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On February 15, an 11-year-old girl from Livingston, Texas named Audrii Cunningham went missing. A couple of days later, her school backpack was found near the Lake Livingston Dam, following which an AMBER Alert was issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety to find her.
Five days later, on February 20, her lifeless body was recovered from the Trinity River near National Highway 59, as reported by CBS News. An investigation is currently ongoing, but the exact cause of her death remains undisclosed.
Meanwhile, neighbor and family friend Don Steven McDougal was taken into police custody on February 16 on a separate felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. However, he is now the prime suspect in the disappearance and possible homicide of Audrii Cunningham.
In the wake of this latest development on the case, claims have arisen on social media that Audrii’s father, Joshua Cunningham, was a close friend of the suspect. Scrutiny has also fallen on Audrii’s mother, Cassie Matthews.
Everything you need to know about Audrii Cunningham’s parents and their association with the prime suspect
According to This Was TV, Audrii Cunningham lived with her father Joshua Cunningham, while her mother Cassie Matthews lived elsewhere. The couple is divorced. Apart from her father, Audrii also shared her home with her grandmother.
In the wake of her disappearance last week, it was Cassie Matthews who reported the same to the local law enforcement. Meanwhile, Joshua Cunningham has stayed away from the limelight, but has been identified as a close friend of the prime suspect, Don Steven McDougal.
As per the Polk County Sheriff's Office’s statement to CBS News, Don Steven McDougal lived in a camper on the Cunningham property and occasionally escorted Audrii to the bus stop or dropped her to school if she missed the bus.
However, last Thursday, on the day of her disappearance, Audrii Cunningham neither took the bus nor reach her school. Moreover, the 42-year-old McDougal is currently the prime suspect, as his dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban has been linked to the case as the “vehicle of interest.”
McDougal had two previous criminal records of “enticing a child with intent” from 2007-2008, yet often babysat Audrii. This has directed suspicion towards her father, as reported by We Got This Covered. McDougal is also reported to have spent two years, as per Fox26 News.
The news outlet also revealed that Cassie Matthews had no idea about McDougal being an integral part of the Cunningham house. Last week, the mother told Click2 Houston that she was feeling a “rollercoaster” of emotions, including being broken, mad, and empty.
Meanwhile, McDougal told the police that he was with Audrii Cunningham on the morning of her disappearance and is believed to be the last person to see her alive.
But so far, he has not confessed to abducting or killing her. Regardless, he may be facing capital murder charges for the 11-year-old’s death, as per DA Shelly Sitton’s statement to CBS News.
As per Daily Mail, McDougal is currently being held at the Polk County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
