Tragic Discovery: Missing 11-Year-Old Audrii Cunningham Found Deceased, Person of Interest Arrested

The body of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham, who had been reported missing from Livingston, was discovered in the Trinity River close to US 59, according to officials. An AMBER Alert was issued for Cunningham on February 15.

Don Steven McDougal, 42, emerged as a person of interest in her disappearance and was apprehended on February 16 on an unrelated charge of aggravated assault. His dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban was linked to the case by witnesses.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Cunningham was supposed to have boarded the school bus from her neighborhood stop on the previous Thursday, but she never made it onto the bus, nor did she attend school, as confirmed by school authorities.

McDougal resided in a camper behind Cunningham’s father and grandmother’s residence and occasionally assisted in transporting her to the bus stop or school if she missed it.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton announced that authorities are in the process of obtaining an arrest warrant for McDougal for capital murder in connection with Cunningham’s death.

The cause of Cunningham’s death was not disclosed by authorities; however, her body is being transferred to the Harris County Medical Examiner for further examination.