Henry Dale Moss Sr (left) was fatally struck as authorities continue to search for his missing grandson Quinton Simon (right), with the toddler’s mother Leilani Simon (inset) named the prime suspect (Pictures: Facebook/Chatham County Sheriffs Department/Twitter/@ChathamCountyPD)
The body of the grandfather of a missing toddler was found on a highway in what has devolved into a double tragedy.
Henry Dale Moss Sr, around age 50, was struck by an unknown vehicle early Wednesday. He appeared to be hit between 5.30am and when deputies found him lying on the road wearing a blue hoodie and gray shorts around 7.20am, according to the Burke County Sheriff’s Office.
The hit-and-run happened as a landfill search for missing 20-month-old Quinton Simon continues. Quinton vanished from his Savannah home on October 5 and the Chatham County Police Department informed his family a week later that they presumed him to be dead
Henry Dale Moss Sr was found dead on a highway on Wednesday (Picture: Facebook)
However, the search continued.
‘After thousands of hours of investigating and gathering evidence, everything still points to Quinton being recovered in the landfill and his mother, Leilani Simon, as the primary suspect in his death and disappearance,’ stated the police department on Wednesday.
‘We knew going into this landfill search, the odds of recovering Quinton’s remains were low.
Quinton Simon disappeared on October 6 and police informed his family a week later that they presume him to be dead (Picture: Twitter)
‘Most landfill searches do not end in a recovery due to many factors including volume of trash to search and compression of the debris, however we stay focused.’
Moss Sr was the father of Henry ‘Bubba’ Moss Jr, whose son was Quinton.
Authorities have shared images of search crews digging in a landfill near a dumpster where investigators believe Quinton may have been dropped. One of the photos shows a picture of Quinton hanging on the side of a trailer as FBI agents looked for the toddler’s remains.
The missing toddler’s mother, Leilani Simon, is the prime suspect in his disappearance (Picture: Harnett County Sheriff’s Office)
‘We appreciate every word and act of kindness for our department and everyone who is working so hard on this case,’ police stated.
Crash investigators believe that Moss Sr was walking home after his car got a flat tire, when he was run over.
Anyone with information on the hit-and-run is urged to contact the sheriff’s office.
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Authorities have been searching a landfill for 20-month-old Quinton Simon, who disappeared in early October.
