Current:Home > Markets4-year-old Louisiana girl found dead, 6-year-old sister alive after frantic Amber Alert-LoTradeCoin
4-year-old Louisiana girl found dead, 6-year-old sister alive after frantic Amber Alert
View Date:2024-12-24 00:33:56
A 4-year-old Louisiana girl was found dead in Mississippi on Thursday just hours after an Amber Alert was issued for her and her 6-year-old sister, both of whom were abducted from their home after their mother was found dead.
Four-year-old Erin Brunett and her 6-year-old sister Jalie were taken around 8 a.m. Thursday from their home in Loranger, about 45 miles northeast of Baton Rouge, Tangipahoa Parish Chief Deputy Jimmy Travis told reporters at a news conference.
Erin's body was found 120 miles away in Jackson, Mississippi. She was found along with her unharmed sister and the girls' suspected abductor, Daniel Callahan, Travis said. Callahan was in an "on-and-off relationship" with the girls' now-deceased mother, 35-year-old Callie Brunett, according to the chief deputy.
It appears Erin was killed once Callahan knew that police tracked him to Mississippi, Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade told WBRZ-TV.
"Once he realized law enforcement knew where he was, he tried to do away with the children," Wade said, according to the Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based outlet. "Thank God one of them survived and the grandparents are on their way to Jackson, Mississippi."
It's unclear whether Callahan yet has an attorney.
How was Daniel Callahan arrested?
An undercover officers noticed Callahan "checking houses" in Jackson, according to Travis. Although Callahan attempted to flee, the officer managed to arrest him, he added.
Once in custody, Callahan directed officers to a car where Jalie was found "alive and well," Travis said. Callahan then showed officers to a wooded area not far from the car, and that is where Erin's body was discovered, according to the chief deputy.
Detectives with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office are currently on scene in Jackson. Earlier in the investigation, the sheriff's office got information about Callahan driving Callie Brunett's vehicle in Jackson, so they were already in that area checking with local law enforcement, Travis said.
How did the search for Erin and Jalie begin?
Authorities became aware of the girls' abduction when their mother's parents called the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office and told them they hadn't been able to contact or locate their daughter, Travis said during an earlier news conference.
Erin's and Jalie's father went to their mother's home in Loranger at 8 a.m. on Thursday, found her body in the bedroom and called 911, according to Travis.
Authorities didn't "have any reason to believe the kids could still be" at the scene after they searched throughout the wooded area near the home, Travis said.
Erin's and Jalie's mother's car was not at the home when the girls' father arrived, and her family hadn't had contact with her since Tuesday afternoon, according to the chief deputy. It was unclear when the last time the girls or their mother were seen, Travis added.
The Tangipahoa Parish Coroner is determining the cause of death for Callie Brunett, according to the chief deputy.
'She's going to have to spend the rest of her life living with this'
The Brunett family has been notified and Jalie's grandparents are going to pick her up in Jackson, Travis said.
"She's been through something that most of us hopefully never ever have to experience," the chief deputy said about Jalie. "She's going to have to spend the rest of her life living with this. This is horrific."
veryGood! (1)
Related
- 'Cowboy Carter' collaborators to be first country artists to perform at Rolling Loud
- How much do concessions cost at Super Bowl 2024?
- A tiny robot on the space station will simulate remote-controlled surgery up there
- Super Bowl: Do performers get paid? What to know about halftime performances, show cost
- Certifying this year’s presidential results begins quietly, in contrast to the 2020 election
- How many Super Bowls have the Chiefs won? All of Kansas City's past victories and appearances
- The differences between the Trump and Biden documents cases
- Digital evidence leads to clues in deaths of two friends who were drugged and dumped outside LA hospitals by masked men
- Waymo’s robotaxis now open to anyone who wants a driverless ride in Los Angeles
- Reba McEntire's soaring national anthem moves Super Bowl players to tears
Ranking
- Today Reveals Hoda Kotb's Replacement
- Kristin Juszczyk is in a league of her own creating NFL merchandise women actually wear
- Can the NABJ get the NFL to diversify its media hiring practices? The likely answer is no.
- How Las Vegas, once known as Sin City, became an unlikely sports haven
- Climate Advocacy Groups Say They’re Ready for Trump 2.0
- The story behind Carl Weathers' posthumous Super Bowl ad
- Even for Las Vegas, the Super Bowl is a huge deal: 'I've never really seen it this busy'
- How many Super Bowls have the Chiefs won? All of Kansas City's past victories and appearances
Recommendation
-
The results are in: Peanut the Squirrel did not have rabies, county official says
-
What teams are in Super Bowl 58? What to know about Chiefs-49ers matchup
-
Usher's 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show Will Have Fans Screaming Yeah
-
2 dead after plane crashes onto highway near Naples, Florida, and bursts into flames
-
Georgia House Democrats shift toward new leaders after limited election gains
-
This teen wears a size 23 shoe. It's stopping him from living a normal life.
-
'NCIS' Season 21: Premiere date, cast, where to watch new episodes
-
Jeff Bezos sells nearly 12 million Amazon shares worth at least $2 billion, with more to come