The family of a Louisiana mother and child have called for a change to the state’s Amber Alert system following the murders of their loved ones. Callie Brunett was murdered in her home earlier this month, and her daughter, Erin, was later killed after being kidnapped alongside her sister. Records from Louisiana State Police show that it took three hours for an Amber Alert to be issued from the time Sheriff Daniel Edwards requested it after Erin and Jalie Brunett were reported missing. State police claim the sheriff’s office did complete the form necessary for an earlier alert. Edwards says they provided everything necessary to issue the alert. Callie’s sister Brandi Hosch says their family will always wonder if an earlier Amber Alert would have saved Erin’s life. “I wonder if it could have been different. I, in my heart, I think so. But I mean, I don’t know. I, I don’t know,” said Hosh. “I just think that it certainly didn’t help that it went out so far past that when everything was found. But I guess we’ll never know.”Hosch said the Brunett family has been thankful for the transparency from the multiple agencies investigating the case.”We truly appreciate everything that everyone has has done for us,” Hosch said. Rep. Dixon McMakin sent a letter to Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry last week requesting that Louisiana State Police work with legislators to make the process of issuing an Amber Alert less complicated. The letter from McMakin read in part, “While I know we are investigating what happened in this instance, we should improve our state’s AMBER Alert process. Upon researching this issue of AMBER alerts in the past, it is a tedious system we have inherited, and we must move to address its deficiencies.”WDSU requested a log of when the request was made by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office up to the point when the Amber Alert was issued.That log is as follows:1. 9:14 a.m. Louisiana State Police – Investigative Support Section reached out to TPSO and asked if assistance would be required from the Louisiana Clearinghouse for Missing and Exploited Children (LSP-LACMEC) regarding the two missing children.2. 9:21 a.m. TPSO requested LACMEC to contact them to begin the Amber Alert Process.3. 9:27 a.m. LACMEC contacted TPSO and instructed them to complete the Amber Alert application form and to include pictures of the children. 4. 10:30 a.m. LSP-LACMEC received an incomplete AMBER Alert application from TPSO.Note: Once an Amber Alert application has been received, it must be reviewed to ensure there is enough information, that the information is correct, and that it meets the criteria for an Amber Alert. For more details regarding Amber Alert criteria, please visit https://www.lsp.org/community-outreach/alerts/amber-alerts/5. 11:45 a.m. LSP Fusion Center sent a Level II Endangered/Missing Children Advisory to all law enforcement agencies statewide and the surrounding states.6. 12:18 p.m. LSP Public Affairs disseminates the Amber Alert press release via email and social media.7. 12:28 p.m. Initial Amber Alert broadcasted to the emergency alert system.”It just took that long. I know we were getting questions and my detectives were wanting to know why wasn’t it moving quicker,” Edwards said. “We made a couple of follow-up phone calls to state police, and they say they are working on it. A little more time went by, the Amber Alert went out.”The children would later be found in Jackson, Mississippi.The youngest, Erin, was found dead. Her sister, Jalie, was found alive in her mother’s car at a site that the FBI is investigating as possibly being involved with human trafficking.Daniel Callihan and his girlfriend, Victoria Cox, were arrested and later indicted on murder and kidnapping charges in connection with the incident. State police issued the following statement regarding the Amber Alert:”The Amber Alert activation process is a comprehensive and continuous procedure that remains active until the case is resolved. Law enforcement agencies have numerous critical responsibilities, particularly in cases involving missing children. The Louisiana State Police serves as the intermediary agency, relaying information to designated broadcast partners across the state. Because the Amber Alert system is reserved exclusively for serious child abduction cases where the circumstances are confirmed to pose a life-threatening risk to the child, a thorough examination of each case is necessary.”In the event of an Amber Alert, LSP works diligently to gather factual information from the investigating agency in order to disseminate information to the public as quickly as possible.”WDSU asked state police for more information on what was incomplete in Edwards’ initial request. WDSU also requested a copy of the initial request.State police responded with the following statement:”During the time period of receiving the initial application and the alert being approved to disseminate, LSP investigators worked to confirm crucial details regarding the suspect vehicle and missing children’s identifying information. These details are necessary to make the Amber Alert complete and accurate.”Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards said that deputies supplied all necessary information to State Police for the Amber Alert and were never told they were missing information. Read Rep. McMakin’s full letter to Gov. Landry here. Don’t see the timeline below? 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The family of a Louisiana mother and child have called for a change to the state’s Amber Alert system following the murders of their loved ones.
