Aiexpress – State and local authorities are continuing their search for 11-year-old Texas girl Audrii Cunningham, who has been reported missing. Despite having a suspect in custody on an unrelated charge, it appears that the individual is not cooperating with the investigations, further complicating the search efforts.
According to Lt. Craig Cummings of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the suspect, Don Steven McDougal, 42, has been provided with numerous opportunities to cooperate in this case. Lt. Cummings expressed hope that McDougal will start assisting with the investigation.
Cummings is appealing to the public to assist in obtaining videos of a specific area of Farm to Market Road 3126 in rural Polk County. The timeframe of interest is between 6:30 and 8 a.m. on Thursday, as this was the last time Audrii was seen while she was waiting for a school bus.
The police have reported that the girl was dropped off at the stop but did not board the bus. Her family became concerned when she did not return home and reported her missing at 5:30 p.m. As a result, an Amber Alert was issued.
The Polk County Crime Stoppers have decided to increase the reward for any information that can help locate Audrii. The reward has been raised to $10,000, according to officials.
McDougal became a person of interest in the case on Saturday, following his arrest and booking into jail for unrelated charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Authorities also impounded his dark blue Chevrolet Suburban as evidence in the investigation.
According to Cummings, McDougal resided in a camper situated behind Audrii’s house. Additionally, Cummings mentioned that McDougal had a connection with the family and would sometimes accompany Audrii to the bus stop or even provide transportation to school.
Investors stumbled upon a small backpack near the Lake Livingston Dam, which they believe belongs to a child.
According to Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons, there is strong evidence to suggest that the backpack belongs to Audrii. Additionally, investigators believe that McDougal is the last person who had contact with the girl.
Audrii, a young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, is approximately 4 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs around 75 pounds. The last known outfit she was wearing consisted of a black hoodie adorned with white lettering, a camo backpack, black pants, and black high-top tennis shoes.
If you have any information about the case, please contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 936-327-6810 or call 911.
