Grandparents, Not The Mother, Have Legal Custody Of Missing Georgia 10-Month-Old, As Police Start Criminal Investigation

The grandparents of a 20-month-old who has been missing since Oct. 5 have legal custody of him, Radar has learned.

Quinton Simon, of Savannah, Georgia, was reported missing Oct. 5 after being last seen at approximately 6 a.m. He was noticed missing approximately three hours later.

"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. We continue to pursue all avenues to bring Quinton home, following all leads and evidence. There will be no further public statements today," the Chatham County Police Department posted to Facebook on Oct. 11.

On Oct. 10, authorities went to the home where Simon was last seen to begin pumping the backyard pool, though it's unclear if they found any information on his whereabouts. More than 40 FBI agents and other personnel are reportedly investigating.

The FBI has asked the public to help find the boy, who was reported missing by his mother. "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 an Oct. 10 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."

Meanwhile, the custody of Simon is a bit confusing as the grandparents, Billie Jo Howell and Thomas Howell have legal custody despite the fact the boy was at his mother's home when he went missing.

Thomas Howell reportedly said that the mother of the boy "likes to lie." They questioned the mother's story of the series of events during a recent 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."