SICK COVER-UP
Audrii Cunningham’s body was tied to rock with rope ‘matching’ one seen in suspect Don Steven McDougal’s car days before
Police also revealed how they came to determine McDougal lied about his whereabouts on the day Audrii disappeared
THE body of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham, who was reported missing a week ago, was found tied to a rock and sunk to the bottom of a river, court documents have revealed.
Her neighbor, Don Steven McDougal, was charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday after police matched rope found in his car to the one used to bind her body, according to the charging papers.
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"The rope used was consistent with rope that was observed in McDougal's vehicle on a traffic stop two days prior," according to the charging documents posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
Videos, cell phone data, and other forensic evidence sent to police by Livingston, Texas residents led them to determine that McDougal had lied about what he did and where he was the day Audrii went missing.
Little Audrii's body was discovered by police on Tuesday after the Trinity River Authority lowered the river levels.
"You can (be sure) that the district attorney's office will be just as dedicated to this case as every one of these law enforcement officers that are standing behind you to do what is right for Audrii and bring justice to our community," Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton told reporters.
Before being charged with her murder, McDougal was named the main person of interest in Audrii's disappearance.
McDougal told investigators that Trinity River was one of the locations he visited after Audrii was reported missing, according to police.
However, he did not disclose that her body was in the river, Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons said on Tuesday.
The location of her body was determined using cell phone records and surveillance footage.
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Police also found a soaking wet backpack by the river dam that could have belonged to Audrii.
Missing girl Audrii Cunningham's drenched backpack found by dam where person of interest Don Steven McDougal led police
AUDRII'S DISAPPEARANCE
On February 15, Audrii was the subject of an Amber Alert after she missed her bus and wasn't at school.
She was last seen near her home in Livingston at around 7 am.
Neighbor Denise Kolojaco said that the 11-year-old walked by her house every morning on the way to the bus, according to local Fox affiliate KRIV.
She said that her dog always alerted her when Audrii walked by every morning at around 7 am.
Kolojaco said she last saw Audrii on February 14, when she stopped by and pet her dog.
"That would have been Valentine's Day. She was walking by, giving my dog love, and I told her happy Valentine's Day," Kolojaco said.
Kolojaco said Audrii never walked by on Thursday morning.
MCDOUGAL'S ARREST
McDougal was arrested on Friday morning, for an unrelated assault charge, a day after Audrii was reported missing.
A video obtained by Fox affiliate KRIV showed a police officer questioning McDougal as he leaned on his dark blue Suburban, the same car police believe was involved in Audrii's suspected kidnapping.
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Lyons said McDougal, who lived behind her home in a camper, was likely the last person to see Audrii before she went missing.
The Texas Department of Public Safety previously said that foul play was believed to be involved in Audrii's case.
Don McDougal's Dark Past
McDougal, the main suspect in Audrii's murder case, has a criminal history dating back to the 2000's.
From 2001 to 2023, McDougal had 13 unspecified criminal charges that had him in jail for numerous sentences.
In 2003, he was charged twice for the possession of marijuana.
In 2005, he was charged two times for evading detention.
In 2006, he was charged twice for possession of a controlled substance.
In 2006, he was also charged with two counts of theft from $1500 to $2,000.
In 2007, he was convicted of enticement of a child.
In 2009, he was charged with two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle.
From 2009 to 2014, McDougal was arrested for numerous reasons including reckless driving, theft, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful use of a vehicle, and a motion to revoke his parole.
In 2010, he was charged with two counts of aggressive assault with a deadly weapon.
In 2014, he was charged with theft of $50 to $500.
In 2014, he was also charged with two counts of reckless driving.
In 2019, he was charged with assault that caused bodily injury and spent a max of 9 months in jail.
In 2020, he was charged with verbal harassment.
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