Quinton Simon’s mom and grandma downed tequila shots at beach bar while police looked for his body
>
The mother of Quinton Simon’s murder suspect was seen yesterday drinking expensive tequila shots with her mother at a beach bar, while FBI agents combed through a landfill in search of the body of her 18-month-old son.
Quinton disappeared on October 5 and police have named his mother, Leilani Howell, as the prime suspect. They haven’t arrested her, nor will they say how they think she killed him, but they think he’s dead.
Yesterday, authorities began the grim process of searching a landfill site near the family’s Savannah, Georgia home for little Quinton’s body.
But Leilani and her mother, Billie Jo Jowell, were drowning their sorrows at Sting Ray’s, a beach bar in the nearby vacation town of Tybee Island. A photo of Leilani in the bar was obtained by WSAV.
DailyMail.com can also reveal that the mother-daughter duo spent about three hours at the bar, sitting outside in a large group, taking down Patron shots and harassing their server to drink with them.
Leilani Howell is the prime suspect in the death of her 18-month-old son Quinton Simon, who disappeared on October 5.
Yesterday, authorities began the grim process of searching a landfill site near the family’s Savannah, Georgia home for little Quinton’s body. But Leilani and her mother, Billie Jo Jowell, were drowning their sorrows at Sting Ray’s, a beach bar in the nearby vacation town of Tybee Island.
While Leilani and her mother were drinking, officers searched this dump for traces of little Quinton’s remains
After details of Leilani’s outing at the bar emerged on Wednesday, local police tweeted a photo of their search for Quinton.
“Eventually someone tried to get them to leave, they really didn’t like being there,” a restaurant employee told DailyMail.com on Tuesday.
There were about six of them in the group. They drank Patron… a premium tequila
“You’d think they’d be quiet, but they weren’t.
“It was like they wanted attention.
“There were about six in the group.
“They drank Patron… a premium tequila.
“They were here from about 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.”
Police have already contacted the bar to request surveillance footage from their three-hour drinking session.
After details of Leilani’s outing at the bar emerged on Wednesday, local police tweeted a photo of their search for Quinton at the dump.
“We’re not ready to charge anyone yet. We still have work to do. We still have an investigation to do, and we are not going to do anything preemptive that would harm future prosecutions,” the department said, citing Chief Constable Jeff Hadley.
Quinton’s grandmother, Billie Jo, had custody of him. She is now on holiday with her daughter and complains about the media coverage of the case, despite courting him when he first disappeared
The bar had a two-for-one cocktail promotion last night, which they may have taken advantage of.
The couple has left for The Sandcastle Inn, a $64-a-night motel across the street from Sting Ray’s, and 55 miles from the town where Quinton was last seen alive.
A hotel receptionist hung up on Wednesday when asked about the family.
Local WSAV reporter Brett Buffington Tweeted Wednesday that Billie Jo, Quinton’s custody grandmother, had complained to police that she had been “annoyed” by the media attention.
He got a photo of Leilani after her drinking session.
Quinton’s mother had lost custody of him and his brother and had just been ordered by the state to start paying child support when Quinton disappeared.
A week in advance, she was told to cough up $150 a month for the boys. If one of them dies, that bill is reduced by $50.
On October 5, Quinton’s mother claims she woke up at 9:30 a.m. to find the door of the house open.
Quinton, she said, was nowhere to be found.
His stepfather, Daniel Youngkin, told police that he last saw the boy at 6 a.m. that morning. The family soon became suspicious.
Quinton’s babysitter immediately expressed her concern about his disappearance.
She said she found it strange that hours before he was reported missing, she was told not to come to work that day to look after him.
The pair have left for The Sandcastle Inn, a $64-a-night motel across the street from Sting Ray’s, and 55 miles from the town where Quinton was last seen alive.
A hotel receptionist hung up on Wednesday when asked about the family
Quinton’s babysitters said they were concerned for him when he showed up ‘dirty’, ‘without diapers’ and sometimes bruised
Chatham County police have declined to provide details as to why they believe Leilani killed the boy, let alone why they have yet to arrest her.
Last week they admitted they didn’t even know where she was.
Her casual demeanor since his death has eerie features of Casey Anthony, who was spotted in a bar four days after her daughter Caylee disappeared in 2005.
Casey was found not guilty in 2011 – a decision that shocked and outraged America.
It remains unclear why Leilani has not yet been arrested, or what evidence the police have that led them to name her as their prime suspect.
Billie Jo has a long criminal record with previous arrests for prostitution, cocaine possession and assault.
When Quinton first disappeared, she told local reporters that her daughter, whom she had previously evicted, “didn’t always do the right thing.”
When Quinton’s concerned babysitter expressed her concern for the boy, Billie Jo spoke to her angrily.
She stormed into her house and demanded that she stop talking about their family in public.
Chatham County police say they are not ready to charge Leilani or anyone else for the boy’s death.
They say they are speeding up their investigation so as not to jeopardize the chance of conviction.