An Amite, Louisiana, man has been handed down consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty in a federal court to charges that encompass kidnapping resulting in death and transporting a minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana, 38-year-old Daniel Wayne Callihan received the sentences today from United States District Judge Lance M. Africk.
Callihan's case is a chilling one, involving the brutal murder of an adult woman and the kidnapping of her two young daughters, followed by a grisly series of events that concluded with the death of one of the children. According to court documents, Callihan brutally stabbed the mother more than fifty times, subsequently abducting the children and driving them to Mississippi. These events set in motion a multi-state law enforcement investigation that would eventually lead to his capture and subsequent court proceedings.
In the courtroom, Judge Africk also ordered Callihan to specifically pay restitution totaling $260,000 to the victims' family, as well as a special assessment fee, following his earlier guilty plea. Notably, his sentence will be served consecutively with others imposed in related prosecutions by authorities in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, and Hinds County, Mississippi. This was highlighted in a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts of multiple agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service, in investigating this matter. The case, which unfolded over a day beginning on June 12, 2024, with the stabbing, through to the suffocation of the youngest child, paints a harrowing picture of the lengths to which Callihan went to cover up his initial crime.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg and Sarah Dawkins were recognized for their work on the prosecution, which falls under Project Safe Childhood, a federal initiative focused on combating child exploitation. Authorities noted that cases such as Callihan’s underscore the continued need for coordinated efforts among law enforcement and federal partners to ensure offenders are brought to justice, according to the same press release.
