POLK COUNTY, Texas — It was the news that no one wanted to hear even as hope for a happy ending faded. Six days after 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham vanished in Polk County, divers found her body in the Trinity River under US 59.
Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons choked up at a news conference where he confirmed that Audrii's body had been recovered.
The little girl was last seen on Thursday, Feb. 15, at her home in Livingston, about 75 miles northeast of Houston.
Don Steven McDougal, a friend of the father's who lived in a camper behind the family's home, has been charged with capital murder in Audrii's death, Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton said. He is being held without bond.
Audrii's mysterious disappearance and the extensive search for her made national headlines.
Here's a timeline of the investigation.
Thursday, Feb. 15:
AMBER Alert for Audrii Cunningham issued
A statewide AMBER Alert was issued for Audrii by the Polk County Sheriff's Office on Thursday night. It said Audrii was last seen at 7 a.m. that morning in the 100 block of Lakeside Drive in Livingston.
Her family reported her missing after she didn't get off the school bus that afternoon. Investigators learned that Audrii never got on the bus Thursday morning and also didn't go to school.
Law enforcement and volunteers searched the water near her father's home where Audrii was last seen.
Audrii's mother, Casey Matthews, later said that police also searched the woodline behind that house on Thursday because it leads to a state park. Audrii liked to explore the woods and look at the animals, Matthews said.
"Law enforcement officials believe this child to be in grave or immediate danger," the AMBER alert said.
Lyons later told CNN that McDougal pretended to help with the search.
“Some of the witnesses have even said that he was in the community and knocking on doors (Thursday) … asking have they seen her,” Lyons said.
But the sheriff said he believes McDougal’s effort was an act.
“To me, it simply tells me is that he’s trying to give the appearances that … he’s not at fault in her disappearance and that (he’s) part of the concerned parties who were trying to locate her.”
Friday, Feb. 16:
Search continues after child's backpack found
On Friday, an area near the south end of Lake Livingston was the focal point of the search based on new leads.
"That's the reason why we have the dogs here. That's the reason why the boats have been here. All this in an effort to find Audrii," Lt. Craig Cummings said.
We later learned that a wet backpack believed to be Audrii's was found near the Lake Livingston dam, according to Texas DPS.
Audrii's mother told us the search expanded to the dam because the man who was supposed to drop Audrii off at the school bus told investigators that he went there afterward. We later learned that the man was McDougal.
“I know there’s a lot of information that’s out on social media on this, but I don’t want to speculate," Cummings said. "I don’t want to go into that, that’s the role of our investigators right now, and I can tell you they all have their heart and souls into bringing Audrii home right now, and I want to protect the efforts they’re doing right now to solve this case.”
The FBI joined the investigation on Friday.
Late Friday
McDougal arrested on unrelated charges
McDougal was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail on Friday night on an unrelated charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
According to court documents, McDougal stabbed a man in the back last August. McDougal and a woman the victim knew came to his home to ask for help and claimed his car battery was dead. The victim was jumping the car when McDougal stabbed him from behind, according to court records.
After Audrii went missing, the victim recognized McDougal as his alleged attacker and contacted the Polk County Sheriff's Office. They charged him and locked him up in jail while the search for Audrii continued.
The victim's attorney wants to know why McDougal wasn't charged with assaulting his client sooner.
"They could have gotten Steven McDougal off the streets and probably prevented what we're going through now," David Feldman said. "And so that's his [client's] mindset. He's absolutely emotionally devastated, feels extremely, you know, really, really bad for the family and just doesn't really want to take the attention away from Audrii Cunningham."
“Some of the witnesses have even said that he was in the community and knocking on doors (Thursday) … asking have they seen her,” Lyons told CNN.
But the sheriff said he believes McDougal’s effort was an act.
“To me, it simply tells me is that he’s trying to give the appearances that … he’s not at fault in her disappearance and that (he’s) part of the concerned parties who were trying to locate her.”
Saturday, Feb. 17
McDougal identified as 'main person of interest' in Audrii's disappearance
On Saturday, the Texas Department of Public Safety identified McDougal, 42, as their main person of interest in Audrii's disappearance.
His vehicle, a dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban, was identified as a "vehicle of interest" in the search.
Records show McDougal has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2001. In 2007, he was convicted of enticing a minor with intent out of Brazoria County.
The Polk County sheriff later said McDougal wasn't required to register as a sex offender despite the charge.
RELATED: Here's what we know about person of interest Don Steven McDougal in missing Audrii Cunningham case
Audrii's mom pleads for help finding her
Audrii's mom couldn't hold back tears when she spoke to KHOU 11 News about her missing daughter. She described Audrii as "smart, fun and caring."
"She has so many opportunities ahead of her and deserves every right to reach those opportunities," Matthews said. "She should be at home where we know she's safe, and she's warm, and she's fed, and she should be with her little brother. She should be doing what Audrii does -- smiling, laughing, making everybody else smile and laugh."
She pleaded for help finding Audrii.
"I’m not going to be the same unless my baby is returned to me and neither is her family," she said.
Sunday, Feb. 18
Prayers for Audrii's safe return
Ray Epps and his team at the VFW Post in Polk County held a private prayer vigil Sunday to provide comfort for family members and the community.
"You got to have faith in the good Lord and the more we pray, the more he hears," Epps said.
He'd known Audrii since she was a small child.
"She used to come in with her uncle, help him out on dance nights and she was just full of life," Epps said. "This is something that hit all our hearts because we knew the girl, we know some of her family and it just devastates us to see and hear something like this has happened."
Audrii's uncle asks everyone to stop spreading rumors
Chris Boothe, the missing child's uncle, addressed all of the speculation that had spread on social media since Audri's disappearance.
"I realize that everybody's talking a bunch of stuff on Facebook and stuff like that, I'm going to ask that if you don't know anything don't say anything," Boothe said. "All you're doing is hurting the family."
Monday, Feb. 19
Who is Don Steven McDougal?
Investigators confirmed many of the rumors surrounding Audrii's disappearance at a news conference on Monday.
The sheriff said McDougal was likely the last person to see Audrii and he'd admitted to leaving the house with her.
“I use that word 'cooperating' lightly – but he is somewhat working and talking with investigators," Lyons said. "But we are very cautious on the information that we’re, he’s giving."
Cummings said McDougal lived in a camper behind the home where Audrii lived with her father and grandparents. Cummings said McDougal had a relationship with the family.
McDougal's rap sheet dates back to 2001 and he's been charged in multiple counties ranging from assault of a public servant to theft to drug possession.
Records show that McDougal served two years in prison in Huntsville between September 2020 and September 2022.
Lyons also confirmed that they were looking into reports that McDougal was linked to the Aryan Brotherhood.
Tuesday, Feb. 20
Body of Audrii Cunningham found
Shortly after investigators said an area near the Trinity River and US 59 was now a crime scene, they called a news conference to announce that Audrii had been found.
Sheriff Lyons said they narrowed down the search area through cell phone analysis, video evidence and information from McDougal.
"Thank goodness and by the grace of God, one of those places of interest we were able to locate Audrii," he said.
An autopsy will be done to determine Audrii's cause of death.
As of Tuesday night, authorities said McDougal had not confessed to killing Audrii.
Wednesday, Feb. 21
Capital murder charges were filed against McDougal and bond was denied.
Thursday, Feb. 22
An autopsy showed Audrii died from blunt force trauma to the head, according to the Harris County medical examiner's office.