Man Kidnapped 2 Young Girls, Then Smothered 1 to Death — All After Mother's Killing By Samira Asma-Sadeque

A Louisiana man has admitted to charges he kidnapped two girls — one of whom authorities say he killed — after their mom was found killed in her home last year.

Callie Brunett, 35, was found slain in her in Loranger, La., home in June 2024, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office said at the time. Her 4-year-old daughter Erin Brunett and 6-year-old daughter were missing from the residence.

Daniel Wayne Callihan has now pleaded guilty to kidnapping resulting in death and transporting a minor in interstate commerce to engage in criminal sexual activity, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana wrote in a press release.

The office alleges Callihan stabbed Callie more than 50 times, killing her, before abducting her daughters. Per the release, he admitted to stabbing Callie.

He had also been charged with three counts of murder among several other charges including kidnapping, burglary and robbery, per the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. However, the status of those remaining charges is unclear, and it is not immediately known if he has entered pleas to them. The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for clarifications.

The Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office previously said Callie and Callihan dated “off and on.” 

Authorities later found Erin’s remains in Mississippi after launching a manhunt for the girls. Her injured 6-year-old sister was rescued from the same location, Jackson Police said at the time.

Callihan was arrested for “committing brutal and heinous acts of violence,” Tangipahoa Parish authorities previously said.

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Following his arrest, Callihan was seen in a video telling a WDSU reporter he “unfortunately” killed 4-year-old Erin.

Under the plea deal he negotiated, he has been spared the death penalty, per U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana. His sentencing date has been set for November, when he is expected to receive a life sentence for the kidnapping resulting in death charge and minimum 10 years for transporting a minor in interstate commerce with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

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In a GoFundMe set up by her family in the immediate aftermath of the killing, Erin was being remembered as a “little fireball” who was full of life. Callie and her daughters were “a couple of peas in a pod,” said the fundraiser.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.