Friend of Audrii Cunningham’s dad charged with capital murder
A family friend of Audrii Cunningham, the 11-year-old girl whose body was found in a Southeast Texas river, has been charged with capital murder, authorities said Wednesday.
Don Steven McDougal, 42, had been previously described as a “person of interest” in the disappearance of Cunningham, who was last seen on the morning of Feb. 15 on her way to school.
The girl, who was carrying a bright red “Hello Kitty” backpack, failed to make it to the school bus and never reported to class, school officials told authorities.
Her disappearance prompted a massive search in the area that ended with heartbreaking news for the family just five days later.
After a backpack that resembled Audrii’s was found near a local dam, Polk County officials located the girl’s body at the Trinity River under U.S. Highway 59, just south of her hometown of Livingston, Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons said Tuesday in a press conference.
McDougal, who was reportedly a friend of Audrii’s father, was living in a trailer behind the girl’s family home. Authorities said he was likely the last person to see the girl alive.
As the search for the girl got underway, the suspect joined the effort and was even seen knocking on doors to ask about her whereabouts, Lyons told CNN.
“To me, it simply tells me is that he’s trying to give the appearances that he has no play or he’s not at fault in her disappearance and that [he’s] part of the concerned parties who were trying to locate her,” the sheriff said.
McDougal, who was arrested on Friday on an unrelated charge of aggravated assault, had been previously indicted in Brazoria County on a charge of attempted indecency with a child.
According to local television station KJAS, he had reportedly gotten into bed with a child and attempted to remove her clothing. However, after entering a guilty plea to child enticement, a lesser charge, he was not required to register as a sex offender.
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