Harahan, Louisiana – In a deeply disturbing and emotional case, a former stripper named Bunnak “Hannah” Landon has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the brutal murder of her boyfriend’s 6-year-old daughter, Bella Fontenelle, in April 2023.
Landon strangled the child, placed her body in a 13-gallon bucket, and left it on the front lawn of the girl’s biological mother—just one street away from where the crime occurred. On Tuesday, following a quick 45-minute jury deliberation, Landon was found guilty and sentenced to life.
Court Says She Knew What She Was Doing
During the trial, prosecutors strongly argued that Landon was not insane at the time of the murder. The jury agreed.
“There is so much evidence that shows she knew right from wrong,” said Assistant District Attorney Rachel Africk.
“She knew what she did was wrong. She just did not care. She is just evil,” added ADA Lindsay Truhe during the closing argument.
Background: Who Was Hannah Landon?
Landon, whose stripper name was “Valentina”, had previously worked at strip clubs across the Gulf Coast. She met Bella’s father at a club in Baton Rouge, and the two began a relationship that lasted four years. They eventually started living together, and Landon often looked after Bella and her older sister when they were at their father’s house.
Bella and her sister shared time between both parents as part of a custody agreement. But Bella struggled emotionally, and her teachers observed she was often anxious, crying frequently, and falling behind in school. Landon, known to the girls as “Miss Hannah,” was described as a source of fear and stress for Bella.
“That little girl would tell anyone who would listen that ‘Miss Hannah is mean to me,’” prosecutor Africk said.
What Happened on the Night of the Murder?
On the day of the murder, Bella’s father was at work, and Landon was watching the two girls. They had gone to school and were dropped off at home by their grandmother, who left around 7:30 p.m. That was the last time Bella was seen alive.
According to prosecutors, Landon murdered Bella shortly after the grandmother left. At 9:30 p.m., video surveillance footage showed Landon pulling a blue wagon. Inside it was the bucket containing Bella’s body, which weighed just 48 pounds.
Landon walked the wagon just a quarter-mile away to Bella’s biological mother’s home and left the bucket on the front lawn at 9:35 p.m. She then returned with the empty wagon, left the house around 9:45 p.m., and never came back.
Sentencing and Public Reaction
After a short jury deliberation, Landon was found guilty and received a sentence of life imprisonment without parole. The jury firmly rejected any claim that she was mentally unstable.
The case has shocked the community and has raised serious questions about custody arrangements, child safety, and domestic environments involving non-biological caregivers.