Second arrest made in killing of woman, young girl

JACKSON, Miss. (WVUE/Gray News) - An alleged accomplice in Thursday killings, Victoria Cox, has been arrested, according to police in Jackson, Mississippi.

A Louisiana woman was found dead in her home, and her two young daughters were abducted and found hours later in Mississippi — one dead and the other alive, police said.

Authorities also arrested suspect Daniel Callihan Thursday night following the discovery of 4-year-old Erin Brunett’s body. He was booked into Rankin County Jail.

U.S. Marshals discovered the child’s body in a wooded area in South Jackson, about 30 yards behind a house, three hours north of the initial crime scene in Loranger, Louisiana, where 35-year-old Callie Brunett’s body was found. Callie’s 6-year-old daughter was found injured nearby.

“It’s traumatic even for my officers to see this,” Chief Joseph Wade said. “We didn’t come to work to see this today.”

Wade described the scene as “horrible” and “tragic.” He said he believes the area where the girls were found may have been linked to human trafficking.

“Based on the crime scene, what it looks like, this may be the place where there has been some human trafficking done,” Wade said. “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.”

The chief said the crime scene would be meticulously investigated, saying, “We’re going to work this crime scene with a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.”

“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,” he said.

The FBI has taken the lead in the investigation and released a statement Friday morning, saying in part: “The FBI became involved in this case when it first became aware Thursday morning. The FBI has now opened a full investigation into the Brunett matter. We will continue to collaborate with our local law enforcement partners at the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office and Jackson Police Department.”

The agency also said it’s dedicating all available resources to the case.

The FBI asked anyone who might have helpful information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

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