is accused of killing 6-year-old Bella Fontenelle
After two full days of testimony, Jefferson Parish prosecutors rested their case Thursday morning against the woman accused of killing 6-year-old Bella Fontenelle
Defense attorneys for Bunnak "Hannah" Landon began presenting their case that the 45-year-old was not legally sane at the time that Bella was beaten and strangled
When asked by Judge Nancy Miller whether she intended to testify
telling the judge she wanted to invoke her fifth amendment rights
Landon is charged with first-degree murder and two counts of obstruction of justice in Bella's April 25, 2023, death.
killed the little girl inside the Harahan home the couple shared
loaded child's body into a 13-gallon pool chlorine bucket and left that bucket on the front lawn of Bella's biological mother
She has pleaded not guilty because of insanity
a forensic psychiatrist working for the defense
told jurors she can't determine what Landon's mental state was at the time of the homicide because she doesn't have any information about what happened leading up to and during the event
Landon had some psychotic episode that night is based on my observation of her three days later combined with what was reported by the Harahan police officers and the medical professionals at [East Jefferson General] hospital," DeLand testified
witnesses testified that Landon walked into the Harahan Police department distressed and asking for help with contacting relatives
Officers ended up calling paramedics about her "abnormal behavior," according to authorities
Landon was ultimately taken to East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie for a mental evaluation where doctors signed off a 72-hour emergency commitment
The defense on Thursday first called Ashley Whittington
one of the paramedics dispatched to the police station that night
Whittington told jurors Landon had a "flat affect," looking through but not at her
Whittington said Landon seemed agitated and stressed
DeLand told jurors that she has examined Landon since her arrest on April 26
Landon was "somewhat bizarre" in their first meeting
talking in circles and going off on tangents
Those thought processes have never improved
DeLand said she diagnosed Landon with post-traumatic stress disorder
noting her birth in Cambodia and troubled upbringing
including time spent as a child in death camps run by Khmer Rouge when the faction seized power in the country in the late 1970s
Deland also diagnosed Landon with disassociation and unspecified depressive disorder
"She just didn't seem to grasp the seriousness or reality of the situation," DeLand said
Landon consistently told DeLand that she could not remember what happened on the night Bella was killed
such as finding Bella's body or dipping her finger in blood and putting blood marks around the house
But Landon had no recollection of transporting Bella's body
"She acknowledged that she was the one in the video
but she didn't have any recollection of doing that," DeLand said
referring to the multiple home surveillance videos recorded of Landon wheeling Bella's body in the wagon
DeLand testified that she asked Landon why she took Bella's body to her mother's home
She responded that no mother should have to wonder what happened to her child
that it was somehow better for someone to know what happened to their child than to not know," DeLand said
Jefferson Parish Assistant District Attorney Lindsay Truhe asked DeLand if killing a baby and shoving the child into a bucket would cause the PTSD symptoms exhibited by Landon
"The end-all be-all is that you can't tell this jury whether she knew wrong from right," Truhe asked
that [Landon] was sane at the time based on her actions at the time of Bella's murder," Mire said
"She was aware that what she was doing was wrong
Mire said she based that on her interactions of Landon
conversations with the people who interacted with her regularly and on the day of the homicide
the collected surveillance videos in the case and other observations
Mire said she didn't believe Landon had a psychotic episode
But she did diagnose Landon with histrionic
narcissistic and borderline personality disorders that left her with little empathy for others
concern for self first and frantic fear of abandonment
and she and didn’t appear to empathize well with Bella’s needs and appeared to demonize her even though she was just a child
and you often see that with narcissistic personality disorder," Mire said
Fontenelle's threat to "reassess" things after Bella complained of Landon's mean behavior likely stoked fears of abandonment by threatening a relationship that Landon felt was the most important of her life
Mire called Landon's behavior before and after Bella's death "very methodical and calculated," including farewell texts messages and calls made by Landon
Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com
During an emotional third day of trial in the murder of 6-year-old Bella Fontenelle
grandmother and former teachers took the …
The third day of trial in the murder of Bella Fontenelle began with emotional testimony from the 6-year-old's grandmother and the Harahan poli…
During the first day of testimony Tuesday in the murder trial of Bunnak "Hannah" Landon
