Found dead: Louisiana child who was abducted, sister injured as police arrest suspect linked to mother's murder
A 36-year-old man named Daniel Callihan is being accused of committing awful acts of violence, including the murders of Callie Brunett and her 4-year-old daughter, said the sheriff's office in Tangipahoa Parish, which is located just north of New Orleans.
The detectives from the Jackson Police Department pointed out that the wooded neighborhood where the victims were discovered displayed signs that the area might have been used for human trafficking, such as small animal cages.
Sheriff Daniel Edwards shared his sentiments through a social media post: "We're deeply saddened by this terrible event. These are unimaginable crimes. We ask everyone to pray for Callie's family during this difficult time."
Earlier that day, an Amber Alert was issued for Brunett's missing daughters, aged 4 and 6, following the discovery of her body in her home, as reported by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office Chief Jimmy Travis.
After several hours of searching, law officers in Jackson, Mississippi – roughly a 2-hour drive from Tangipahoa – found the culprit and discovered a distressed scene, claimed Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade.
After a brief chase, Callihan was apprehended in a wooded location close to a residence; the 4-year-old's corpse was found unburied in the forest behind the home. The other girl was also found injured and taken to the hospital.
"It was terribly distressing for me both as a police chief and as a father to witness and see what I just saw," Wade reflected on the scene.
Upon discovering evidence of "some human trafficking activities" at the site, Jackson authorities reached out to the human trafficking divisions of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and Hinds County, Wade disclosed.
"We're going to treat this crime scene with great care and precision," he said. "It’s going to take some time to process everything thoroughly."
Much is still unknown, Wade mentioned, including why Callihan supposedly took the youngsters to Jackson and why the child was killed.
Though Callihan had not been interrogated by Thursday evening, the investigators believe that the suspect resides in Louisiana and has been involved with Brunett "on and off." The Amber Alert, issued on the same day, stated that a male suspect, later identified as Callihan, was wanted "for questioning about a domestic violence event that occurred at the time of the kidnapping, resulting in a homicide."
The top focus of the investigators will be to question Callihan and attend to the recovery of the 6-year-old survivor, Travis stated.
"She's going to have to deal with this horrific experience for the rest of her life," the chief said.
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The suspect, Daniel Callihan, is originally from Louisiana, as mentioned by the authorities.During their investigation, the police discovered that the victim's family has ties to Louisiana as well.
