Don McDougal is an alleged killer from Texas who has been charged with the murder of eleven year old Audrii Cunningham
According to police reports Audrii Cunningham would disappear while waiting for a school bus. Don McDougal who lived in the trailer behind her home and had twice been convicted of child enticement was immediately the main suspect and the convicted felon would be taken into custody on an unrelated assault charge while police continued to search for Audrii Cunningham
Unfortunately days after he was arrested the body of Audrii Cunningham would be found in a Texas river
Now Don McDougal is facing capital murder charges and more charges are coming. Texas does have the death penalty and I can not see a situation where prosecutors do not seek it
Don McDougal News
The Texas career criminal arrested in connection with the disappearance of Audrii Cunningham has been charged with capital murder after the 11-year-old girl was found dead Tuesday.
Polk County Jail records show Don Steven McDougal, 42, has officially been charged with murder of a person between the ages of 10 and 15, nearly a week after Audrii missed her school bus on Feb. 15.
Officials located the 11-year-old’s body in the Trinity River near the US Highway 59 bridge in Livingston, Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons confirmed during a Tuesday press conference.
“We will continue to process the evidence that has been gathered to ensure that there is justice for Audrii,” Lyons said.
McDougal, a family friend who lived in a trailer behind Audrii’s residence in Livingston, was initially apprehended on Feb. 16 on an unrelated charge of aggravated assault.
He has been accused of dozens of crimes dating back to the early 2000s and was convicted on two child enticement charges in 2008.
“He was probably taking her to…the bus stop, and we do feel that he was the last person to see Audrii,” Lyons said of McDougal during a Monday press conference, adding that there were “some occasions” when McDougal would take Audrii to the bus stop or even to school if she missed the bus.
Audrii’s mother, Cassie Matthews, told FOX 26 Houston that she believed McDougal would babysit the 11-year-old girl while he was staying at her father’s home.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-suspect-audrii-cunningham-disappearance-charged-capital-murder
Don McDougal More News
A man who has been called a family friend is now charged with capital murder in the disappearance and death of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham.
Court records showed Wednesday that Don Steven McDougal, 42, of Livingston was officially charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and capital murder of a person younger than 15.
McDougal was being held in jail on an unrelated charge.
Audrii’s body was found Tuesday in the Trinity River under US-59, according to Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons. Authorities had been searching for her since she was reported missing last week. Her body was taken to Harris County for an autopsy to be performed to determine her cause of death.
Audrii goes missing
The last time Audrii was seen was Thursday at 6:45 a.m. Investigators learned she never got on the school bus that morning and she wasn’t at school all day. She was reported missing when she didn’t get off the school bus that afternoon.
Authorities said Don McDougal was friends with the family and had taken Audrii to the bus stop and school before.
An AMBER Alert was issued.
Search efforts were initially focused on a southern area of Lake Livingston.
Over the weekend, Texas EquuSearch was seen looking for her in an area near I-69 and the Trinity River.
In the last few days, investigators narrowed their search to the area near the Trinity River Bridge. Ultimately, that’s where her body was found.
According to Lt. Craig Cummings with the Texas Department of Public Safety, McDougal was friends with the family and lived in a camper behind the home where Audrii lived with several of her family members
Records show he has a lengthy criminal history that dates back to 2001 when he was charged with possession of marijuana out of Liberty County. The following year, he was hit with an assault of a public servant charge.
In 2003, he was charged with possession of a dangerous drug in Liberty County.
In 2005, he was arrested in Baytown for evading arrest or detention.
In 2006, he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and theft by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
In 2007, he was convicted of enticing a minor with intent out of Brazoria County.
In 2009, he was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle in Baytown.
In 2010, he was charged by HCSO for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
In 2014, he was charged with theft and reckless driving by HCSO.
In 2019, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office charged him with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury.
In 2020, HCSO charged him with harassment.
In 2023, Conroe police charged him with resisting arrest.
Records show that Don McDougal served two years in prison in Huntsville between September 2020 and September 2022.
During the search for Audrii, Don McDougal was taken into custody on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge.
In a news conference on Monday, Lyons said Don McDougal was likely the last person to see Audrii alive. Lyons also said McDougal admitted to leaving the house with her.
Before Audrii’s body was found, Don McDougal was identified by authorities as the “main person of interest.” They said he answered questions and even told investigators where he visited on the day of Audrii’s disappearance.
