Police believe there may have been human trafficking at play in a case involving a man accused of murdering a Louisiana woman and her four-year-old daughter.
U.S. Marshals working in Mississippi informed the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana that they took the suspect, Daniel Callihan, into custody in Jackson on Thursday, WDSU reported.
Callihan was arrested in connection to the murder of Callie Brunett after she was found dead at her Loranger home and an Amber Alert was issued for her two daughters, Jalie and Erin.
The sheriff’s office said Thursday that “Callihan is accused of committing brutal and heinous acts of violence, including the murders of 35-year-old Loranger resident Callie Brunett and her four-year-old daughter, Erin.”
An image included in the post shows officers escorting the suspect:
UPDATE: 36-year-old Daniel Callihan was located and taken into custody late this afternoon in Jackson, MS. Callihan is…
Posted by Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office on Thursday, June 13, 2024
Authorities said Callihan led officials to his vehicle, and it was there they found the woman’s older daughter, six-year-old Jalie, injured but alive. The suspect then showed them the location of Erin’s body.
Officials also found other disturbing things at the scene, per the WDSU article.
“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. This is very, very disturbing to me as a police chief and as a father to witness and see what I saw,” Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade explained.
35-year-old Callie Brunett was murdered inside her home in Loranger Louisiana.
— JLR© (@JLRINVESTIGATES) June 13, 2024
Now her 2 children are missing.
AMBER ALERT! 🚨🚨🚨
6-year-old Jalie Brunett.
3-year-old Erin Brunett.
JOIN DISCUSSION 👇 https://t.co/BPpJYF1GRR pic.twitter.com/1FHvJlgsPj
Per the WDSU article, the suspect and Callie Brunett were reportedly in a relationship.
According to the Daily Mail, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Jimmy Travis said the scene where the woman’s body was found was an “obvious homicide,” and there was blood all over the place.
The outlet also noted that “Callie’s mom, Debbie Smith Brunett, shared a haunting comment on her daughter’s last Facebook post. ‘CALL ME!!’ she wrote on Callie’s final post at 8:27 pm Wednesday evening.”
Officials have not disclosed the manner of Callie Brunett’s death, but they are investigating the case as a homicide. Per WWLTV, Callihan is expected to appear in court on Friday.
