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She disappeared leaving to catch the school bus. What to know about this missing Texas girl:
View Date:2024-12-23 14:15:08
It's been nearly a week since young Audrii Cunningham vanished from a small Texas town, sparking a nationwide search for the missing girl.
The 11-year-old child disappeared the morning after Valentine's Day after she left to catch the school bus in the small town of Livingston, about 70 miles northeast of Houston.
Law enforcement said she never made it onto the bus.
As of Tuesday, an Amber Alert issued for her remained active and no one had been charged in connection to her disappearance.
But investigators did have a person of interest in custody in connection to Audrii's case.
Here's what we know so far about Audrii, the person being questioned by police in her disappearance and more:
Who is Audrii Cunningham?
Audrii Cunningham, age 11, and lives with her family in a lakeside community on the eastern shores of Livingston Lake.
The girl is white, 4'1" and 75 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Detectives reported she was last seen wearing a black hoodie with white lettering, black pants, black high-top tennis shoes and a bright red Hello Kitty style backpack.
Where is Livingston, Texas?
The town, which had a population of just over 5,600 during the last census, is in Polk County about 100 miles east of the Louisiana state line.
Livingston is just over 46 miles south of Lufkin, the largest city in Angelina County.
The small town is where a hero couple made national news last year after they rescued a 9-month-old baby abandoned in a shed.
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When did Audrii Cunningham disappear?
Audrii was last seen at 7 a.m. on Feb. 15 when she left her home to catch the school bus.
Her parents reported her missing after she did not get off the bus on Thursday afternoon.
School officials told investigators that the bus did not pick her up and she did not report to campus.
An Amber Alert issued Thursday by the Department of Public Safety for the girl remained active on Tuesday.
Where was Audrii's backpack found?
Over the weekend, the Texas Department of Safety officials announced they found a backpack belonging to Audrii and the department identified a person of interest in her disappearance.
On Saturday, Polk County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Craig Cummings said officials found Audrii's Hello Kitty backpack near a dam at Lake Livingston, the Austin American-Statesman, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, reported.
Cummings identified the person of interest as 42-year-old Don Steven McDougal.
During a press conference Monday, Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons said McDougal lives in a trailer on the family’s property and sometimes took the girl the bus stop and to school if she missed the bus.
According to the sheriff's office, investigators believe that a dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban, belonging to McDougal, was involved in the disappearance.
The department has been asking the public for help in reporting any sightings of the vehicle on Thursday or Friday.
Who is Don Steven McDougal?
Jail records show McDougal was arrested Friday on an unrelated charge of aggravated assault. It was not immediately known if he had obtained an attorney.
He remained jailed in Polk County Tuesday on $500,000 bond, and according to jail records, the alleged assault took place on Friday. Details of the reported assault were not immediately available.
Jail records describe McDougal as a white man, with red hair and blue eyes, standing 5'9'' and weighing about 150 pounds. A mugshot shows a bald or shaved head.
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On Monday, Lyons said on the morning the girl disappeared, McDougal was supposed to be dropping her off at the bus stop.
"We do believe at his point he was the last person who seen her," Lyons said.
The sheriff said McDougal has been speaking with investigators but has not said whether he dropped her off at school that morning.
Is Audrii Cunningham still alive?
On Monday, Lyons said he had not given up hope Audrii may still be alive.
The sheriff also said investigators were working to identify what crime may have been committed in the case and "to piece together a timeline" of the events.
“Once we get all that evidence put together (we will determine) what charges will be filed,” he said. “We want to make sure that whatever evidence that we collect... (it will) be something that is going to hold up in the court later."
Is a reward being offered in Audrii Cunningham's case?
The sheriff's office is offering a $7,000 reward for information leading to the girl's location and the arrest or prosecution of anyone involved in Audrii's disappearance.
Anyone with information about the girl's whereabouts is asked to contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Information can also be reported on the iWatchTx app or by visiting the iWatchTexas community reporting website.
Contributing: Fernanda Figueroa with the Austin American-Statesman
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
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