the Harahan woman accused of killing her boyfriend's …
prosecutors say 6-year-old Bella Fontenelle would tell anyone who would listen that her father's girlf…
Jury selection began Monday in the trial of Bunnak "Hannah" Landon
the Harahan woman accused of killing her boyfriend's 6-year-old daughter a…
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Sheriff Joseph Lopinto holds a press conference at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office’s Eastbank Operations Center in Metairie, La., Wednesday, April 26, 2023. Lopinto discussed the investigation into the killing of 6-year-old Bella Fontenelle in Harahan. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com
prosecutors say 6-year-old Bella Fontenelle would tell anyone who would listen that her father's girlfriend
Bella suffered from anxiety and hysterical crying fits when faced with spending time at her father's Harahan home
But Bella never complained of any physical abuse at Landon's hands
according to Jefferson Parish Assistant District Attorney Rachel Africk
But there's no doubt, authorities allege, that it was Landon, 45, who beat and strangled the kindergartener before stuffing her tiny body into a 100-pound pool chlorine bucket that she left on the front lawn of Bella's biological mother
Opening statements began Tuesday morning in Landon's first-degree murder trial in Jefferson Parish
Landon is also charged with two counts of obstruction of justice for allegedly moving Bella's body and burying her cellphone
She has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity
told jurors her client was suffering from mental illness during the commission of the offense
"She did not understand what she was doing was wrong
nor did she understand what she was doing," David said
jealous and vindictive," Africk said the defendant was well aware of her actions and even told others she was at peace with her decision
"The defense is going to say that Hannah Landon is crazy
"But I submit to you that the evidence will show that she's not crazy
Africk laid out some of the evidence that jurors can expect to hear surrounding Bella's April 25
never married but shared 50/50 custody of her and her then-7-year-old sister
separated in 2019 due to problems in the relationship
Michael Fontenelle later met Landon when she gave him a lap dance while she was working at a Baton Rouge strip club
She went by the name "Valentina," and was based out of the Gulfport/Biloxi area
But she became financially dependent on him after restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic closed strip clubs
would tie her hair and clothes in knots and cry uncontrollably at school
telling teachers at school that she didn't want to go her daddy's house
"That little girl told anybody that would listen to her that 'Ms
Bella once described Landon roughly pulling her hair during brushing
But she never complained of any abuse that rose to a criminal level
she was supposed to finally have an open conversation with her father
mother and a hired therapist to talk about the problems with Landon
But when pressed for details from her father
"That discussion didn't get to be continued because 'Ms
Hannah' murdered Bella Fontenelle the next night," Africk told jurors
Michael Fontenelle was working late at his job
as a certified public accountant for the city of Kenner
when Landon attacked Bella inside the couple's Donelon Drive home
hitting her repeatedly on the head and strangling the little girl
"You can see Bella's little fingernail marks in her own neck as she tried to get those hands off," Africk said
Landon placed Bella upside down into a white chlorine bucket with a blue screw top before loading the bucket into a wagon
Surveillance cameras at Bella's home and surrounding residences recorded as a woman identified as Landon walked the wagon a block away to Zeledon's Sedgefield Drive home and left the bucket in the front corner of her lawn
Landon later walked into the Harahan police station
where her unusual behavior led officers to call paramedics and have her taken to East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie for a mental evaluation
woke that morning and realized that both Bella and Landon were missing
He dropped his other daughter off at Zeledon's home on the way to report Bella missing to police
Neither Michael Fontenelle nor Zeledon noticed the bucket sitting just feet from them in their panic
But Zeledon's mother spotted the bloody bucket as soon as she arrived at the house a short time later
Zeledon immediately knew her daughter was dead inside
But she knows as soon as she sees that bucket," Africk said
Police who were called to the house opened the bucket and found Bella's lifeless body tucked upside-down
Zeledon checked her own surveillance cameras and immediately identified Landon as the person who dropped off the bucket
Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office investigators arrested Landon later that day at the hospital
Landon's trial is expected to last at least a week
Her mother was the first witness to take the stand
This story will be updated. Stay with The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com for more coverage of the trial.
