Missing 4-year-old girl found dead in woods after Louisiana mother’s body found in Loranger home, suspect arrested with sister

THE body of a young girl has been found along with the discovery of her older sister, ending the search after their kidnapper was arrested.

Daniel Callihan was arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards told reporters Thursday afternoon.

Police recovered the body of Erin Brunett, 4, in a wooded area, Edwards said.

Her sister, Jalie, 6, was found “alive and well” when officers arrested Callihan, Edwards said.

Callihan is originally from Louisiana, Edwards said, adding that he thought he dated the girls’ mother from time to time.

“We have a very active scene here right now. A very traumatic scene,” Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said.

“You don’t want to see that as a police chief. You don’t want to see that as a father.

“This is an innocent four-year-old child who is no longer with us because of the actions of a coward.”

Callihan led a chase with officers before his arrest, Wade said.

“Based on the crime scene, what it looks like, this may be the location where human trafficking occurred,” Chief Wade added.

“We see cages, small animal cages. It’s very, very disturbing for me as a police chief and as a father to witness and see what I saw.”

Survivor Jalie was taken to hospital for treatment as soon as she was found.

Police are now working to return the surviving sister to her grandparents.

“She experienced something that hopefully most of us will never experience,” Edwards said.

“And she’s going to have to spend the rest of her life living with that.”

Edwards said the Brunett family is well known in the area.

An Amber Alert was issued for the girls around 8 a.m. Thursday morning.

The girls’ mother, Callie Brunett, 35, of Loranger, La., was found dead inside her home and her car was missing with her two daughters, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office said.

Callie was reported missing after her family I haven’t been able to contact her since Tuesday evening.

When they discovered her car was missing, they had reason to believe she wasn’t home.

At one point, Callie’s father came into the house to check on her and found the mother dead in the bathroom.

The circumstances of his death have not been released at the time of writing, but detectives believe it to be a homicide.

Callihan is considered a suspect in Callie’s death, police said.