After their mother was murdered, two young daughters were kidnapped. The search for the girls is now over.
At a news conference, officials said that they had discovered the 4-year-old girl’s body, but the sister was found alive.
The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office stated that 35-year-old Callie Brunett was found dead in her bedroom on Thursday morning, following her reported disappearance on Tuesday.
Sheriff Daniel Edwards voiced his fear for the safety of Jalie,6, and Erin, 4, at a news conference on Thursday morning. Just hours later, the discovery of a deceased 4-year-old Erin Brunett was a terrible update.
Investigators in Jackson, Mississippi, found Jalie alive and arrested the man they suspected was responsible, Daniel Callihan.
Authorities said they found Erin’s corpse close to where they found her sister in the woods. She was found alive in Callihan’s vehicle. She had minor injuries and was sent to a neighboring hospital for treatment.
“This child was taken from her family by a coward,” according to the police chief, Joseph Wade.
The sheriff’s office said that the girls went missing at 8 a.m. on Thursday; the Louisiana State Police had already issued an Amber Alert.
The sad death of Brunett and the abduction of the daughters happened because of an escalating incident of domestic violence, according to the police.
Edwards noted that there was a substantial quantity of blood, but the authorities did not immediately disclose how Callie Brunett died.
Daniel Callihan, 36, and Victoria Cox, 32, were arrested in connection with the murder of Erin Brunett. Among the evidence, investigators found small animal cages.
Police believe Cox may have been romantically involved with Callihan. She and Callihan were both taken into custody on Friday. They faced charges of capital murder. The two people face the possibility of the death penalty if they are proven guilty.
Authorities in Jackson say Callihan said he is responsible for Brunett’s death.
He went on to say that he had a history of mental health problems and was taking an antidepressant and that, given his behavior, he felt that the death penalty would be the most appropriate punishment.
The disproportionately high murder rates against women in Louisiana, as compared to the rest of the United States, are starkly illustrated by this instance. An article from 2021 states that males in Louisiana killed more women per capita than the rest of the country.