LIVINGSTON, Texas — Don Steven McDougal, a family friend, faces capital murder charges in the tragic death of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham. The court documents filed in Polk County revealed this development on Wednesday. McDougal, already in jail for an unrelated assault case, has been ordered to be held without bond.
According to a criminal complaint, video footage and cell phone data place McDougal at three locations of interest, including near the Trinity River where Audrii’s body was found. Investigators say McDougal had agreed to take the girl to a school bus stop on the morning she disappeared, but evidence shows that he lied about his whereabouts and activities on the day of her disappearance.
The disturbing court document also revealed that a large rock was tied around Audrii’s body, and the rope used was consistent with rope observed in McDougal’s vehicle on a traffic stop two days prior.
Audrii’s family had believed that McDougal was simply taking her down the street to the bus stop, but she never made it to the school bus or her classroom. McDougal was a friend of Audrii’s father and lived in a trailer on the family’s property. He had joined the search efforts and was seen knocking on neighborhood doors, but authorities did not believe his efforts were genuine.
McDougal has a lengthy criminal history, dating back to at least 2003, with convictions for violent crimes and enticing a child. The tragic discovery of Audrii’s remains in the Trinity River has left her loved ones and community in grief.
The Livingston Independent School District expressed sorrow over the loss, while Audrii’s mother, in the dayslong search for her daughter, acknowledged the heartbreak experienced by parents of missing children. As the investigation unfolds, the community continues to grapple with the disturbing reality of Audrii’s untimely death.