Police confirm key detail in missing girl, 11, case as they beg public for help
Police believe Don Steven McDougal was the last person to have seen missing Audrii Cunningham, it has emerged.
McDougal, a 42-year-old man with a criminal history including child enticement offences, has been named a "person of interest" in the disappearance of 11-year-old Audrii, from Livingston, Texas. Audrii was last seen being dropped off at a bus stop by her father on Thursday, February 15, and has been missing since.
In a press conference today, Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons said McDougal, who has been arrested for an unrelated assault, has not confessed to anything connected to the missing girl's case and has been partly cooperating with authorities.
Asked if police believe he was the last person to see Audrii, Lyons replied: "He was probably taken to the dropping off at the bus stop and we do feel at this point that he was the last person who's seen Audrii."
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Audrii has not been seen since Thursday (FOX 26)McDougal hasn't been charged in relation to the girl's disappearance but he has a criminal record that also includes assault charges and previous convictions for child enticement.
His connection to the case is suspected due to his previous interactions with Audrii and her family, and neighbours recall seeing him at Audrii's home.
Lyons further said of McDougal: "There has been information that on some occasions he did drop [Audrii] off at the bus stop or even take her to school and if she missed the bus. He has been talking with some of the investigators, but at this point, he has not confessed.
"We are asking the public for videos as we are trying to piece together a timeline of where he's been in, and the travel that he took - the roadways that he took. So this area is just one in particular that we can say that we know he was in and so we're making sure that we do an extensive search of those areas."
Don Steven McDougal is a person of interest in Audrii's disappearance (Facebook)For all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US
Audrii was last seen after being dropped off at a bus stop by her father, Joshua Cunningham. Police found a backpack believed to belong to Audrii near Lake Livingston, along with other items thought to be hers.
It's believed that McDougal had been tasked with looking after Audrii on occasion while her father was at work, something Audrii's mother, Cassie Mathews, only recently discovered.
McDougal, who owns a blue Chevrolet Suburban that authorities are searching for in connection with the disappearance, was arrested shortly afterwards. He had previously been seen displaying a swastika tattoo, adding to the unease surrounding the case.
Neighbours have expressed their concerns, with one recalling seeing Audrii walking to the bus stop regularly but noting her absence on the day she disappeared.
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