Callie Brunett was murdered in her home earlier this month, and her daughter, Erin, was later killed after being kidnapped alongside her sister.
Records from Louisiana State Police show that it took three hours for an Amber Alert to be issued from the time Sheriff Daniel Edwards requested it after Erin and Jalie Brunett were reported missing.
State police claim the sheriff’s office did complete the form necessary for an earlier alert. Edwards says they provided everything necessary to issue the alert.
Callie’s sister Brandi Hosch says their family will always wonder if an earlier Amber Alert would have saved Erin’s life.
“I wonder if it could have been different. I, in my heart, I think so. But I mean, I don’t know. I, I don’t know,” said Hosh. “I just think that it certainly didn’t help that it went out so far past that when everything was found. But I guess we’ll never know.”
Hosch said the Brunett family has been thankful for the transparency from the multiple agencies investigating the case.
“We truly appreciate everything that everyone has has done for us,” Hosch said.
Rep. Dixon McMakin sent a letter to Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry last week requesting that Louisiana State Police work with legislators to make the process of issuing an Amber Alert less complicated.
The letter from McMakin read in part, “While I know we are investigating what happened in this instance, we should improve our state’s AMBER Alert process. Upon researching this issue of AMBER alerts in the past, it is a tedious system we have inherited, and we must move to address its deficiencies.”
WDSU requested a log of when the request was made by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office up to the point when the Amber Alert was issued.
That log is as follows:
1. 9:14 a.m. Louisiana State Police – Investigative Support Section reached out to TPSO and asked if assistance would be required from the Louisiana Clearinghouse for Missing and Exploited Children (LSP-LACMEC) regarding the two missing children.
2. 9:21 a.m. TPSO requested LACMEC to contact them to begin the Amber Alert Process.
3. 9:27 a.m. LACMEC contacted TPSO and instructed them to complete the Amber Alert application form and to include pictures of the children.
4. 10:30 a.m. LSP-LACMEC received an incomplete AMBER Alert application from TPSO.
Note: Once an Amber Alert application has been received, it must be reviewed to ensure there is enough information, that the information is correct, and that it meets the criteria for an Amber Alert. For more details regarding Amber Alert criteria, please visit https://www.lsp.org/community-outreach/alerts/amber-alerts/
5. 11:45 a.m. LSP Fusion Center sent a Level II Endangered/Missing Children Advisory to all law enforcement agencies statewide and the surrounding states.
6. 12:18 p.m. LSP Public Affairs disseminates the Amber Alert press release via email and social media.
7. 12:28 p.m. Initial Amber Alert broadcasted to the emergency alert system.
“It just took that long. I know we were getting questions and my detectives were wanting to know why wasn’t it moving quicker,” Edwards said. “We made a couple of follow-up phone calls to state police, and they say they are working on it. A little more time went by, the Amber Alert went out.”
The children would later be found in Jackson, Mississippi.
The youngest, Erin, was found dead. Her sister, Jalie, was found alive in her mother’s car at a site that the FBI is investigating as possibly being involved with human trafficking.
Daniel Callihan and his girlfriend, Victoria Cox, were arrested and later indicted on murder and kidnapping charges in connection with the incident.
State police issued the following statement regarding the Amber Alert:
“The Amber Alert activation process is a comprehensive and continuous procedure that remains active until the case is resolved. Law enforcement agencies have numerous critical responsibilities, particularly in cases involving missing children. The Louisiana State Police serves as the intermediary agency, relaying information to designated broadcast partners across the state. Because the Amber Alert system is reserved exclusively for serious child abduction cases where the circumstances are confirmed to pose a life-threatening risk to the child, a thorough examination of each case is necessary.
“In the event of an Amber Alert, LSP works diligently to gather factual information from the investigating agency in order to disseminate information to the public as quickly as possible.”
WDSU asked state police for more information on what was incomplete in Edwards’ initial request. WDSU also requested a copy of the initial request.
State police responded with the following statement:
“During the time period of receiving the initial application and the alert being approved to disseminate, LSP investigators worked to confirm crucial details regarding the suspect vehicle and missing children’s identifying information. These details are necessary to make the Amber Alert complete and accurate.”
Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards said that deputies supplied all necessary information to State Police for the Amber Alert and were never told they were missing information.
Read Rep. McMakin’s full letter to Gov. Landry here.
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