The woman charged with the abduction of two Louisiana kids, one of whom died in Mississippi, appeared in court for her arraignment on Tuesday, July 16.
Victoria Cox’s public attorney said that she pleaded not guilty in Hinds County Circuit Court.
A Hinds County Grand Jury had previously indicted Cox, 32, for capital murder, kidnapping, and sexual battery in connection with the crime. The grand jury also charged Daniel Callihan, 36, with one crime of capital murder, two charges of kidnapping, three counts of sexual battery, and one count of receiving stolen property.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) Commissioner Sean Tindell stated that Callihan and Cox will be tried in both Mississippi and Louisiana.
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Callihan is suspected of killing 35-year-old Callie Brunett in Loranger, Louisiana, in June 2024.
Tangipahoa Parish Coroner Rick Foster stated that Callie Brunett died from “multiple sharp force injuries.” He reported many stab wounds to her head, neck, chest, belly, and back. Foster also claimed Brunett had defensive wounds on her arms.
Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards said Callie Brunett was discovered dead by her father on the floor of her bedroom inside her secured mobile home on North Cooper Road after her parents reported her missing 24 hours earlier.
Investigators informed the Associated Press that Callihan and Callie Brunett had dated.
According to Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade, 3-year-old Erin Brunett was discovered dead in a rural location off Boozier Drive on Thursday, June 13. Her 6-year-old sister, Jalie Brunett, was treated at a Jackson hospital before being released.
Erin Brunett died as a result of suffocation, according to the Hinds County coroner.
The Jackson police chief stated that there were indications of probable human trafficking at the facility on Boozier Drive, including small animal cages. According to Wade, Jackson police have contacted the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation’s Human Trafficking Division and Hinds County to evaluate the situation. He also stated that the crime scene in Jackson was processed over three days.
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Authorities issued an Amber Alert for the two youngsters, who were seized after their mother was killed in Loranger.
Callihan and Cox were apprehended in Jackson. Wade reported on Monday, June 17, that Callihan had implicated Cox in the case.
Callihan is charged in Louisiana with two charges first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping of a child, and second-degree kidnapping. Cox faced charges of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping of a child, second-degree kidnapping, and accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. Callihan has now been extradited to Louisiana.