11-Year-Old Audrii Cunningham Found Dead in Texas River

Audrii Cunningham, the 11-year-old girl who vanished while on her way to school in Texas last week, was found dead on Tuesday, according to Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons.

Context:

The 11-year-old girl was last seen near her home in Livingston, Texas, on the morning of February 15. Her body was found five days later.

"Audrii's body was located at the Trinity River under US Highway 59," Lyons said during a press conference on Tuesday evening.

The sheriff said the girl's body had been taken to the medical examiner's office to determine her cause of death.

Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton said on Tuesday that 42-year-old Don Steven McDougal of Livingston, who on February 17 was identified as a person of interest in Audrii's disappearance, will face murder charges after the discovery of the girl's body.

"Based on all of the evidence that law enforcement has collected, they are in the process of preparing the appropriate arrest warrants for Don Steven McDougal. At this time, we believe the appropriate arrest warrant is going to be for capital murder and the death of Aubrii Cunningham," Sitton said.

McDougal is already in custody after he was arrested Friday on unrelated aggravated assault charges, according to the sheriff's office.

Newsweek reached out via email on Tuesday to the Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) for comment. It was unclear at the time of publication whether McDougal had retained an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

What We Know:

McDougal, who is a friend of Audrii's father, lives in a camper behind the residence where Audrii lived with her father, grandparents and other family, officials said. McDougal sometimes gave Audrii a ride to the bus stop.

Lyons said during a news conference that McDougal had told investigators that he left Audrii's home with the girl on Thursday morning but he refused to say whether he had dropped her off at the bus stop.

Audrii was last seen at roughly 7 a.m., just before she was supposed to leave for school. Her family reported her missing when she didn't come home from school, prompting the PCSO to issue an Amber Alert.

During the press conference, Lyons said that McDougal had not confessed to any crimes involving Audrii's disappearance but said that he talked to investigators and provided information on multiple "places of interest."

Authorities said that in 2008, McDougal was convicted of enticing a child in another county.

At an earlier media briefing, Lieutenant Craig Cummings of the Polk County Department of Public Safety said that while McDougal has multiple previous convictions, he was not required to register as a sex offender.

Views:

Local officials promised "justice" for Audrii and her loved ones.

"My heart aches with this news," the sheriff said. "And I express my deepest sympathies and condolences to everyone who knew, who cared for, and loved Audrii. The sheriff's office will continue to process the evidence that has been gathered to ensure that there's justice for Audrii."

Sitton said that the district attorney's office will be "just as dedicated" to the case, promising to "do what is right for Audrii and bring justice to our community."

What's Next:

Authorities await results of the autopsy to determine how and when Audrii died. Arrest warrants are being prepared and Sitton expects McDougal to be formally charged soon.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to call the PCSO at 936-327-6810 or submit an anonymous tip online.

Update 02/20/24, 7:25 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and a new image.