Police arrested a man in connection with the deaths of a 4-year-old girl and her mother. The man told reporters that he killed the child and that he was “sober” when he did it.
State police said at the time that Callie Brunett, 35, and her daughter Erin were found dead in Louisiana and Mississippi earlier this month.
A 36-year-old man named Daniel Callihan was arrested in Mississippi on June 13 for what the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office called “brutal and heinous acts of violence.”
Callihan was being led by police officers while handcuffed. A video shows him telling reporters that he killed the girl.
A news clip from Louisiana’s WDSU News shows that when asked if he killed Erin, he says he “unfortunately” did, but that he had “no drugs in his system.”
When asked about his supposed reason, he closes his eyes, drops his head a little, and says, “I have no reason for what I did.” I only want to say that I was sober.
Soon after, he says, “I’m on suicide watch, but I’m not suicidal.”
When asked if he killed Erin’s mom, he looks confused and says, “Mom?” over and over.
An Amber Alert was sent out for Erin and her sister earlier that same day, June 13. Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said at the time that Callihan was arrested after the alert.
CNN reports that Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Jimmy Travis said the warning was sent out after Callie was found dead in her home in Loranger, Louisiana, with the two girls missing.
He was caught in Jackson, Mississippi, which is about two hours away from Tangipahoa Parish, Wade said.
Erin’s body was found in what Wade called a “very traumatic” and “tragic” crime scene by police who were searching the area.
Also found was Erin’s 6-year-old sister, who was taken to the hospital.
On June 17, Wade said that police did not find any signs of a shooting at the scene and that he “assumes” Erin was strangled.
What Wade called “small wiring enclosures” and other signs of “human trafficking” were found where the children were found.
Authorities told WDSU and FOX 8 Live that Victoria Cox and Callihan were both arrested on charges of capital murder and sexual battery in the cases involving children.
Callihan and Cox were charged with capital murder and kidnapping by a grand jury on June 20. WDSU, FOX 8 Live, and 4 WWL all reported this. Cox has been charged with one more count of accomplice after the fact of murder.
As of Monday, news about Callihan or Cox’s plea and lawyer were not known.
This is a GoFundMe page that Erin’s family made to remember her. It calls her a “little fireball” who was full of life. The fundraiser says that Callie and her girls were “a pair of peas in a pod.”
