Audrii Cunningham, Don Steven McDougal mugshot.Photo:Polk County Sheriff’s Office; Montgomery County Jail
Polk County Sheriff’s Office; Montgomery County Jail
McDougal, 42, wascharged with capital murderlast Wednesday after Audrii’s body was found in the Trinity River a day prior, the sheriff’s office confirmed with PEOPLE last week.
“Where’s your clothes? Hold on!” a deputy can be heard saying on body cam footage.
“I ain’t got no clothes,” McDougal replies, seemingly smiling about what was transpiring.
“Come on, man, don’t disrespect me like that,” the deputy replies, instructing him to cover himself back up with the blanket.
McDougal then wraps the blanket around his waist, walks out of the cell and over to an arraignment officer who reads him his Miranda rights and asks him if he would like a court-appointed lawyer or to hire his own.
“I’ll get an attorney,” McDougal tells the arraignment officer before he returns to his cell.
Audrii Cunningham.Polk County Sheriff’s Office
Polk County Sheriff’s Office
McDougal had already been in custody on an unrelated assault charge when authorities also charged him with murder in connection with Audrii’s death last week.
Records showed that McDougal was previously sentenced to two years in prison on two counts of enticement of a child. His previous victim, Carissa Davis, was 10 years old when he attempted to sexually assault her in 2007.
Davistold ABC13last week that McDougal had “tried to take down my pants” at a family gathering before she hit him and escaped. She believes McDougal should’ve faced a more severe punishment for the 2007 crime. “I think Brazoria County definitely failed me and failed Audrii and possibly more,” she said.
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McDougal was living in a trailer on Audrii’s family’s property and was oftentasked to take care of heror bring her to school, authorities said previously.
Audrii’s familysaid in a statementthat they didn’t know the full details of McDougal’s prior conviction but knew he was formerly incarcerated. Hoping to give him a second chance, the family said they allowed him to stay on the property “to start a new life.”
“Had we been aware of what we know now, this man would never have set foot on our property, much less been a part of our little girl’s life,” they said, adding that “the system failed us due to a loophole in the sex offender registration system.”
“No matter where she went or who she met, she just made them light up,” Audrii’s aunt, Brenda Cedars, said at a vigil for her niece on Wednesday, according toCNN. “She could always make you laugh, no matter what kind of mood you were in. It just isn’t fair that we all got robbed of that.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
