In a case that has shocked the community of Harahan, Bunnak “Hannah” Landon has been sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of probation for the brutal murder of Bella Fontenelle, a six -year -old girl and daughter of her boyfriend.
According to reports, on April 25, 2023, Landon hit and strangled little Bella before depositing her lifeless body in a 49 -liter bucket. Subsequently, he left the bucket in the front garden of the victim’s mother’s house.
During the trial, the Prosecutor’s Office presented irrefutable evidence, including video images that captured the moment when Landon transported the bucket into a cart to the residence of Bella’s mother.
Landon’s defense tried to argue dementia to justify his atrocious actions, but this strategy was firmly rejected by prosecutors. A Forensic psychologist strongly testified that the defendant was fully aware of the consequences of her actions at the time she committed the crime. This statement was crucial for his condemnation for first degree murder and obstruction of justice.
-The autopsy revealed the heartbreaking truth of Bella’s death: she died due to blunt asphyxiation and trauma, presenting bruises in the head and neck abrasions, signs that the girl fought for her life. Forensic doctors determined that Bella could still have been alive, although unconscious, when Landon folded her little body to introduce it into the bucket.
In addition to the life imprisonment, the judge imposed an additional sentence of 80 years for the positions of obstruction to justice. The Prosecutor’s Office detailed Landon’s chilling attempts for covering up his crime. On his mobile phone, which had been buried, searches related to services of specialized defense lawyers were found in preparation for judgments, as well as cryptic messages sent to nearby people after the murder.
A particularly disturbing video was discovered on the device, showing Bella crying in her room and calling her grandmother. In the recording, Landon is observed by placing a towel at the foot of the door, in an apparent attempt to silence the desperate crying of the girl.
This verdict marks the end of a painful chapter for the community of Harahan and underlines the firmness of the judicial system in the face of crimes of this nature.
