Current:Home > reviewsDon Steven McDougal indicted in murder, attempted kidnapping of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham -Financium
Don Steven McDougal indicted in murder, attempted kidnapping of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham
View
Date:2025-04-13 12:23:32
A Texas grand jury indicted Don Steven McDougal on two 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.
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. DevS. Dev is a news editor for CBSNews.com.
veryGood! (616)
Related
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- U.S., U.K. launch new round of joint strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen
- Celine Dion makes rare appearance at Grammys after stiff-person syndrome diagnosis, presenting award to Taylor Swift
- U.S. Biathlon orders audit of athlete welfare and safety following AP report on sexual harassment
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Snapchat parent company to lay off 10% of workforce in latest job cuts to hit tech industry
- South Dakota man charged with murder for allegedly running down chief deputy during police chase
- How are atmospheric rivers affected by climate change?
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- A famous climate scientist is in court, with big stakes for attacks on science
Ranking
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- McDonald’s franchisee agrees to pay $4.4M after manager sexually assaulted teen
- Imprisoned mom wins early release but same relief blocked for some other domestic violence survivors
- When is Super Bowl halftime show? Here's when you should expect to tune in to watch Usher
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Sheryl Swoopes' incorrect digs at Caitlin Clark an example of old-fashioned player hatin'
- Washington carjacking crime spree claims life of former Trump official
- Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce at Super Bowl Opening Night: Taylor Swift is 'unbelievable'
Recommendation
'Most Whopper
California power outage map: Over 100,000 customers remain without power Tuesday as storm batters state
Senegal's President Macky Sall postpones national election indefinitely
Man with samurai sword making threats arrested in Walmart, police say
Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
Everyone hopes the Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl won’t come down to an officiating call
Donald Trump deploys his oft-used playbook against women who bother him. For now, it’s Nikki Haley
Namibian President Hage Geingob, anti-apartheid activist turned statesman, dies at age 82