the woman charged with strangling 6-year-old Bella Fontenelle and leaving the child's body in a bucket on a relative's front la…
the woman accused of killing 6-year-old Bella Fontenelle and leaving her body inside a bloody bucket on the front lawn…
Three months after 6-year-old Bella Fontenelle was beaten
strangled and left inside a bloody bucket on her mother's front lawn
When Bella Fontenelle’s 7-year-old sister awoke the morning of April 26
she was elated to find that she’d been paid a visit by the tooth fair…
A Jefferson Parish judge on Thursday denied a motion to set bond for the Harahan woman accused of killing 6-year-old Bella Fontenelle — the da…
Jefferson Parish prosecutors rested their case Thursday morning against the woman accused of killing 6-year-…
A Jefferson Parish jury deliberated for less than an hour before voting to convict Bunnak "Hannah" Landon of first-degree murder in the death …
grandmother and former teachers took the witness stand Wednesday
recalling the anxiety that daily reduced the kindergartener to hysterical crying fits
treated her okay but was mean to her little sister for seemingly no reason
testified that Bella often spoke of her tension with Landon
though the little girl had difficulty explaining why
She hates me,'" Zeledon testified through tears
is charged with first-degree murder and two counts of obstruction of justice in Bella's death
Prosecutors allege Landon beat and strangled Bella to death on the night of April 25
inside the Harahan home she shared with the girl's father
Wednesday's testimony culminated with a comprehensive slide presentation assembled by Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Detective Anthony Buttone and prosecutors using text messages
surveillance video and cell phone data to show what happened in the final hours of Bella's life
Bella’s prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers at St
Matthew the Apostle Catholic School in River Ridge testified about the anxiety the little girl suffered every day
The children shuffled every two to three days between their parents' Harahan homes
“Bella would react in a negative way on the days she had to go home to dad’s house,” her prekindergarten teacher
She would tie her hair and dress in knots and sink into panic attacks
Bella was struggling emotionally and academically
"But there was such an aura of sadness to her though
at either the thought of going to her father's house on his custody days or in anticipation of finally returning to her mother's home when they'd swap
Bella told her teachers that her father's girlfriend
kept her stuffed animals away from her and didn't let her pick her snacks
Prosecutors played a clip of cell phone video that Landon seemed to secretly record of Bella while she was doing homework
the camera pointed at a table or the floor
Though Landon is never heard verbally abusing the little girl
the stress and discomfort in Bella's voice is clear as she meekly squeaks out answers to Landon's questions and weeps for her mother
Landon offers no comfort for Bella's clear distress
The clip stands in contrast to another video secretly recorded by Landon as she lovingly braids Aria's hair before bedtime
cheerfully asking about a lost tooth and calling her "baby."
