One in custody after little girl found dead in bucket in mother’s front yard

HARAHAN — A woman is now in custody after a child’s body was found dead inside a bucket in the mother’s front yard on Sedgefield Dr. in Harahan, which is in Jefferson Parish, about 10 miles south of New Orleans International Airport.

Hannah Landon, also known as Bunnak Lim, has been charged with first-degree murder and obstruction of justice in connection with the death of 6-year-old Bella Fontenelle. She is being held without bond.

According to Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto, the little girl’s father went to the police department at approximately 7:30 a.m. to report that his girlfriend and daughter were missing. Police went to his home on Donelon Dr. in Harahan and began canvassing the area.

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With the aid of home surveillance cameras, police saw Landon, 43, pulling a wagon with a 10-gallon bucket in it. The cameras indicated that she was pulling the wagon toward Fontenelle’s biological mother’s home on Sedgefield Dr. That’s approximately a block away from the father’s home.

Lopinto stated that investigators believe Fontenelle, a kindergartener, was killed at her father’s house and allege that Landon had her in the bucket in the wagon she was pulling. Fontenelle was found dead inside the bucket.

“There’s a lot of different evidence with a lot of different scenes,” Lopinto said during a news conference in Harahan.

Investigators say they found Landon at a local hospital but did not disclose why she was there. However, they confirmed that she is now in custody.

Fontenelle’s death is being classified as a homicide. Investigators have extensively interviewed the biological mother and father, and at present, they are not considered suspects in their daughter’s death.

Lopinto mentioned that there were other children in the house, but he did not disclose whether there were prior reports of abuse.

Meanwhile, Harahan’s Police Chief was out of town in Orlando but took the first flight available to return to New Orleans for this case.

“The city of Harahan is still safe. It is a safe city. There is no threat to the public right now. There is an arrest,” said Harahan Chief Ed Lepre.

This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.

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