Louisiana Woman Accused of Killing Boyfriend’s 6-Year-Old Daughter, Leaving Body in Bucket on Mother’s Front Yard

A Louisiana woman has been accused of killing her boyfriend’s 6-year-old daughter and then stuffing the child’s body into a plastic bucket and leaving it on the child’s biological mother’s front lawn, according to authorities.

Around 7:30 a.m. on April 26, the child’s father reported his girlfriend and youngest daughter missing to police when he woke up and found them gone, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said.

Less than an hour later, the body of Bella Fontenelle was found, which prompted a search for 43-year-old Hannah Landon, officials said. Landon was found around 2 p.m. at a local hospital.

According to authorities, Landon showed up at the Harahan Police Department just after midnight. They said she was taken to a hospital for evaluation, but did not give details on why she was taken to the hospital. This was before Fontenelle’s murder had been discovered.

In a press conference, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto said investigators believe Landon killed the child on Tuesday night and then put the body into a lidded, 10-gallon chlorine bucket. Landon then used a wagon to haul the bucket a block away to the home of Bella’s biological mother.

Police obtained surveillance video from a neighbor, which showed a woman pulling a wagon down the sidewalk.

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An autopsy was completed and the death is being ruled a homicide, but the cause of death is being held at this time, officials said.

Bella’s biological mother and father were both interviewed and investigators don’t believe they had anything to do with the murder.

Lopinto said once Landon is discharged from the hospital she will be booked on charges of first-degree murder and obstruction of justice.