11-year-old Audrii Cunningham is found dead after vanishing on her way to school

Audrii Cunningham is found dead.

She disappeared on February 15.

She was last seen going to the bus stop with a family friend.

Audrii Cunningham, the little girl who disappeared on her way to school in Livingston, Texas, has been found dead.

The 11-year-old left her home on Thursday, February 15, 2024 and took a rural road to her school bus stop.

However, Audrii never got on the school bus and, on Tuesday, February 20, her body was found tied to a rock in the Trinity River.

What happened to her?

How did little Audrii Cunningham die?

PHOTO: Texas Department of Public Safety

Several witnesses reported seeing Audrii Cunningham on a rural road in Livingston, Texas.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) said Don Steven McDougal, 42, had walked Audrii Cunningham to the bus stop.

The case becomes more disturbing because Don Steven McDougal has a long criminal record, including accusations of inappropriate contact with minors in Brazoria County.

Detectives from the Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) joined the investigation into the disappearance and death of Audrii Cunningham.

The Texas community is following the tragic case

PHOTO: Texas Department of Public Safety

Since that Thursday when Audrii Cunningham was reported missing, the community in Texas has been waiting in suspense for news.

Livingston, Texas, is a semi-rural community northeast of the Houston metropolitan area, in an area with ​​large forests, lakes and rivers.

The TxDPS launched an operation from the point where Audrii Cunningham was last seen, using trained search dogs.

All of the efforts to find little Audrii Cunningham were in vain until Tuesday, February 20, 2024.

The main suspect refuses to speak

PHOTO: Polk County Sheriff’s Office

In a dramatic twist, the main suspect, Don Steven McDougal, was arrested on Friday, February 16, 2024 for aggravated assault.

This had nothing to do with Audrii Cunningham’s disappearance.

McDougal has refused to speak with authorities, however, there is evidence that places him in the area where Audrii disappeared.

A blue Chevrolet Suburban was seen hanging around where she was last seen and it turns out that Don Steven McDougal owns a similar car.

Dozens of police and volunteers searched for Audrii Cunningham

PHOTO: Texas Department of Public Safety

On the afternoon of Monday, February 19, the TxDPS and PCSO held a press conference to provide details of the case.

They said a school backpack similar to the one Audrii Cunningham was carrying was found on the shores of Lake Livingston.

Inside the backpack were several objects that could be related to the disappearance, but the police did not reveal any further details.

Hundreds of volunteers came to Livingston to search for the little girl in the forests and rivers until they found her. The cause of her death is not yet known.

Authorities still do not know how Audrii Cunningham died

Pickup truck owned by Don Steven McDougal / PHOTO: Polk County Sheriff’s Office

On the morning of Tuesday, February 20, 2024, the desperate search for Audrii Cunningham was expanded and teams of officers explored the Trinity River.

She was found tied to a rock in the water. Her body will be taken to Harris County for an detailed autopsy to find out how she died.

After interrogating Don Steven McDougal several times, he still refuses to answer any questions about the incident.

A confidential source who spoke with MundoNow revealed that Don Steven McDougal, could face several criminal charges.