The remains of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham, who vanished en route to school in Texas, were discovered on Tuesday in the Trinity River, as confirmed by Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons.
“Audrii’s body was located at the Trinity River under US Highway 59,” Lyons stated during a Tuesday press briefing. He later mentioned that her body had been transferred to the medical examiner’s office in Harris County, with officials awaiting details on the cause of death.
Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton disclosed that they are in the process of obtaining arrest warrants for Don Steven McDougal, 42, indicating that a capital murder charge is likely. Sitton said,
“Based on all of the evidence that law enforcement has collected, they are in the process of preparing the appropriate arrest warrants.”
“At this time, we believe the appropriate arrest warrant is going to be for capital murder in the death of Audrii Cunningham. He is still in jail under an unrelated felony charge.”
When queried about the manner of Audrii’s death, Sitton declined to comment, stating,
“I cannot speak to that.”
McDougal, identified as a friend of Audrii’s father, provided investigators with a list of locations he had visited but did not disclose the whereabouts of her body, according to the sheriff. Lyons further noted that authorities utilized cell phone data and video footage to aid in locating her remains.
McDougal was already detained following his arrest on Friday night for unrelated aggravated assault charges, as confirmed by the sheriff’s office.
Suspect’s Extensive Criminal Record
McDougal’s criminal history reveals convictions for violent offenses and enticing a child, as per court records across various Texas counties.
In 2007, he was found guilty of enticing a child in Brazoria County, Texas. Court documents indicate a plea of no contest, resulting in a two-year prison term with credit for 527 days served. Specific details of the allegations in this case are not available online.
Additionally, McDougal was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2010 and 2019. The victim from the first case, which led to a four-year incarceration, recounted to CNN that McDougal, his former coworker, assaulted him after being ejected from his residence. Elic Bryan said,
“He showed up with some other friends that I had. We ended up throwing him out of the house and he came back with a knife.”
McDougal began stabbing the door before coming back inside, Bryan said.
“He came at me with the knife, and I had my shotgun, and I hit him in the face with it. I had no idea he was that kind of person.”
Sheriff: McDougal Took An Active Participation Looking For Audrii
McDougal, as per the sheriff’s statement to CNN earlier on Tuesday, had actively participated in the search efforts for the missing girl.
“Some witnesses have even indicated that he was in the community, knocking on doors, asking if they had seen her,” the sheriff informed.
“The behavior suggests to me that he’s attempting to portray himself as innocent or not involved in her disappearance and that he’s part of the concerned individuals trying to locate her.”
Reportedly, McDougal took to social media last week to assert his innocence. A comment, seemingly from McDougal’s Facebook account, was posted under a True Crime Society Facebook page post the day after Audrii Cunningham was reported missing, stating,
“I’m not guilty.” McDougal further expressed, “I was there and was questioned. I am not running or hiding. I have done everything I can to help find her. I have done nothing wrong.”
Another comment attributed to McDougal reads:
“I am the one that went and knocked on the houses by the bus stop to get video footage.”
Law enforcement officials did not immediately respond to the request for comment regarding the posts.
McDougal resides in a trailer on the family’s property and occasionally escorted Audrii to the bus stop, as mentioned by the sheriff. The family’s residence is situated near Lake Livingston, described by Texas Parks & Wildlife as “one of the largest reservoirs in the state, with 83,000 surface acres.”
On Thursday around 7 a.m., McDougal and Audrii departed for the bus stop from the house, according to authorities. This marked the last time Audrii’s family saw her. She did not board the school bus or attend school that day.
Her backpack was discovered near a dam on the lake Friday, approximately 5 miles from where her remains were found on Tuesday.
The sheriff noted the absence of any signs of struggle at the bag’s location.
