The body of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham was found in a Texas river on Tuesday afternoon, six days after an extensive search for the missing girl began, authorities said. Cunningham was last seen on Thursday when she vanished while on her way to school. A neighbor dropped her off at a bus stop and is now expected to face charges related to her murder.
The neighbor was identified as Don McDougal, a friend of Audrii's father. The six-day search ended in tragedy, with Cunningham's body found in the Trinity River, Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons confirmed. "My heart aches with this news," Lyons said at a news conference streamed by KHOU.
Tragic End to Extensive Search
"I express with my deepest sympathies and condolences to everyone who knew, who cared for and loved Audrii," Lyons added. Polk County District Attorney Shelly Bush-Sitton stated that McDougal, who was arrested on an unrelated charge on Friday as a person of interest in Cunningham's case, will face an arrest warrant for capital murder.
"I understand that this is a very difficult time for Audrii's family and for our community," the prosecutor said.
He had been identified earlier by the police as a person of interest and was captured in a menacing mugshot on Friday when charged with unrelated offenses.
The Sheriff also revealed to CCN earlier on Tuesday that McDougal was seen actively participating in the search for Audrii, knocking on doors and seeking information.
Despite being in custody on unrelated assault charges, Sitton said that preparations for capital murder charges against McDougal are underway.
When questioned about the details of how Audrii was killed, Sitton said that she "cannot speak to that."
McDougal is presently being held at the Polk County Jail on a $500,000 bond. His mugshot shows several body tattoos, including a swastika and the words "Ain't Scared" across his chest.
Mystery Continues
McDougal, 42, had recently befriended Cunningham's family and was a neighbor, living behind the house where the girl lived with her father and grandmother, as mentioned by Lyons earlier. He was known to occasionally accompany Cunningham to the bus stop and, on occasions when she missed the bus, he would even take her to school, according to Lyons.
Investigators promptly identified a dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban as a 'vehicle of interest' associated with the girl's disappearance, matching McDougal's car, according to law enforcement.
On the third day of the search, a small backpack believed to be Cunningham's was found near the Lake Livingston Dam on Saturday, People reported.
Although specific details about the recovered backpack were not revealed by the police, on the day of her disappearance, Cunningham was carrying a bright red 'Hello Kitty' backpack.
On Tuesday, Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons clarified that the contents of the recovered backpack were enough to strongly believe that it belonged to Audrii.
The sheriff stated that the investigation into the now-murder case will continue. As of Tuesday, a cause of death has not been revealed, with officials awaiting an autopsy report.
Cellphone analysis, video footage, and information provided by McDougal were instrumental in guiding investigators to the grim discovery, according to Lyons.
"We are still processing mounds and mounds of information and data," he said.
McDougal had a previous criminal history involving another young girl over a decade ago, but he was not registered as a sex offender.
