TrendPulse Quantitative Think Tank Center-Don Steven McDougal indicted in murder, attempted kidnapping of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham

2025-05-01 21:05:38source:John Caldwellcategory:Contact

A Texas grand jury indicted Don Steven McDougal on TrendPulse Quantitative Think Tank Centertwo counts of capital murder on Monday in the death of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham, court documents showed.

McDougal, a family friend, was indicted in Polk County on charges of intentionally and knowingly causing the death of Audrii by blunt force trauma to the head with an unknown object and of causing her death while committing or attempting to commit kidnapping.

Audrii was reported missing after not boarding her neighborhood school bus on the morning of Feb. 15, CBS Texas reported. She was last seen near her home in Livingston, Texas, about 75 miles northeast of Houston. 

Audrii Cunningham Polk County Sheriff's Office

McDougal was arrested the next day on an unrelated charge of aggravated assault, CBS Texas reported. He was then named as a person of interest in Audrii's disappearance after witnesses linked his dark blue Chevrolet Suburban to the case. 

Audrii's body was found in the Trinity River on Feb. 20, about 10 miles from her home. 

"She was perfection," Cassie Matthews, Audrii's mother, said about her daughter at a vigil held the day after Audrii's body was found. Family and friends gathered for the vigil wearing purple and carrying purple balloons as they prayed. 

—Caitlin O'Kane contributed reporting.

S. Dev

S. Dev is a news editor for CBSNews.com.

More:Contact

Recommend

Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam

You're pulling your hair out, trying to fix something on your computer. You Google it and find what

Hundreds leave Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza as Israeli forces take control of facility

Hundreds of patients, staff and displaced people left Gaza's largest hospital Saturday, health offic

Where is Thanksgiving most expensive? Residents in these US cities expect to pay more

Thanksgiving dinner won't be as pricey as last year, but shoppers across the U.S. can expect to pay