An 11-year-old girl, Audrii Cunningham, went missing on February 15, 2024. The incident happened on her way to school, as she never boarded the school bus or made it to class. Unfortunately, the little girl was found dead.
The family of an 11-year-old girl, Audrii Cunningham, has been in distress since their little girl disappeared. Audrii was last seen near her home in the early hours around the 100 block of Lakeside Drive in Polk County.
As previously reported, she was dropped off at the bus stop, but school officials informed the Sheriff’s Office that Audrii never boarded the bus and did not report to school. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and various law enforcement agencies have issued an urgent Amber Alert for the 11-year-old Texas resident.
Audrii is described as a white female, with blonde hair and blue eyes, standing approximately 4 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 75 pounds. Her last known attire includes black pants, a black hoodie adorned with white marks, and black high-top tennis shoes. She was also carrying a distinctive bright red “Hello Kitty” backpack.Unfortunately, Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons, reported that Audrii was sadly found at the bottom of the Trinity River. “My heart aches with the news, and I express my deepest sympathies and condolences,” said expressed the sheriff.
The search operation involved the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Ranger Division, Department of Public Safety, Livingston Police Department, Texas State Guard, and several local fire departments, all worked together to locate Audrii.
Sheriff Lyons issued a call to the public for any information regarding Audrii’s whereabouts. Her mother, Cassie Mathews, emphasized that the disappearance was very unlike Audrii, “We would like to have her come home, it’s not like her to just run off or disappear, she has a lot of loving families, she has so many people that love her and adore her.”
Audrii’s loved ones said they searched behind her home where she lived with her father, but nothing was verified by the police. The search also extended to the state park, one of her favorite spots. Despite the exhaustive efforts, the search was temporarily halted on Friday night, with plans to resume near Lake Livingston.
The emotional toll on the family was indescribable. Cassie candidly expressed the immense pain and uncertainty that has been eating her and her family up during the tough time. “This is the stuff you see on TV where you can only imagine what the families and the parents are going through,” lamented Cassie. She added, “Right now, I am empty.”
A special FBI team and a special Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team was appointed to the case, but many of the details remained unknown. But as the investigation continued, the distraught mother feels like every lead they have only takes them to a dead end.
In a significant development, 42-year-old Don Steven McDougal of Livingston was identified as a person of interest in connection to Audrii’s disappearance. Don was recently arrested on unrelated charges. Investigators suspected he might be connected to a dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban potentially involved in the case. Additionally, a backpack that might have belonged to a child was found near Lake Livingston Dam.
The police also revealed that Lake Livingston Dam was the location they were most focused on searching, but did not reveal the reasons behind it. After three days of the authorities actively searching for Audrii, there were no significant updates.
The Polk County Crime Stoppers offered a $7,000 reward for information leading to the resolution of this distressing case. The community and law enforcement urged anyone with information to come forward by contacting 936-327-STOP to help ensure that Audrii safely returned and that her family received closure.
No matter how painful the wait for her little girl was, Cassie emphasized she wouldn’t be the same until she was reunited with Audrii. She still hoped to see her daughter fulfill the life she dreamed of. “She has so many opportunities ahead of her, and she deserves every right to be able to reach those opportunities,” she expressed.
An additional update on how the case would be processed was provided by Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton. According to the evidence, an arrest warrant for McDougal will be processed and it is believed that the appropriate charge will be under capital murder.
Reports state that McDougal was a friend of her father who lived in a trailer behind their home. He reportedly admitted to being to Audrii at the time she disappeared but refused to tell the authorities what happened next.The suspect would sometimes walk the 11-year-old to the bus stop, but what was shocking was that McDougal joined the community on the search for Audrii. Some witnesses even recalled seeing him knocking on doors asking if they had seen the little girl.