pray she doesn’t get out of jail anytime soon. The day they found her guilty, I said, ‘Now they can tear this house down,'” McCusker said.

The house where Quinton Simon was last seen will not be demolished.

It sold to another homeowner in late February for nearly $400,000 and is currently undergoing a complete renovation.