Audrii Cunningham, 11, has been missing since Thursday morning when she didn’t get on a bus for school.
LIVINGSTON, Texas — The reward for information leading to the whereabouts of Audrii Cunningham increased to $10,000 on Monday, according to officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Monday marked five days since Audrii’s disappearance. Multiple law enforcement agencies continued to search for the 11-year-old who went missing Thursday at about 6:45 a.m.
The person of interest in Audrii’s disappearance — identified as Don Steven McDougal, 42 — is not fully cooperating with investigators, but they said they strongly believe he was the last person to see her. He reportedly admitted to leaving the house Thursday morning with Audrii but is not saying if she made it to the bus stop, said Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons.
We learned Monday that McDougal, who Lyons said is a friend of the family, lives in a camper behind Audrii’s family home. Lyons said he would occasionally take Audrii to the bus stop or school.
McDougal was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail late Friday night on unrelated aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge. His vehicle, a dark blue Chevrolet Suburban, is also in police custody.
Lt. Craig Cummings with Texas DPS said video from the public showing McDougal’s vehicle has been helpful for investigators to be able to track McDougal’s whereabouts since Audrii’s disappearance. On Monday, he asked the public to check their cameras for any video taken on Thursday between 5:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. on FM 3126 in Livingston, Texas.
Search efforts were initially focused on a southern area of Lake Livingston on Friday and Texas EquuSearch was seen looking for her in an area near 59 and the Trinity River on Saturday.
Polk County Sheriff’s Department said the Trinity River boat ramp off I-69 would be closed Monday as the search continued.
What we know right now
- Audrii has been missing since not getting on a school bus at 7 a.m. Thursday.
- Audrii was reported missing when she did not get off the school bus Thursday afternoon, which prompted the AMBER Alert.
- The Texas Department of Public Safety identified Don Steven McDougal, 42, among the persons of interest. McDougal was arrested on an unrelated aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge late Friday night.
- A dark blue Chevrolet Suburban was also identified as what DPS called a vehicle of interest. According to DPS, the vehicle belongs to McDougal.
- On Friday, investigators discovered a backpack that appeared to belong to a child at the Lake Livingston dam, DPS said.
- The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is offering a $7,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
The Texas DPS, Texas Rangers, San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI are all working together to bring Audrii home safely.
Audrii has blonde hair and blue eyes. She’s about 4 feet and 1 inch tall and weighs about 75 pounds. She was wearing a black hoodie with white lettering, a camo backpack, black pants, and black high-top tennis shoes the last time she was seen.
Investigators ask anyone with information on Audrii’s disappearance to call either the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 936-327-6810 or 911. You can also report on the iWatchTexas App.
Family asks people to stop speculating
Community members gathered for a prayer vigil for Audrii on Sunday at the VFW Post in Polk County at noon.
“You got to have faith in the good Lord, and the more we pray, the more he hears,” Ray Epps said. “She used to come in with her uncle and help him out on dance nights and she was just full of life.”
After the vigil, Audrii’s uncle spoke to the media and asked people on social media not to speculate on the search.
“I realize that everybody’s talking a bunch of stuff on Facebook and stuff like that. I’m going to ask that if you don’t know anything, don’t say anything. All you’re doing is hurting the family,” said Chris Boothe. “You don’t know what they’re going through. You don’t know the circumstances. I do know Audrii is loved, I know Audrii is cared for.”
Boothe asked that if people know anything to keep submitting tips to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
“We want her home,” he said. “This is a tragic incident.”
Person of interest identified
On Saturday, DPS identified Don Steven McDougal, 42, among the persons of interest in the search for Audrii. Earlier that day, his vehicle, a dark blue Chevrolet Suburban, was also identified as what DPS called a vehicle of interest.
McDougal was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail late Friday night on unrelated aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge.
Officials have the vehicle of interest in custody and believe it may be tied to Audrii’s disappearance. If you’ve seen his vehicle in the past few days, you’re asked to contact authorities.
Records show McDougal has a lengthy criminal history. In 2007, he was convicted of enticing a minor with intent out of Brazoria County.
McDougal has not been named a suspect in the case.
‘She’s such a great child’
Audrii’s mom, Casey Matthews, couldn’t hold back tears when she spoke to KHOU 11 about her missing daughter.
For Matthews, Audrii’s disappearance is unusual because she said it’s not like her to run off. She said Audrii is a great child who is smart, fun, and caring.
“She has so many opportunities ahead of her and deserves every right to reach those opportunities,” Matthews said. “She should be at home where we know she’s safe, and she’s warm, and she’s fed, and she should be with her little brother. She should be doing what Audrii does — smiling, laughing, making everybody else smile and laugh.”
Matthews said Audrii stays with her dad, her grandmother, and a man who allegedly dropped her off at her bus stop Thursday morning.
“Nobody has any clue actually as to where she might be,” Matthews said. “They do have one person that they are looking into. Other than that, we have no leads.”
Matthews wanted to spread the word about Audrii’s disappearance and asked for any and all help when it came to finding her daughter.
“I’m not going to be the same unless my baby is returned to me and neither is her family,” she said.
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