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Officials announced Tuesday that the body of missing 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham was discovered in the Trinity River in Texas.
Don Steven McDougal, 42, currently in custody for an unrelated matter, will face capital murder charges in connection with her death, stated Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton during a news conference.
Sitton emphasized that a case will be filed "based on all the evidence."
Sheriff Byron Lyons stated that information obtained from the suspect, cellphone data, and social media imagery provided by citizens led authorities to the body located off Highway 59 in the county.
The sheriff noted that a local water authority reduced the water level of the river to aid divers in their search. Cunningham's body is now with a medical examiner, who will determine the exact cause and manner of death.
Officials stated that Cunningham was last seen leaving her home in Polk County on Thursday around 7 a.m. to catch a school bus. However, she did not board the bus or attend school that day, according to Polk County Sheriff’s deputies.
An Amber Alert was issued for the 4-foot-1 child with blonde hair and blue eyes, who was last seen on Thursday wearing black pants, a black hoodie with white lettering, and black tennis shoes.
McDougal was described as "one of the persons of interest" in the case and was taken into custody on Friday on suspicion of aggravated assault in an unrelated incident.
Living in a trailer behind Audrii’s home, McDougal is considered a family friend who occasionally accompanied the girl to the bus stop or to school.
Authorities found a small children’s backpack near the Lake Livingston Dam, not far from the Cunningham family home. The Trinity River flows into the lake.
A $10,000 reward had been offered for any information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the person responsible for Audrii’s disappearance.