Police confirm girl's 'killer' is a neo-Nazi with links to Aryan Brotherhood
Authorities have confirmed that the suspected killer in the tragic loss of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham has ties to the Aryan Brotherhood, a notoriously violent white supremacist neo-Nazi prison gang.
Don Steven McDougal, who has been pictured bearing a swastika tattoo, is a 42-year-old ex-convict with a criminal history stretching as back as 2001, including prison time for abusing another 10-year-old girl.
Despite his past, he was close with Audrii as he was friends with her father. He lived in a trailer within the property where Audrii lived with her dad and even drove her to the bus stop sometimes, or to school if she missed the bus.
Police believe they have enough evidence to prove McDougal is responsible for Audrii's death. The little girl's lifeless body was found six days after her disappearance tied on a rock inside the River Trinity and an autopsy determined that she died from "homicidal violence including blunt head trauma."
READ MORE: How 'murdered' Audrii Cunningham was failed while living with dad as grieving mum erupts
Double killer who slit girlfriend's throat within weeks of release jailed
McDougal is accused of murdering the 11-year-old girl who was found dead tied to a rock in a river (KHOU)According to the investigation, McDougal was supposed to take Audrii to the bus stop in his car on Thursday, February 15, but the girl never made it to school.
Her grieving mother, in agony during the frantic search to find her child, blamed her husband's family for making her believe Audrii would be safe while living with her dad.
While searching for Audrii before her body was discovered, McDougal claimed he was innocent and even joined in the search efforts, knocking on doors to try and find her.
Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons told CNN: "Some of the witnesses have even said that he was in the community and knocking on doors … asking have they seen her."
The suspect then took to social media to profess his innocence, posting "I’m not guilty" under a post on the Facebook page 'True Crime Society' the day after Audrii was reported missing.
McDougal wrote: "I was there and was questioned. I am not running or hiding. I have done everything I can to help find her. I have done nothing wrong. [...]I am the one that went and knocked on the houses by the bus stop to get video footage."
Audrii's grieving mother blamed her husband's family for making her believe her child was safe living with her dad (KPRC2)In the meantime, McDougal was arrested for an unrelated stabbing attack he allegedly committed last August. Court documents said that he went to the victim's home along with a woman and asked for help, supposedly claiming that his car battery had died.
The victim was jumping the car when McDougal stabbed him from behind, according to court records. His alleged victim recognized him during the search for Audrii and alerted the police who arrested him and identified him as a person of interest in Audrii's case.
After the tragic discovery of Audrii's body, which was tied with rope previously seen in McDougal's car during a traffic stop, the neo-Nazi ex-convict has now been charged with capital murder, adding another line to his long rap sheet.
Audrii died from homicidal violence including blunt head trauma, the autopsy showed (KHOU)Previous assault of 10-year-old girl
Don Steven McDougal has a lengthy criminal history spanning over two decades in Texas, including multiple stints in jail and prison. In 2001, McDougal was convicted of possession of marijuana in Liberty County. This marked the beginning of a series of legal troubles, outlined in criminal records seen by USA Today.
Killer dances in his victim's house with twerking model who later turned on him
The following year, in 2003, he faced another possession of marijuana charge, this time in Harris County. Concurrently, he was also convicted of possession of a dangerous drug in Liberty County.
The swastika-bearing man lived in a trailer behind the child's house and was friends with her dad (Facebook)
He would sometimes take Audrii to school if she missed the bus (FOX 26)McDougal's criminal activities escalated in 2003 when he received a three-year sentence for felony assault of a public servant in Liberty County. This was followed by a conviction for evading arrest or detention in Baytown in 2005.
In 2006, McDougal found himself on the wrong side of the law again, this time facing charges of possession of a controlled substance and theft by the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Additionally, he was convicted of assault on a public servant the same year.
The most disturbing incident in McDougal's criminal record occurred in 2008 when he pleaded no contest to two felony charges of enticing a child in Brazoria County. This offence involved attempting to remove the pants of a 10-year-old girl while in bed with her, as reported by a Brazoria County Sheriff's Office deputy.
McDougal has a long criminal history stretching back to two decades ago - Yet he was close with Audrii (Facebook)For all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US
McDougal's criminal behaviour persisted into the following years. In 2009, he was convicted of unauthorized use of a vehicle in Harris County. The following year, he received a four-year sentence for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Harris County.
Despite multiple convictions and incarcerations, McDougal continued to engage in criminal activities. In 2014, he was convicted of theft and reckless driving by the Harris County Sheriff's Office. His criminal behavior extended into 2019 when he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in Liberty County.
Even after serving time in prison, McDougal's criminal tendencies persisted. In 2023, he was convicted of resisting arrest. The criminal history concludes with a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in August 2023 and, finally, with the charge of capital murder in Audrii's case.
Audrii was found in River Trinity near Livingston, Texas, six days after her disappearance (Facebook)
McDougal would sometimes take Audrii to school if she missed the bus (Facebook)Neo-Nazi ties - What is the Aryan Brotherhood?
McDougal also has ties to the Aryan Brotherhood, as Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons confirmed to KHOU, and is evidenced by the huge swastika tattoo on his shoulder and arm.
The Aryan Brotherhood, also known as AB, is a neo-Nazi prison gang and organized crime syndicate in the US, that boasts an estimated membership of 15,000–20,000 individuals both inside and outside prisons.
It's considered by organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League as the oldest and most significant white supremacist prison gang in the nation.
Despite constituting a small fraction of the total prison population, it's notorious for a disproportionately high number of prison murders, according to the FBI. The gang engages in typical organized crime activities such as drug trafficking, extortion, inmate prostitution, and murder-for-hire.
Its membership, exclusively white, operates in a hierarchical structure with a twelve-man council overseen by a three-man commission. The gang employs various symbols and rituals for identification, including shamrocks and swastikas. Prospective members often need to swear a blood oath or demonstrate a willingness to kill another inmate to gain acceptance.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
