Editor's note: Graphic content is possible.
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Day four of the Leilani Simon murder trial is set to get underway.
Simon is accused of killing her 20-month-old son, Quinton. She allegedly beat him to death and threw away his body in a dumpster. Police later found his body in a landfill.
A key witness in the case took the stand on day three — Danny Youngkin, Leilani Simon’s ex-boyfriend.
The court took a recess for the day before the defense cross-examined him. Youngkin is expected back on the stand to start day four.
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The live recording is on a 30-minute delay, per a court order. WSAV’s time stamps for Leilani Simon’s trial are set in the time of watching the recording, not as it happened in the courtroom. Please consider this difference when watching the live recording and reading the updates. Graphic content is possible.
9:45 a.m. - Day four of the trial begins. The defense begins its cross-examination of Danny Youngkin, Leilani Simon’s ex-boyfriend, asking him about his alcohol and drug use.
10:17 a.m. - The defense asks Youngkin to read a series of text messages between the couple, including one from Sept. 30, days before Quinton went missing.
"Like I'm always supposed to deal with your asshole moves and the mean ass kids when you get mad and dip and take shit from me," Youngkin reads in a text from him to Simon.
"What particular shit are you talking about here, Mr. Youngkin?" Attorney Martin Hilliard asks.
"Money, drugs," Youngkin responds.
"And which mean ass kids are you referring here to Mr. Youngkin?" Hilliard asks.
"All three," Youngkin says.
10:35 p.m. - The court breaks for a 15-minute recess.
10:55 p.m. - Court resumes with a redirect by the state.
11:30 p.m. - Hilliard again questions Youngkin about his drug use.
11:33 p.m. - Youngkin is excused from the court.
11:34 p.m. - The state calls their next witness, David Mullen, a warehouse manager and Youngkin's former boss.
11:55 p.m. - The defense cross-examines Mullen.
Noon - Court breaks for a short recess.
12:23 p.m. - The state calls their next witness, Melissa "Missy" Bray, Simon's former co-worker.
12:34 p.m. - Bray says Simon never came to get Orajel from her in the middle of the night.
Simon told investigators one of the reasons she left her Buckhaulter Road home the morning her son was reported missing was to get Orajel from a friend.
12:35 p.m. - The defense briefly cross-examines Bray.
12:38 p.m. - The court breaks for lunch and is expected to resume at 1:45 p.m.
1:49 p.m. - Court resumes outside of the jury's presence. The state has questions about testimony regarding certain text messages.
2 p.m. - The court is in a brief recess as Judge Tammy Stokes weighs whether to include the text messages in evidence.