A man who committed heinous acts against a six-year-old girl has avoided the death penalty by reaching plea agreements in a case that is deeply disturbing. On the evening of June 11, 2024, Daniel Callihan, aged 37, viciously attacked his former partner, Callie Brunett, aged 35, by stabbing her over 50 times. Subsequently, he abducted Brunett’s two young daughters, aged six and four, and transported them more than 130 miles away. The situation escalated to a nightmarish level.
Callihan tragically smothered the four-year-old girl to death by pressing her tightly against his chest after subjecting her to sexual abuse, reportedly with the assistance of his partner, Victoria Cox, aged 34. The older sibling was then held captive as a “sex slave” in a squalid pit alongside the lifeless body of her younger sister. On June 13, a relative discovered Brunett’s body and reported the disappearance of her daughters.
According to reports from People, Brunett’s stolen vehicle was traced to Callihan’s residence in Mississippi, a significant distance from her Louisiana home, following a collaborative effort by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies using license plate readers.
At the property, authorities located the surviving child near her sister’s remains in the pit. A medical examiner determined that the younger girl died due to asphyxiation from suffocation.
WLBT states that during the subsequent court hearing, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens expressed, “Both children were abandoned in a ditch to decay with a mattress covering their bodies. No child should ever suffer such a fate.”
Callihan led law enforcement officers to the wooded area behind the property where he had imprisoned the six-year-old, leading to his arrest. He has since admitted guilt to both federal and state charges and will spend the remainder of his life incarcerated. Cox, charged as an accomplice, is facing state charges and received a plea deal during her pretrial hearing, maintaining her innocence in a Mississippi court. Her trial is anticipated to take place in December.
In a disturbing attempt to shift blame, Callihan reportedly attributed his actions to the side effects of his antidepressant medication, as reported by Mail Online. He confessed, “I’m on Lexapro. Sober. No drugs in my system. I did it. I have no reason for what I did. All I know is, I want to say I was sober and only on Lexapro… I think it was the side effects of the Lexapro.”
Expressing remorse but rejecting any leniency, Callihan remarked, “I would kill me… For what I did? Lethal injection is the easiest thing for me. I am not pretending to be crazy. I am certified. I have only been out of the nut house for two weeks.”
During Callihan’s sentencing in September at Hinds County Circuit Court, Brunett’s sister, Brandi Hosch, emotionally condemned the perpetrator as a “demon.” She directly addressed Callihan, stating, “We are forever changed in the worst possible way because of you. You have no soul. You are a demon. Not one day goes by that we are not lost, angry, or sickened because of you. I hope every time you close your eyes, you have nightmares, and you never rest… When you look down at your hands, I hope you can’t unsee what they have done.”
Following the sentencing, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of New Orleans released a statement acknowledging the collaborative efforts of law enforcement partners to ensure justice for the victims and the community.
If you have been impacted by this story, you can seek assistance and resources through www.rapecrisis.org.uk or by calling the national helpline at 0808 802 9999.
