Jennings, LA – A Louisiana mother has been sentenced to five years in prison after her 10-month-old daughter tragically died after being left in a hot car. On January 21, 2026, Judge Steve Gunnell handed down the sentence to Hannah Faith Cormier, who was convicted of negligent homicide following a heartbreaking incident in August 2024.

On August 13, 2024, Cormier drove her daughter to work in Jennings, Louisiana, but tragically forgot the child was in the car. After spending two hours at her job, she discovered the baby had been left in the hot vehicle. Authorities determined the internal temperature of the car had reached between 140° and 150°F, a dangerous level that ultimately led to the child’s death at the hospital the following night.

Initially, Cormier was charged with cruelty to juveniles and second-degree murder, with her bond set at $1 million. However, after further investigation, the grand jury reduced the charges to negligent homicide in October 2024. In a plea deal, Cormier pleaded no contest to the charge in July 2025.

District Attorney Lauren Heinen noted that while the state had sought a sentence of five to ten years, Louisiana law mandates enhanced penalties when the victim is under the age of 10, requiring the defendant to serve time at hard labor without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. Cormier’s sentence of five years was handed down with no possibility of early release.