A Louisiana woman entered a plea of not guilty on Friday to charges of first-degree murder and obstruction. The charges stem from the killing of 6-year-old Bella Fontenelle, whose body was discovered in a large plastic bucket on her mother’s front lawn on April 25.
Hannah Landon, 43, is accused of beating and strangling Bella, the daughter of her live-in boyfriend. Afterward, Landon allegedly placed Bella’s body in a 10-gallon bucket and transported it on a small wagon to the home of the girl’s biological mother, who lived nearby in Harahan.
According to authorities, Bella’s father reported her and Landon missing on the morning of April 26. The evidence suggests that Landon murdered Bella sometime after 7:30 p.m. the previous night. Bella’s grandmother stated that she helped Bella and her 7-year-old sister get ready for bed before leaving them in Landon’s care.
Surveillance footage captured Landon retrieving a large bucket from the side of her house around 9:30 p.m. Another camera recorded Landon pulling a wagon with the bucket down the street to Bella’s mother’s residence.
Upon returning home with the empty wagon, Landon allegedly buried her cellphone in a nearby yard. She then visited the Harahan Police Department, appearing distressed. Law enforcement officers took her to the hospital, where they arrested her later that day.
Authorities have confirmed that Bella’s father and mother, who shared custody of the girls, are not considered suspects in Bella’s murder.
During a court hearing, a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detective testified that although the girls had described Landon as “mean” and expressed dislike for staying at their father’s house, there was no previous indication that Landon would harm them.
Bella’s mother, however, reported in 2021 that Landon had attacked her at a swim meet. Landon claimed that Bella’s mother initiated the fight, and she subsequently filed for a restraining order against her, which was ultimately denied by a judge.
On Thursday, a grand jury indicted Landon for murder and two counts of obstruction of justice related to disposing of the body and concealing her cellphone.
Landon is currently being held without bond at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center, where she has been since her arrest on April 26. Her attorneys have not provided any comments at this time.
The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office confirmed that they will not seek the death penalty in this case.
A judge has set Landon’s bail at $2.5 million.
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