Texas police tragically announced Tuesday that they have found the body of Audrii Cunningham, an 11-year-old girl who disappeared last week.
Cunningham was last seen Thursday after she disappeared on her way to school. She was allegedly dropped off at a bus stop by a neighbor who is now facing charges for her murder.
The six-day hunt ended in tragedy when Cuningham's body was found in the Trinity River, Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons said.
“This news hurts my heart,” Lyons said, adding that a medical examiner was still working to determine the cause of death.
Audrii Cunningham, 11, went missing after her father dropped her off at her bus stop on Thursday. Her body was found on Tuesday
A chilling mugshot of Don Steven McDougal, 42, the last person to see the teen alive, according to police
Investigators said Tuesday that Audrii's body was found in the Trinity River in Polk County, Texas
Audrii's father's family friend, Don Steven McDougal, who lived in a mobile home behind the girl's home, is expected to be charged with her murder.
He was allegedly seen accompanying her to school around 7am on the day she disappeared, and police described him as “the last person to see her alive”.
He has previously been named as a person of interest by police and appeared in a menacing mugshot on Friday after being accused of various crimes.
McDougal was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and has a criminal history dating back to 2001 that includes convictions on two counts of solicitation of a child, Fox26 reported.
The sheriff also told CCN on Tuesday that he had been assisting in the search for Audrii, knocking on doors and asking for information.
Polk County District Attorney Shelly Bush-Sitton said a murder charge was being prepared against McDougal while she was in custody on unrelated assault charges.
Sitton said: “At this point we believe the appropriate warrant will apply for the murder of Audrii Cunningham. “He is still in prison on an unrelated felony charge.”
When asked how Audrii was killed, Sitton said she “couldn't comment on that.”
He is currently being held in the Polk County Jail on $500,000 bail. His mugshot shows a number of body tattoos, including a swastika and the words “Ain't Scared” on his chest.
McDougal's dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban was a vehicle of interest in the case and is linked to the young girl's disappearance, according to authorities
Audrii sparked a nationwide search after she disappeared early Thursday morning in Livington, about an hour north of Houston, when she failed to show up for school
McDougal has a criminal history dating back to 2001 that includes convictions for two counts of solicitation of a child
The girl's mother, Cassie Matthews, pleaded with the public for help during the six-day search for her daughter, crying as she said the loss left her feeling “empty.”
Investigators quickly identified a dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban as a “vehicle of interest” linked to the girl's disappearance, which police said matched McDougal's car.
Then on Saturday, on the third day of the search, a small backpack that likely belonged to Cunningham was found near the Lake Livingston Dam, People reported.
Although police did not release any further details about the backpack recovered, she was carrying a bright red Hello Kitty backpack on the day of her disappearance.
On Tuesday, Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons clarified that “there was enough in there to cause us to strongly believe that it was Audrii's backpack.”
Lyons said McDougal provided a list of places he had been after his arrest but declined to provide any information about Audrii.
He added that cell phone data and videos were also used to locate her remains in the river.
The sheriff also announced Tuesday that McDougal has now joined the search for the missing girl.
He told CNN: “Some of the witnesses even said he was in the community knocking on doors and asking if they had seen them.
“To me it just means that he is trying to make it appear that he has no role or blame in her disappearance and that he is one of the affected parties who tried to locate her.”
Announcing the discovery of Audrii's body on Tuesday, Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons (pictured) said his “heart aches at this news.”
Investigators were seen during the six-day manhunt for Audrii Cunningham
An undated image of Don Steven McDougal, who faces a murder charge in the alleged killing of the 11-year-old girl
The missing girl's mother, Cassie Matthews, said she believes McDougal was a friend of Audrii's father.
As the search continued, the girl's mother appealed to the public for help, saying it was not like her daughter to simply run away or disappear.
“We don't have any leads, so we're grabbing any lead, any sign, anything in general,” she told KPRC at the time.
“There is not a single feeling that you feel,” she explained. “You’re broken, you’re crazy, you’re empty and right now I’m empty.”
“I will not be the same unless my baby is returned to me, and neither will her family, none of us, none of her friends, none of the people she is associated with in the community. “
The frantic search sparked intense online speculation and attracted multiple law enforcement agencies as a nationwide Amber Alert was triggered.
Police began searching the wooded area near the young girl's home as she is a lover of wildlife and nature, her family said.
Shortly after the search began, it was determined that the disappearance was not an accident, as Lieutenant Craig Cummings said at a press conference: “Based on the evidence we have, we understand that foul play is a factor.”