Second arrest in connection with murder of 4-year-old woman

U.S. Marshals discovered the child's body in a wooded area in south Jackson, about 100 feet behind a home, three hours north of the original crime scene in Loranger, Louisiana, where Callie's body Brunett, 35, was found. Callie's six-year-old daughter was found injured nearby.

“It’s traumatic even for my officers to see this,” Chief Wade said. “We didn’t come to work to see this today.”

Chief Wade called the scene “horrible” and “tragic.” He believes the area where the girls were found could be linked to human trafficking.

“Based on the crime scene, what it looks like, this may be where human trafficking occurred,” Chief Wade said. “We see cages, cages for small animals. It's very, very disturbing for me as a police chief and as a father to witness and see what I saw.

Chief Wade was asked if this was the first time Callihan had been involved in crimes against children.

“I don’t have that first-hand information in front of me, but I’m sure that’s not the case,” he said. “I would go out on a limb and say that’s not the case. I'm sure he has engaged in this type of activity before and it will be revealed as soon as his criminal history is known.

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Chief Wade said the crime scene will be thoroughly investigated, saying, “We're going to work this crime scene with a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.” »

“This individual used this location to traffic and kidnap children. We want to ensure that he and anyone else involved is prosecuted for this act,” he said.

The FBI took the lead in the investigation and released a statement Friday morning.

“The FBI became involved in this matter as soon as it became known Thursday morning. The FBI has opened an in-depth investigation into the Brunett case. We will continue to collaborate with our local law enforcement partners at the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office and the Jackson Police Department. The FBI is devoting all available resources and tools at its disposal to this investigation, including victim services personnel who are working closely with the survivors of this unspeakable tragedy. We appreciate the public's interest and assistance in this matter and ask anyone who may have helpful information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. To preserve the integrity of this ongoing investigation, we cannot share further details.

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