HANNAH FAITH CORMIER, A Louisiana woman whose 10-month-old baby daughter died after being left in a hot car while she worked at a Wendy’s restaurant has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Hannah Faith Cormier, 33, was sentenced Wednesday to five years in jail in connection with the death of her infant daughter, who has not been publicly identified, according to the Jeff Davis Parish District Attorney’s Office.
Authorities said Cormier brought her daughter with her to work at the fast-food restaurant in Jennings and left the child inside a vehicle for approximately two hours on Aug. 13, 2024. Outside temperatures reached triple digits that day, with air temperatures in the low 90s and a heat index of about 106 degrees, KADN reported. Police said the temperature inside the vehicle was measured at approximately 140 degrees.
The infant was rushed to a hospital, where she died the following day.
Cormier was initially charged with second-degree murder. However, a grand jury later indicted her on a charge of negligent homicide in October 2024. She entered a no-contest plea to that charge in July. Prosecutors sought a sentence ranging from five to 10 years, with the penalty enhanced because the child was under the age of 10, according to Law & Crime.
Jennings Police Chief Danny Semmes told KADN that the case was not one in which the child was accidentally forgotten in the vehicle. He said Cormier intentionally drove the child to work and left her in the car. While investigators did not believe there was intent to cause harm, Semmes said her actions directly led to the child’s death.
District Attorney Lauren Heinen described the case as deeply tragic, stating that the loss of the 10-month-old baby had a profound impact on the community. She said no sentence could undo the loss, but emphasized that every child deserves protection.
It has not been made clear what childcare resources or support were available to Cormier through her employer, family, or community at the time of the incident.
