Audrii Cunningham's mother Cassie Matthews slams rumors she lost custody of her daughter over drug use
LIVINGSTON, TEXAS: In the wake of the tragic death of Audrii Cunningham, the 11-year-old girl whose body was discovered in a river six days after she was reported missing, her mother wrote a heartbreaking message addressing the death.
On Tuesday, February 20, authorities announced that diving teams found Cunningham's body in the Trinity River under US Highway 59, according to the New York Post.
Cassie Matthews says she 'failed her daughter' Audrii Cunningham
Slamming people for "spreading b******t" and accusing her of losing custody of Cunningham over her drug use, Matthews took to Facebook to address her daughter's tragic death.
"I’ll make this clear one time and one time only, I failed my daughter by being bullied into submission by her father’s family and being made to believe she was in a safe, loving, and normal home with her father," the grieving mother wrote on Facebook.
The message that was posted on social media during the search for the young girl was deleted after her body was recovered from the river.
Cassie Matthews says she never chose drugs over her daughter Audrii Cunningham
Matthews claimed that her daughter's father spread falsehoods about her failing a drug test and losing custody of the girl.
"That is my daughter and I never lost any rights to her so as her parent I’m going to involve myself in anything I please concerning my child!” she said.
"I’m tired of all the b******t and I’m tired of being silent, scared, and once again being bullied into submission by people I don’t f–king know," she continued.
Matthews insisted that she never "chose drugs" over her daughter. “If you can provide me a record that states I failed a drug test for court in the custody of Audrii, then and only then can you accurately state I was on drugs, chose drugs over my child, did drugs around my child,” she wrote.
“The most important and only important thing to me is finding my daughter! I could give a f–k less what everyone thinks. What you think and your judgment isn’t giving my daughter back,” Matthews further wrote on February 19.
According to Polk County Officials, the suspect, Don McDougal with whom Cunningham was last seen, is expected to face a charge of capital murder in the case.
Matthews also referred to the suspect, without providing information on the exact nature of the speculations she was dispelling.
"If your speculation was true I’d be sitting in the same boat as the man who has taken my baby from the family that loves her,” she said.
