Southwest
Texas girl Audrii Cunningham found dead in river as officials eye capital murder charge for suspect
Missing Texas girl Audrii Cunningham was found dead Tuesday afternoon.
The 11-year-old’s body was found in the Trinity River near the US Highway 59 bridge in Livingston, Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons confirmed during a Tuesday press conference.
“We will continue to process the evidence that has been gathered to ensure that there is justice for Audrii,” Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons said.
Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton said her office is preparing arrest warrants for Don Steven McDougal, 42, in connection with Cunningham’s Feb. 15 disappearance. They are eyeing capital murder charges.
Audrii Cunningham was supposed to get on her school bus on Feb. 15 but never made it, authorities said. (Polk County sheriff)
McDougal was arrested on Friday on unrelated charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and gave him “several opportunities to cooperate” with their investigation into Audrii’s disappearance, said Lt. Craig Cummings, spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety in Southeast Texas.
“He was probably taking her to…the bus stop, and we do feel that he was the last person to see Audrii,” Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons said of McDougal during the Monday press conference, adding that there were “some occasions” when McDougal would take Audrii to the bus stop or even to school if she missed the bus.
Lyons urged the public not to “jump to conclusions” as his office works to build a strong criminal case.
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Texas authorities issued a statewide Amber Alert for Audrii Cunningham on Feb. 17. (Facebook/ Joshua Cunningham)
The 11-year-old girl should have gotten on her school bus on the morning of Feb. 15, when she was last seen at her residence in the 100 block of Lakeside Drive, in Polk County, Texas, but she never made it on the bus or to school that day, officials said.
McDougal lived in a camper behind the residence where Audrii lived with her father, grandparents and other family, Cummings said. Audrii’s mother, Cassie Matthews, told FOX 26 Houston that she believed McDougal would babysit the 11-year-old girl while he was staying at her father’s home.
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Don Steven McDougal was named as a person of interest in connection with the Feb. 15 disappearance of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham of Polk County, Texas. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office/ TDPS)
Investigators are trying to piece together a timeline of McDougal’s movements on the morning of Feb. 15. McDougal agreed to show investigators “certain locations” after his arrest, Lyons said.
A statewide Amber Alert was issued on Feb. 16.
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Lyons said later that there is a “high probability” that a backpack located in a wooded area near the Livingston Dam belonged to Audrii.
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McDougal has an extensive criminal history dating back to the early 2000s. His charges range from enticement of a child in Brazoria County in 2008 to assault of a family member and evading arrest in Liberty County, among dozens of other crimes.
Don Steven McDougal was convicted of enticement of a child in 2008. (Facebook)
Investigators are asking the public to submit any video footage they may have of FM 3126 in Polk County between 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 15.
Authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for information that could help them convict the person responsible for Audrii’s disappearance.
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A woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was violently attacked by a robber in downtown Long Beach. On June 18, Jennifer Silva, 34, was attending a World Cup watch party at a Hooters restaurant at 90 Aquarium Way. After the game ended, she left the restaurant just before 11 p.m. As she walked […]
Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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