Daniel Callihan confesses to murders and kidnapping of mother and daughters
June 18, 2024
Thirty-six-year-old Louisiana man, Daniel Callihan, was located and arrested by police on June 14, 2024, in Jackson, MS.
He is accused in the murder of Loranger resident Callie Brunett, 35, and her daughter, Erin, 4.
Callie Brunett was found dead in Louisiana. Her daughter, Erin, was found dead in Mississippi, in a wooded area in Jackson around 130 miles away from her home.
Erin's sister, Jalie, 6, was found alive in a black 2012 Chrysler 200 belonging to Brunett, on the 3900 block of Boozier Street.
Callie Brunett was reported missing 24 hours before she was found slain in her Loranger bedroom, in her home at 56044 North Cooper Road. After not hearing from her, her father made his way to her home to check on her, finding her body. The coroner later found ‘multiple sharp force injuries.’
The children were reported missing, and an Amber Alert was issued. Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards later expressed frustration concerning the hours-long delay in the Amber Alert being sent.
Callihan took police to the scene of Erin's murder after a civilian reported his suspicious behavior. When officers responded to the scene, Callihan confessed to the killings.
Joseph Wade of the Jackson Police Department said of the area the girls had been transported to: “Based on the crime scene, what it looks like, this may be the place where there has been some human trafficking done - we see cages, small animal cages.”
He added: “This individual has used this location to traffic and abduct children. We want to ensure that he and anyone else involved are prosecuted for this act.”
In a press conference Wade promised Jackson PD would do their due diligence processing the scene, saying: “We’re going to work this crime scene with a scalpel. It’s going to take a long time to process it.”
In a statement on June 14, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff, Daniel Edwards, said: "Our hearts are with all those affected by this tragic event. These are unspeakable crimes." "We ask everyone to keep Callie's family in your prayers."
He also described the scene as traumatic.
In response to his crimes, Callihan told journalists waiting outside Jackson Police Department: “I have no reason for what I did." “All I know is I was sober and only on Lexapro, and off Lexapro, and I have also been diagnosed with multiple personality disorder.”
“I have told them everything I did, and I have agreed to not fight it," he said, as he was being loaded into a Police vehicle, adding: “For what I did, lethal injection is the easiest thing for me.”
Sheriff Daniel Edwards said of the case: "Our hearts are with all those affected by this tragic event. These are unspeakable crimes," adding, "We ask everyone to keep Callie's family in your prayers."
Although not officially confirmed, media outlets report that investigators believe the link between Brunett and Callihan was romantic in nature, that they been in an on-again-off-again relationship. Callihan, allegedly, has a prior rap sheet, including burglary, battery, and theft, beginning in the mid-2000s.
Callihan is believed to have abducted the girls after killing their mother, and crossing state lines into Jackson, where he killed one of them. He is facing multiple charges, including first-degree murder in connection with the death of Callie Brunett, as well as aggravated kidnapping and armed robbery.
He was booked into County Jail / Rankin County, Mississippi, where he is being kept under surveillance.
Another woman, 32-year old Victoria Cox, was arrested in connection with the crime. According to NOLA, Cox was arrested and charged with capital murder and sexual assault in connection with Erin Brunett's death. These charges were connected to the crimes that happened in Jackson, Mississippi.
Although not yet clear, media outlets report that Cox may by romantically linked to Callihan. In post-arrest footage, Cox is seen smiling while waiting to be transported.
Neighbours say Cox could often to found at Callihan’s trailer, although they did not have any interactions with her.
Callie Brunett was well-liked in the close-knit community she and her daughters were a part of. Neighbours expressed shock and disbelief at the murders.
Neighbour’s of Callihan, however, said he was “erratic,” and “terrorized the community.” They said he would cut the grass around his trailer with a swing blade and described him as strange, unstable, and “all over the place.” They added that he had only lived there for a few months, and lived with his mother. Before that, they say, he lived under a bridge.
Surveillance footage published online shows Callihan clad in nothing but a brown leather apron and armed with a cross bow during a break in.
According to the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (LCADV) 91% of women murdered in Louisiana are killed by a man they know. The LCADV website states that despite a slight downward trend in the rate of homicides against women by men, Louisiana's rate of women murdered by men is still significantly higher than the national average, and is the 5th highest in the nation (2021.)
The FBI have opened up a digital trip line and are asking for individuals to come forward with any information, including anyone who had interactions with the Brunett family for 6/11/2024 - 06/13/2024. Call FBI: 1-800-225-5324
