'We Will Not Give Up Hope,' Nonprofit Says

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) said it "will not give up hope until Quinton is found" in a statement released Tuesday about the October 5 disappearance of Georgia toddler Quinton Simon.

The nonprofit shared a photo Monday of Quinton on social media, five days after the 20-month-old boy was reported missing from his family home in Savannah, Georgia.

John Bischoff, the vice president of the NCMEC's missing children division, shared a statement about the toddler with WJCL-TV on Tuesday.

With the search about to hit one week on Wednesday, "we encourage the community to keep sharing Quinton's story," Bischoff said.

"This case has touched the hearts of countless people beyond the Savannah community and anyone, no matter where you live, can get involved to help find him," he said.

Bischoff's statement continued by saying the NCMEC knows "that all it takes is one person to bring a missing child home and we will not give up hope until Quinton is found."

"We're here to support law enforcement as they continue to work diligently to find Quinton and safely bring him home."

Grandmother Sought to Evict Mother

The mother of missing toddler Quinton Simon faced an eviction attempt from her family's home in Savannah, Georgia, that started in early September, court records show.

Simon was the one who reported Quinton missing the morning of October 5, according to Chatham County Police Chief Jeffrey Hadley. Hardley told reporters last week that Simon's boyfriend saw Quinton when he awoke around 6 a.m. that morning, and that Simon woke up later to find that Quinton was missing. She reported her son missing at 9:39 a.m. local time, Hardley said.

That same morning, a child support order instructing Simon to begin paying child support for Quinton and his older sibling was e-filed with the Chatham County Superior Court, court records show. Simon's mother, Billie Jo Howell, reportedly had custody of Quinton and his brother, according to the Savannah-based television news station WSAV-TV.

The station reported that Howell began taking legal action to remove her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend from the family home in early September following an altercation between Howell and Simon on September 7. Court documents reviewed by Newsweek show the legal action began with a filing on September 8, in which Howell identified herself as the property owner and identified both Simon and Simon's boyfriend, Daniel Youngkin, as at-will tenants. Simon and Youngkin were late on paying rent and were living at the premises longer than had been agreed upon, the filing said.

The court document said Howell was not "looking to be compensated."

"Just want them to move out as quickly as possible. Leilani Simon is my daughter 22 years old with her boyfriend and three kids. They have damaged my property and at this point no one is living in peace," the court filing said.

A separate court filing on September 16 said a deputy sheriff delivered the dispossession notice by mailing it and tacking it on the door of the home.

The search for the 20-month-old boy is ongoing. Chatham County police said shortly after Quinton was reported missing last week that there was no evidence at that time to suggest foul play was involved in his disappearance. In a Tuesday update, police said they gathered evidence that they "believe will help move this case forward" but did not provide further information to the public about that evidence.

Body Cam Footage, 911 Call Not Being Released Yet

Right now, Chatham County police investigators are combing through new evidence they believe will "help move this case forward" as the search continues for 20-month-old Quinton Simon.

Early Tuesday, the Chatham County Police Department said it was working to analyze the new evidence "to see where it leads us." The department said there would be no further statements today.

Police body camera footage and the 911 call the toddler's mother made last Wednesday reporting the child missing are not being released as the investigation continues, WSAV-TV reports.

"We have to protect the integrity of the investigation and that's first and foremost," Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said to the station.

Over 337K Missing Child Reports Filed Last Year

More than 337,000 missing child reports were filed with law enforcement officials in 2021, according to FBI data.

Information on missing children is collected by the FBI in accordance with federal law, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The information is then tallied by the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

According to NCIC data, 337,195 missing person reports for juveniles 17 and younger were reported to U.S. law enforcement officials in 2021. More than 28,000 fewer missing child reports were filed in 2021 than in 2020, according to the NCMEC.

The NCMEC says on its website that the NCIC total reflects reports of missing children and not the actual number of missing children. This means the total does not reflect instances in which one child is reported missing more than once in a year, or when authorities enter the same missing child report into the national database more than once.

Timeline of Quinton's Disappearance

Quinton Simon, a 20-month-old toddler, was reported missing from his home in Savannah, Georgia, the morning of October 5. This is how Chatham County police say the search for Quinton has unfolded:

Morning of October 5

Quinton was last seen at about 6 a.m. local time at his home on Buckhalter Road on October 5, according to the Chatham County Police Department (CCPD). Hadley told reporters during an October 6 briefing that Leilani Simon, Quinton's mother, called 911 to report him missing at 9:39 a.m. on October 5. Earlier that morning, Simon's boyfriend woke up at about 6 a.m. and saw Quinton, Hadley said. Simon woke up later and went on to report Quinton missing, the police chief said.

CCPD officers were sent to the toddler's home at 9:42 a.m. on October 5, the department said, adding that an Amber Alert was not issued because an abduction was not suspected at that time.

Afternoon of October 5

By noon, police said they were searching the area near Quinton's home on foot, by drone and helicopter, on horseback and with K-9 units from the local sheriff's office. A few roads near the residence were briefly shut down by authorities as the search continued.

Evening of October 5

The CCPD said in a Facebook update that officers were still performing ground searches for Quinton in the evening while preparing the county helicopter to conduct searches after dark using heat-detection technology.

October 6

Hadley told reporters during an October 6 briefing that CCPD officers searched for Quinton throughout the day on October 5 until about 2 a.m. on October 6, after which officers regrouped at about 8 a.m. Hadley said the CCPD called in the FBI for assistance on October 5 and gained access to FBI resources that day.

October 7

Hadley provided an update on the search for Quinton at a Chatham County Commission Meeting on October 7. Hadley told county officials police had first been told Quinton "wandered off," which he said resulted in a quick deployment of police drones the day he was reported missing.