The video with Aria was recorded on the night Bella was killed
about 15 minutes after another in which Landon silently leaves Bella's room as the 6-year-old cries for her grandmother
stuffing a towel under the closed door to muffle the sounds
testified that she never showed nor disclosed any signs of physical abuse by Landon that would have required her teachers or therapist to report the matter to authorities
she finally shared her feelings about Landon with her father during a counseling session with Knight and her mother
Bella shut down when pressed for direct examples of Landon's meanness
and the tense session ended with an "uneasy feeling," Knight told jurors
Buttone and Assistant District Attorney Rachel Africk laid out the next day in a timeline that began with Michael Fontenelle
seen on camera leaving for work on the morning of April 25
as a certified public accountant with the city of Kenner
surveillance video from his office and door swipe cards cleared Fontenelle in Bella's killing
Fontenelle and Landon exchanged text messages about his mother
Aria's lost tooth and a potential visit from the tooth fairy and meal plans for the upcoming day
phone call to a Florida woman named Susan Diamond
the mother of her ex-boyfriend who was also caring for Landon's two sons
said Landon seemed unhappy and depressed about her living situation
Diamond said she'd pay for a bus ticket to Florida so Landon could spend time with her children
"She said to me...'I am at peace with my decision,'" Diamond told jurors
Before the call to Diamon, Landon used her cell phone search online about a local criminal defense attorney she read about in a NOLA.com article
visiting his website and looking up information about trial preparation
She also paid a visit to a website that helps people find attorney in different areas of the law
He and Africk noted that Bella was still alive at this point
who'd dropped the girls off after picking them up from school and reading them bedtime stories
thanking them for their companionship and asking them to remember her
Landon sent a text to Bella's father telling him "All seems to be good
They're all tucked in," referring to the girls
Landon is seen on their home's video surveillance retrieving a folding wagon that had been in a backyard shed
Cameras at her home and a neighboring residence recorded her wheeling the wagon around the side of the house and reappearing bearing a 13-gallon chlorine bucket that Buttone said contained the body of Bella Fontenelle
Landon is seen on video pulling the wagon and bucket away from the house
headed for the nearby home of Jennifer Zeledon
where she is seen on camera placing the bucket on the front lawn
Landon had returned home with the empty wagon and placed it back in the shed before leaving the house again at 9:47 p.m
Buttone said Landon placed one more call to her sister
Saunders testified Wednesday that Landon told her she was going to put her cell phone in a plastic bag and bury it under a tree shaped like a "Y" at a construction site
Saunders was to notify a defense attorney who'd previously represented Landon about the phone
passed the information to Sheriff's Office detectives
who recovered Landon's cell after the discovery of Bella's body
buried under a tree at the intersection of O.K
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Adds Community Value Through a Diverse Range of Ancillary OfferingsElmwood Self Storage & Wine Cellar of Harahan
Adds Community Value Through a Diverse Range of Ancillary OfferingsOffering a diverse palette of products and services is a surefire way for a self-storage operator to attract more customers and inspire loyalty in existing ones
It’s a strategy that’s working well for Elmwood Self Storage & Wine Cellar in Harahan
Learn about the facility’s origins and how its many profit centers have helped it become a market leader for more than two decades
was transformed and given new life as a provider of unique storage solutions
Elmwood Self Storage & Wine Cellar offers a diverse range of offerings including boat/RV storage
these profit centers capture and retain tenants in an increasingly saturated market
The 144,000-square-foot facility comprises more than 1,600 units
while the rest provide “specialty” storage
Following is the story of the facility’s origin and how it evolved to provide value to its customers and the community
What’s now Elmwood Self Storage was originally a vacant furniture store owned by Lauricella Land Co
to find a purpose for the building in the early 2000s
Gardes happened to have a golfing buddy who owned a self-storage facility
While attending a conference and tradeshow
he met long-time self-storage consulting expert Anne Ballard
The two decided to conduct a feasibility study to see if storage would be a good fit and determine what services to offer based on the needs of the surrounding market
This was how they discovered a demand for wine storage
Related:A Flex-Space Case Study: Columbia Self Storage in Cottonwood, AZ
“We are the only public wine cellar in our area,” says Lenorah Durel
Our director is a member of wine clubs and even participates in a walking Mardi Gras parade with one.”
