The search for a young girl who was last seen heading to school on Thursday morning in Polk County ended with the tragic discovery of her dead body.
Audrii Cunningham’s body was found by search crews in the Trinity River near Livingston. A press conference held at the Texas Department of Public Safety headquarters for the Southeast Texas Region provided the latest update.
Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons explained that Audrii’s body had been found thanks to the Trinity River operators lowering the water levels. Her body has been transported to the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine her cause of death and collect evidence.
As previously covered by The Dallas Express, Don Steven McDougal, a family friend residing behind Cunningham’s home, was identified by Polk County authorities as a person of interest and arrested on unrelated felony charges on February 16. He remains in police custody, according to Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton.
Lyons told reporters that McDougal’s cell phone records and interviews with detectives, as well as information collected from witnesses, helped narrow the search for the missing girl. The sheriff’s office is currently preparing an arrest warrant for McDougal on capital murder charges connected to Audrii’s death.
“I understand that this is a difficult situation for Audrii’s family and the community,” Sitton told reporters. She also highlighted the valiant effort of local law enforcement to “protect our children.”
“You can be assured 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,” she added.