A Louisiana woman, aged 45, is set to face trial for the alleged murder of her boyfriend’s six-year-old daughter, Bella Fontenelle. The accused, Bunnak Landon, is said to have concealed the child’s body in a large plastic container before transporting it via a wagon to the front yard of the child’s biological mother. The Louisiana Supreme Court recently dismissed Landon’s appeal to overturn a lower court’s decision that declared her competent to stand trial for the 2023 murder.
The state’s high court, consisting of seven justices, voted six to one against Landon’s appeal. Justice Jay B. Hughes was the only member of the court who expressed support for Landon’s request for a supervisory write. Landon was indicted last year on charges of first-degree murder and obstruction of justice in relation to Bella’s death.
Landon initially pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, her legal team recently sought to change her plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. In May 2024, Jefferson Parish District Judge Nancy Miller declared Landon incompetent after hearing testimonies from two doctors who found her incapable of assisting in her own defense. This ruling was later reversed after a more comprehensive evaluation of Landon’s mental state.
Landon’s appeal against the district court’s ruling on her competence was rejected by both the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal and the state Supreme Court. The Supreme Court’s decision clears the path for Landon’s trial, which is set to commence on April 28.
In April 2023, Bella’s father reported his daughter and girlfriend missing from their home in Harahan, located about 10 miles west of New Orleans. The police investigation led them to the home of Bella’s biological mother, where they discovered the child’s remains in a plastic bucket in the front yard. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and its Major Crimes Task Force took over the investigation, which revealed that Bella had been beaten and strangled to death.
Investigators quickly identified Landon as the primary suspect. Surveillance footage from a neighbor’s Ring doorbell camera showed Landon pulling a wagon with a bucket down the street towards Bella’s mother’s house the previous night. The video showed Landon walking nonchalantly down the street, making no effort to conceal the child’s body.
After extensive interviews with Bella’s parents, authorities ruled out their involvement in the child’s death. Landon was later found at a local hospital after walking into the Harahan Police Department and was subsequently admitted for evaluation. Following her discharge, she was taken into custody at the Jefferson Parish Jail.