‘Body found’ in search for missing Audrii Cunningham five days after Texas girl, 11, vanished
THE body of a missing 11-year-old girl who vanished while on her way to a bus stop has reportedly been found.
Remains believed to be that of Audrii Cunningham were reportedly pulled from the Trinity River five days after the girl went missing in Livingston, Texas, about an hour north of Houston, on February 15.
Sources told Fox affiliate KRIV that the body was found on Tuesday.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office will hold a 4 pm CST presser on the case.
Audrii was last seen at around 7 am near her home in Livingston on Thursday.
Police say the 11-year-old was supposed to board a school bus near her home but never got on the bus and was absent from school that day.
On Friday, sheriff’s officials arrested a person of interest, Don Steven McDougal, 42, on an unrelated assault charge.
Investigators said McDougal’s dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban was involved in Audrii’s suspected kidnapping.
Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons said McDougal, who lives in a camper behind the home where Audrii lives with her father and other family members, was likely the last person to see the girl before she went missing.
McDougal has not been named a suspect in Audrii’s disappearance and presumed death.
The Texas Department of Public Safety previously said that foul play was believed to be involved in Audrii’s case.
“We are hopeful that we can bring Audrii home alive and that’s what we are absolutely working for right now,” the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a statement.
“But based on the evidence we’ve got, we understand that foul play is a factor as well.”
McDougal has a lengthy criminal record dating back to the early 2000s, according to court documents.
He was convicted of two counts of enticement of a child in 2008 and sentenced to two years for each count.
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