Audrii Cunningham: Missing 11-year-old's cause of death revealed after she was found tied to rock at river bottom
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LIVINGSTON, TEXAS: The heart-wrenching search for 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham has come to a devastating end as an autopsy unveils the horrifying details of her demise.
Audrii, who was supposed to catch her school bus on February 15, vanished without a trace. Following an extensive six-day search, she was eventually found bound to a rock at the bottom of the Trinity River, not far from her residence in Livingston, Texas.
Audrii Cunningham's body was found tied to a 'large rock'
The Harris County Medical Examiner's office confirmed on Thursday that Audrii died from blunt force trauma to the head, inflicted through homicidal violence, as per KPRC-TV.
The Polk County Sheriff's officials, who led the investigation, managed to recover the 11-year-old's body after lowering the water levels in the Trinity River. Disturbingly, court documents reveal she was found tied to a rock.
Ties between Don McDougal and the crime scene
Don Steven McDougal, a 42-year-old family friend residing in a camper near Audrii's home, had been previously identified as a person of interest. On the day the young girl went missing, McDougal was charged with capital murder and denied bond, according to jail records.
Court documents disclosed that the "rope used was consistent with a rope that was observed in McDougal's vehicle on a traffic stop two days prior." Investigators also revealed that McDougal had lied about his whereabouts on the day Audrii disappeared, initially failing to disclose that her body was in the river.
Using cell phone records and surveillance footage, law enforcement was able to track McDougal's movements. Cell phone data placed him at three locations of interest, eventually leading them to the Trinity River.
Audrii Cunningham's radiant spirit remembered
Police initially arrested McDougal on an unrelated assault charge on February 16, subsequently naming him a person of interest in Audrii's disappearance. The investigation later revealed McDougal's dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban's involvement in the suspected kidnapping.
Audrii's aunt, Brenda Cedars, fondly remembered her niece as a radiant and humorous child, expressing, "No matter where she went to or who she met, she just made them light up." "She could always make you laugh, no matter what kind of mood you were in. It just isn't fair that we all got robbed of that," she added.
