Louisiana man accused of murdering woman, kidnapping 2 girls, killing 1 in 'heinous' crime: sheriff

On Thursday, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office announced that Daniel Callihan, 36, was located and taken into custody, charging him with the murders of Callie Burnett, 35, and her daughter Erin, 4 . Authorities called his alleged actions “brutal and heinous acts of violence” in a press release.

“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this tragic event. These are unspeakable crimes,” Sheriff Daniel Edwards said in a statement. “We ask everyone to keep Callie's family in your prayers.”

Callihan and Burnett dated “off and on,” according to investigators.

The search for Burnett's two daughters, ages 4 and 6, began earlier in the day, when an Amber Alert was issued for the two girls after their mother was found dead inside her home . According to WDSU, Burnett's father had last seen her Tuesday evening, but was unable to contact her the next day and found that her car was missing. He reported her missing to the sheriff's office Wednesday evening, before entering her trailer Thursday morning and finding her body covered in blood.

Amber Alert said Callihan was wanted “for questioning regarding an incident of domestic violence that occurred around the time of the kidnapping and resulted in a homicide.” Following the alert, Burnett's car – which Callihan had apparently stolen – was spotted in Mississippi.

Police in Jackson, Michigan, were notified of a suspicious person in the area, before a brief pursuit led to Callihan's arrest.

“He had the victim’s car with her 6-year-old child, alive and well,” said Deputy Bureau Chief Jimmy Travis. Erin's body, meanwhile, was found unburied in the nearby woods.

Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade told reporters that based on items found at the crime scene, “this could be where human trafficking occurred.”

“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,” he said. he added, saying he also contacted the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation's human trafficking division for assistance with the case — which was then turned over to the FBI.

“This is a horrible, horribly tragic situation brought on by the actions of a coward,” Wade said.

As of Thursday evening, Callihan had still not been questioned. In the meantime, the 6-year-old was taken to hospital for treatment.