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Crime

Authorities in Galveston, Texas, received a call about an injured child just before 10 am on October 23rd, 2024.
They went to the Beachfront Palms Hotel and saw a girl, whom they later identified as 17-month-old Hannah Yonko, suffering from 3 puncture wounds and injuries due to a fall.

She was rushed to the hospital, but she didn’t make it.

Police spoke to witnesses and got a description of the last woman seen with Hannah. The woman was identified as Hannah’s mother, 30-year-old Chanel Yonko.

When the police talked to her, she mentioned that her daughter might be sick, but after that, she asked for a lawyer.

Police later gathered footage from the hotel. Reports indicate it showed Chanel dropping her daughter from a third-floor balcony. She was arrested and charged with capital murder.

Legal Proceedings

Khou reported that at her 2026 trial, her defense claimed she was legally insane at the time of the crime, but the jury didn’t buy it. After less than an hour of deliberation, she was convicted of capital murder.

Khou and many other media outlets reported she was sentenced to life without parole, but her Texas inmate profile says she will be eligible for parole in October 2064.