Hannah Landon allegedly transporting remains of Bella Fontenelle. (Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office)
A 43-year-old woman in Louisiana was arrested for allegedly killing her boyfriend’s 6-year-old daughter, stuffing the child’s remains into a large plastic bucket, then using a wagon to transport and drop off the bucket at the home of the victim’s mother. Hannah Landon was taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of young Bella Fontenelle, authorities announced.
The father at about 7:30 a.m. arrived at the Harahan Police Station and reported the two missing. Approximately 15 minutes later, officers arrived at the father’s home on Donelon Drive and began investigating the whereabouts of the missing woman and child.
At about 8:20 a.m., the investigation moved to the home of Bella’s biological mother, located on Sedgefield Drive, which is only around the corner and less than two blocks away from Bella’s father’s residence.
“At the Sedgefield location, officers discovered the victim’s remains inside a large plastic bucket in the front yard,” the release states. “The victim was pronounced dead on the scene.”
Police then contacted the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the agency’s Major Crimes Task Force assumed responsibility for the investigation into Bella’s death, Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said during a press conference Wednesday.
While attempting to locate Landon, the sheriff’s office obtained Ring doorbell surveillance footage from neighbors in the area which they say showed Landon late the previous night “pulling a wagon containing a bucket down both Donelon and Sedgefield Drives.” Landon was traveling toward the home of Bella’s biological mother.
The chilling video appears to show Landon at about 9:33 p.m. casually walking down the street with the wagon and bucket in tow, making no attempts to hide the dead child, even when a white minivan drives right past her.