Body of missing Livingston 11-year-old found, suspect likely to be charged with Capital murder
LIVINGSTON, Texas (KBTX) – The body of Audrii Cunningham, a missing 11-year-old from Livingston, was found Tuesday, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced. Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton said they intend to charge the main person of interest, Don Steven McDougal, with Capital murder.
Audrii went missing on the morning of Feb. 15. School officials reported her absence to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and they soon discovered she never made it on the bus that morning.
Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons said the 11-year-old’s body was found in the Trinity River under US Highway 59.
“The information that we have gathered in this criminal investigation is substantial,” Lyons said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
“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 in the death of Audrii Cunningham,” Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton announced.
The 42-year-old was named the main person of interest two days after Audrii went missing. McDougal was then arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on an unrelated charge of aggravated assault. The man was a family friend of the Cunninghams and lived in a camper behind the family’s property.
Sheriff Lyons said the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office is performing the autopsy and will release the cause of death when it is completed.
Lyons noted the numerous law enforcement agencies and the community helped the sheriff’s office in gathering vital evidence during the investigation.
“There is substantial evidence, through the evidence we’ve gathered, and some of that evidence was even gathered by the wonderful witnesses and wonderful folks out there with social media who sent us videos, who sent us pictures and even that evidence helped us come up with these locations,” Lyons said.
Sitton and Lyons both said the county is working toward bringing justice for Audrii.
“My heart aches with this news and I express with my deepest sympathies and condolences to everyone who knew, who cared for and loved Audrii,” Lyons said.
