A Louisiana man arrested in the killing of a woman and her young daughter is believed to have had an accomplice, Jackson Police Department said on Friday.
The suspect, 36-year-old Daniel Callahin, was arrested Thursday after a 35-year-old mother was found dead and her two abducted daughters were later discovered in Mississippi 鈥� one dead and the other alive 鈥� in what investigators say may be a human trafficking case. Callahin鈥檚 alleged accomplice, Victoria Cox, 32, was arrested on Friday at a motel in south Jackson, Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said.
Callihan is accused of 鈥渃ommitting brutal and heinous acts of violence,鈥� including the killings of Callie Brunett and her 4-year-old daughter, said the sheriff鈥檚 office in Tangipahoa Parish, just north of New Orleans.
Cox is being questioned and police said they are trying to determine her exact role in the incident. 鈥淏ased on information that I got yesterday and early this morning, she is an acquaintance and possibly girlfriend of Mr. Callahin,鈥� Wade said.
Jackson investigators said the wooded neighbourhood where the girls were found showed signs the location could have been used for human trafficking, including small animal cages.
鈥淥ur hearts are with all those affected by this tragic event. These are unspeakable crimes,鈥� parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards said in a social media post. 鈥淲e ask everyone to keep Callie鈥檚 family in your prayers.鈥�
Earlier Thursday, an Amber Alert was issued for Brunett鈥檚 abducted daughters, ages 4 and 6, after the mother was found dead in her home, according to Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff鈥檚 Office Chief Jimmy Travis.
After hours of searching, law enforcement in Jackson, Mississippi 鈥� about a 2-hour drive from Tangipahoa 鈥� tracked down the suspect and found a 鈥渢ragic scene,鈥� Wade said.
After a short pursuit, Callihan was arrested in a wooded area near a house and the 4-year-old鈥檚 body was found unburied in the woods behind the home, according to Wade. The other sister was found injured and was taken to a hospital.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very, very disturbing to me as a police chief and as a father to witness and see what I just saw,鈥� Wade said of the scene.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death, Wade said Friday.
Due to signs of 鈥渟ome human trafficking done鈥� at the location, Jackson authorities have reached out to human trafficking divisions with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and Hinds County, Wade said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to work this crime scene with a scalpel,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take a long time to process it.鈥�
Many questions still remain, Wade said, including why Callihan allegedly took the children to Jackson and why the child was killed.
Though Callihan had yet to be interviewed Thursday evening, investigators believe the suspect lives in Louisiana and had dated Brunett 鈥渙ff and on,鈥� Travis said. When the Amber Alert was issued Thursday, it said a man, later identified as Callihan, was wanted 鈥渇or questioning for a domestic violence incident, which occurred at the time of the abduction and resulted in a homicide.鈥�
Investigators鈥� top priority will be to interview Callihan and care for the surviving 6-year-old victim, Travis said.
鈥淪he鈥檚 been through something that most of us, hopefully, never ever get to experience. And she is going to have to spend the rest of her life living with this,鈥� the chief said.
Police said Cox was compliant during her arrest and will be held accountable for her actions in the 鈥渉orrific event.鈥�
鈥淪he could be possibly facing capital murder charges along with him or accessory before or after the fact,鈥� Wade said. 鈥淲e have to bring justice for the loss of this child.鈥�
CNN has reached out to the Jackson Police Department and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff鈥檚 Office for more information.
A GoFundMe was created 鈥渋n loving support of the Brunett family in a time of unimaginable suffering鈥� to raise money for funeral costs for Brunett and her 4-year-old daughter, and to help support the family and surviving child navigate the tragedy.
