Woman murdered lover's daughter, 6, then left body in bucket for mum to find

A heinous monster murdered her boyfriend's 6-year-old daughter before leaving her body in a bucket for .

Vile Bunnak "Hannah" Landon without the possibility of parole on Tuesday following the brutal killing of little Bella Fortenelle in 2023. Landon was last week found guilty of first-degree murder as well as two counts of obstruction of justice, according to the Louisiana Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office.

She had previously pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. But she was ultimately found guilty with the judge also handing an additional 80 years for obstruction of justice. Little Bella had been with her older sister with Landon looking after them while the girls' father worked late in Kenner on April 25, 2023.

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The girls' paternal grandmother picked them up from school before spending the afternoon with them and then dropping them off at their home in Harahan. The grandmother left at about 7:30pm with prosecutors arguing Landon killed Bella soon after.

Prosecutors noted Landon was seen at about 9:30pm in video footage and was seen pulling a wagon carrying a bucket in which she was found to have "forced Bella's 48-pound body." Landon was then seen pulling the wagon to Bella's mother's home one street away before returning.

Bella's father arrived at the home just minutes later but Landon had already left. The father reported both Bella and Landon as missing when he realised they were gone.

The missing person's report triggered an Amber Alert with a large number of police taking part in the search. During the search, Bella's maternal grandmother found the bucket in the front yard with her mum and dad arriving shortly afterward with police.

Police removed the bucket lid and found Bella's body, wearing her pink pyjamas, the district attorney's office said. Landon then turned herself in to police later that evening but was initially uncooperative.

Prosecuting lawyers said they found a video on Landon's mobile phone, which had been buried, that showed Bella before her murder. The clip showed the little girl crying in her bedroom and calling out for her grandmother. Landon then put a bath towel at the bottom of the girl's door in a bid to muffle her cries.

The Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office said Bella died from a combination of strangulation and blunt-force trauma.

"The pathologist found numerous bruises on Bella’s head and abrasions on her neck that were indicative of the child’s fingernails scratching against Landon’s hands while she was being strangled," the coroner's office said. The autopsy said Bella might have been alive, albeit unconscious, when Landon stuffed her body into the bucket.