Wearing a dark brown jumpsuit with shackles around her feet and hands, Victoria Cox, 32, listened as a judge formally read the charges against her Monday afternoon. She was read her rights and appointed a public defender.
Cox, along with Daniel Callihan, 36, who wasn’t in court Monday, are both charged with capital murder and sexual battery in connection with the death of Erin Brunett, 3, from Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana.
“It’s very heinous and horrific and sickening what they did last week,” said Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade.
A search for the girl and her 6-year-old sister started Thursday. That morning their mother Callie Brunett, 35, who had dated Callihan, was found dead in her Loranger home. Her car and two young daughters were missing.
“My question is how and why do you come to Jackson, Mississippi,” said Chief Wade.
After being arrested, Chief Wade says Callihan led officers to the two young girls in a wooded area in South Jackson. The six-year-old was injured, and the 3-year-old was dead.
“I did not see any gunshot wounds or anything like that so it appears possibly suffocation, but that is yet to be determined,” said Chief Wade.
In court Monday, Cox, who has three young kids of her own, pointed the finger at Callihan. She claimed she had no knowledge of what happened and said the last time she saw the girls they were alive.
Friday, Callihan admitted on camera to killing the younger girl but gave no reason why.
“He’s not denying anything,” said Chief Wade. “He has implicated the young late that we charged as well. We feel we have a strong case against both of them in this particular matter,”
Callihan and Cox, who are both from the Tangipahoa Parish area, also face federal and state charges back in Louisiana.
“I think if there’s a case that would definitely rise to the level of the death penalty, this should be it,” said Chief Wade.
The chief says there are still more questions than answers but knows having Callihan and Cox behind bars is the safest thing.
“That could happen to anyone’s child, what they did to those children so to hold them accountable for their actions is our number one priority,” said Chief Wade.
Callihan was set to appear for an initial appearance on Monday as well, but the judge said Callihan was still meeting with the FBI. Cox was given no bond for the capital murder charge and a $500,000 bond for the sexual battery charges.
Talks of extradition are being handled between the district attorneys in Louisiana and Mississippi and the U.S. Attorney.
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