October 10

Hadley provided another update to local reporters on October 10. The police chief said officers have conducted "multiple" interviews and executed "multiple" search warrants in connection with the search for Quinton.

"Everybody is being looked at, everybody is being interviewed," he said.

More than 40 FBI agents are assisting with the investigation, Hadley said. Law enforcement officials returned to the residence at which Quinton was reported missing to conduct another search on Monday, he said.

October 11

The CCPD said Tuesday it has "seized evidence that we believe will help move this case forward" and is "now working to analyze the evidence to see where it leads us."

Mother Believes Quinton Was Abducted

The morning of Quinton Simon's disappearance, his mother told 911 dispatchers that she believed her son was abducted.

"Complainant advised her 1-year-old son is missing," a dispatcher said, according to a call obtained by WJCL-TV. "She woke up, her door was open. Advised he's unable to open a door. Thinks someone came in and took him."

The toddler was last seen on October 5 at his Savannah home at 6 a.m. and was reported missing around 9 a.m. that morning, police said.

Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said the 911 call from that morning would not be released to ensure the integrity of the investigation.

Grandparents Reportedly Have Custody

The grandparents of Quinton Simon are reportedly the family members who have custody of the toddler, who was reported missing on October 5.

Court documents obtained and reviewed by WJCL-TV reportedly identify Billie Jo Howell and Thomas Howell as the individuals who have custody of the missing 20-month-old boy. The documents were part of a legal dispute in September between Billie Jo Howell and her daughter, Leilani Simon, during which Billie Jo Howell was attempting to remove her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend from the Howell's property.

Other court records reviewed by Newsweek show the Georgia Department of Human Services began pursuing a child support order against Simon in March. The approved order, which was e-filed with the Chatham County Superior Court on October 5, covered child support for Quinton and for Quinton's older sibling.

FBI Repeats Call for Public's Help

The FBI is again calling for the public's help to find missing toddler Quinton Simon.

The 20-month-old boy was reported missing from his Savannah home last Wednesday by his mother. The FBI has been assisting local authorities with the case.

"More than 40 agents and employees of the FBI are on the ground in Chatham County, assisting our department in our efforts to find Quinton," the Chatham County Police Department said in a Monday Facebook post.

"You'll remember, the FBI was called in and on-scene within hours of Quinton being reported missing. Their assistance has been invaluable, and we are very grateful."

Authorities are seeking any information related to the case. You can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov, or call the FBI's Atlanta field office at (770) 216-3000 or the Chatham County Police Department at (912) 667-3134.

Grandfather Says Mother 'Likes to Lie'

Quinton Simon's grandparents cast doubt on the version of events told by the missing toddler's mother this week, with Quinton's grandfather saying the mother "likes to lie."

Billie and Thomas Howell, the grandparents who reportedly have custody of Quinton, questioned their daughter's story during a Monday interview with NewsNation's "Rush Hour."

"She's lied to us so many times," Thomas Howell said. "And, I don't know. It's bad to say, but she just likes to lie."

Court documents obtained by the Savannah-based television news station WJCL-TV reportedly showed the grandmother accused Leilani Simon—Quinton's mother and Billie Howell's daughter—and Simon's boyfriend of property damage. Both Simon and her boyfriend were living with Quinton's grandparents at the time, the station reported.

Child Support Ordered Days Earlier

A petition for Quinton Simon's mother to begin paying child support was heard in court two weeks before the Georgia toddler was reported missing, court records show.

Documents obtained by the Savannah-based television news station WSAV-TV show the mother, Leilani Simon, was ordered to pay $150 per month in child support for Quinton and his older sibling. She was to begin payments on November 1 "until the child or each respective child attains age 18, dies, marries or becomes emancipated," the court order read.

The child support petition was filed on behalf of Quinton and one other party by the Georgia Department of Human Services. Court records reviewed by Newsweek show the state department began the legal process in March.

The child support petition was first heard by the court on September 21. Court documents say Quinton's mother was not present for that day's proceedings.

The child support order was signed one week before Quinton was reported missing, according to WSAV-TV. The official court documents were time-stamped as being e-filed with the Chatham County Superior Court at 11:49 a.m. local time on October 5, the day Quinton was reported missing.

'Everybody' in Contact With Quinton Being Interviewed

The case of missing 20-month-old Quinton Simon now includes a criminal investigation, Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said during a news briefing Monday.

"We're looking at it from multiple fronts," Hadley told reporters. "One of it being a criminal investigation as well as a missing child, at this point."

Hadley said nothing is absolute at this time, but the FBI's efforts and cooperation have provided an "an abundance of resources." Investigators are interviewing anyone who had contact with the toddler around the time in question, he added.

"Everybody is being looked at," Hadley said. "Everybody is being interviewed."

New Evidence Should Move Case 'Forward'

Chatham County police are now analyzing newly obtained evidence in the case of missing 20-month-old Quinton Simon.

"We've seized evidence that we believe will help move this case forward & we're now working to analyze the evidence to see where it leads us," the Chatham County Police Department said in a social media post Tuesday morning.

"We continue to pursue all avenues to bring Quinton home, following all leads and evidence. There will be no further public statements today."

Investigators Drain Pool at Toddler's Home

The search continues today for 20-month-old Quinton Simon in Chatham County, Georgia. His mother reported him missing from his home last Wednesday.

Monday, investigators drained the pool at the home where the toddler was last seen, WSAV-TV reported.

Police say Simon was last seen at the home on the 500 block of Buckhalter Road at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning and was reported missing around 9:40 a.m.

The FBI has been assisting in the search, which police say has continued in "concentrated outdoor areas."