the company added boat/RV storage as well as mailbox rentals “because a need was seen,” Durel explains
The company also accepts packages for tenants and delivers them directly to their units
a service that appeals strongly to its commercial clientele
20% of their renters fall under this category
These customers also have access to the site’s free conference room and Wi-Fi
those who are willing to pay an extra fee can opt for a unit with a light and power outlet
which enables them to complete additional business-related tasks
one tenant creates and prints shipping labels from his unit
have their deliveries put in their unit by the carrier while they are out getting more business
then come back to the storage for meetings in our free conference room
Related:Ancillary Acceleration: Using Add-On Profit Centers to Rev Up Self-Storage Income and Customer Experience
the company established Elmwood Records Center and Elmwood Valet Storage
separate LLCs that operate alongside the self-storage business
The valet storage is a “concierge storage service” that picks up and delivers single items
the self-storage market in the region has changed considerably
There’s been an influx of new facilities in recent years
amounting to at least 20 competitors in a 10-mile radius
Elmwood doesn’t operate like the industry’s big players
“We monitor the other companies’ rates and are higher than all of them
We have specials online and prepay specials
but we don’t raise rates shortly after people move in.”
The facility has an overall occupancy of about 60%; however
this is a “skewed number” because the business offers many types of storage
She also notes tenants are loyal to the brand
The average length of stay is more than five years—about three times longer than the typical self-storage tenant
but we have a lot of value that the community sees and that’s why they come to us.”
Related:3 New Profit Centers to Explore in Self-Storage: Vehicle Detailing, In-Unit Surveillance and EV Charging
It also hosts about a dozen community events each year
from onsite yard sales to a large bingo game in partnership with Kiwanis International that raises money for a children’s charity
“We have many people who attend an event but did not know that we offer one of the ancillary services,” Durel says
“We find [that] once people know what we offer
they come to store if they have the need."
Employees are trained to upsell the business’ varied products and services
they connect with local wine-shop owners to market the site’s wine storage
Offering any kind of ancillary product or service at a self-storage facility requires careful consideration of the market and the costs involved
RV storage can be launched relatively quickly if you have the demand and the space
but a wine cellar requires special development and security to be profitable
Elmwood’s wine cellar has a dual mechanical system
a backup generator and onsite staff during business hours to ensure it operates professionally
To fellow facility operators who might like to follow in Elmwood’s footsteps
Know your area and get a feasibility study (maybe two)
While not every profit center will be right for your market
but you don’t know what it could bring,” Durel says
Rachel French is a freelance content writer and copywriter
Her background is in business-to-business media and copywriting for web applications
She’s covered a range of industries and markets including self-storage as well as financial
She previously worked for Inside Self-Storage as an intern turned associate editor
She previously worked for Inside Self-Storage as an intern turned associate editor
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He leaves behind a legacy of love and devotion to his family
“Johnny,” as friends and family knew him
cherished for his deep faith in Jesus Christ and his commitment to his family
His passion for his New Orleans Irish heritage was evident through his active involvement in the Irish Channel St
Patrick’s Day Club and the Louisiana Ancient Order of Hibernians
Outside of his most cherished moments as a husband
he was especially proud to be named the 2024 Louisiana Ancient Order of Hibernians “Man of the Year.”
A lifelong supporter of the New Orleans Saints
Johnny and his brother Tommy were familiar faces on the sidelines of the Superdome for over 30 years
Johnny dedicated his career to the transportation and logistics industry
retiring from the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad
His work not only showcased his commitment to his profession but also his deep-rooted love for his city
where he was deeply involved in various church activities
He contributed his time and efforts to the Knights of Columbus and was a steadfast volunteer at St
Johnny was credited with creating a spirituality group at St
Rita’s to further enrich the Catholic faith in his parish
One of his fondest memories was the annual retreat to Manresa
serving as “Retreat Captain” for the past 30 years
Vincent DePaul also benefited from Johnny’s passion to help others in need
as he served as the East Jefferson District President for the past four years
working on projects to upgrade the facility and benefit the Blue Rose children
Archbishop Gregory Aymond awarded Johnny with the Order of St
Louis IX Medallion for outstanding service and commitment to both St
Rita of Cascia Catholic Church and to the Archdiocese of New Orleans
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1951 and remained a resident of New Orleans until she moved to Harahan
Claudia was preceded in death by her parents
Charles and Beliva Hussy Gagliano and daughter
A private service for the family will be held at a later date
Gulfport is honored to serve the Gagliano family
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