‘Master manipulator’: Sister of man accused of killing mother, 4-year-old child speaks out following tragedy

BOGUE CHITTO, Miss. (WLBT/Gray News) - The sister of a man accused of killing a Louisiana mother and her 4-year-old child spoke out following the tragedy.

Dixie Hemphill said 36-year-old Daniel Callihan is her half-brother.

Callihan is accused of killing Callie Brunnett in Louisiana and abducting her two children. Authorities said he took them where he killed Brunett’s 4-year-old daughter, WLBT reported.

After being processed, Callihan confessed to reporters Friday to kidnapping the two children, eventually killing the youngest child.

“I actually found out earlier that morning, whenever I had gotten on Facebook,” Hemphill said. “It was the first thing I’d seen... that Callie had been murdered and [her] kids were missing.”

After seeing that post, Hemphill recalled a message she received from her brother.

“I had received messages off of Callie’s Facebook the day prior, saying that it was an emergency,” she said. “He called me like 13 times off messenger. And then, he was asking for money, but he wanted me to call not text.”

She decided to call the police in Louisiana to report her brother’s possible involvement.

“I’m just lost for words because I really tried to help him,” Hemphill said.

Hemphill said she’s not surprised by his actions because her family tried to warn the authorities.

“If they would have listened to us two years ago here in Lincoln County ... I tried every day for the past two years. And I have proof. I tried.”

Hemphill said she believes this behavior stemmed from their mother’s abuse.

“The situation that we grew up with didn’t help none of us, honestly,” Hemphill said. “We watched men do things to her just because she owed him money. The things they did to us ...”

Hemphill believes her brother was doing what he does best at that moment, being a master manipulator.

“He would have slept just fine doing what he did to that baby and her mom and possibly the older baby that he was going to do it to. He would have slept fine. He thought he was gonna get away with it.”

Authorities also arrested 32-year-old Victoria Cox on Thursday. Deputies said Cox had recently been intimately involved with Callihan.

Rankin County released Callihan’s charges Friday, including capital murder, sexual battery, and armed robbery, without specifying the number of counts. TPSO stated he faces at least one count of first-degree murder locally.

Cox faces charges of capital murder and sexual battery.

Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards confirmed no further suspects are being considered locally at this time.

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