An 11-year-old girl from Texas, Audrii Cunningham, disappeared last week under concerning circumstances, sparking a frantic search effort by law enforcement officials.
The young girl vanished around 6:45 a.m. on Thursday in Livingston, located approximately an hour away from Houston. She was supposed to catch a school bus but never got on board, prompting her family to alert the authorities when she failed to return home.
Police have honed in on the last individual to have seen Audrii before her disappearance—a 42-year-old man named Don McDougal, who resided in a camper behind Audrii’s home.
McDougal, who has a criminal record dating back to 2001, including a conviction for enticing a minor, was arrested on an unrelated charge. Despite his criminal history, McDougal was not required to register as a sex offender.
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Authorities revealed that McDougal occasionally provided transportation to Audrii, driving her to the bus stop or school. He informed the police that he had left the home with Audrii on the morning of her disappearance.
While McDougal has cooperated to some extent with law enforcement, providing information that led to targeted search efforts, officials have stopped short of confirming his full cooperation. Sheriff Byron Lyons emphasized that McDougal is the primary person of interest in the case but stressed that other leads are not being discounted.
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The investigation into Audrii’s disappearance has been classified as a criminal investigation, although McDougal has not confessed to any wrongdoing. Authorities are working diligently to construct a timeline of McDougal’s movements on Audrii’s disappearance.
They urged the public to come forward with any relevant video footage captured between 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. along FM 3126 in Livingston. A $10,000 reward has been offered for information leading to Audrii’s whereabouts to incentivize potential witnesses.
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Despite ongoing questioning of McDougal, authorities remain hopeful that he will provide crucial assistance in the case. Lieutenant Craig Cummings of the Texas Department of Public Safety reiterated the importance of McDougal’s cooperation and encouraged anyone with pertinent information to come forward.
As the search for Audrii Cunningham intensifies, the community rallies together in solidarity, hopeful for her safe return home. The situation’s urgency underscores the need for swift action and collaborative efforts to ensure Audrii’s well-being and reunite her with her family.
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