What Happened to Audrey Cunningham, the Girl Who Disappeared After Leaving Her Home to Go to School in Texas, and What We Know

(CNN) — The only clue to the disappearance of 11-year-old Audrey Cunningham may be the red “Hello Kitty” backpack she was supposed to take with her to school.

Cunningham disappeared after leaving her home to catch the school bus on the morning of Thursday, February 15, in the small East Texas town of Livingston, about 70 miles northeast of Houston.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported that Audrey never boarded the bus. However, “a small backpack that may have belonged to a minor was located near the Lake Livingston Dam,” the entity said.

A man arrested in an unrelated aggravated assault case is now believed to be “one of the persons of interest involved in the disappearance” of the girl, the sheriff’s office said. According to the sheriff of Polk County, Texas, this man may have participated in the search for the girl on the day she went missing.

However, for now, Cunningham’s whereabouts remain a mystery.

This is what we know about the case so far.

He never came to school that day

Audrey Cunningham was last seen near her home on Lakeside Drive around 7 a.m. Thursday, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said.

According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Agency, the home is near Lake Livingston, “one of the largest bodies of water in the state, with more than 335 square kilometers of surface area.” “The lake is a watershed for the Trinity River, and supplies water to the city of Houston and other cities in East Texas,” the entity added.

According to the sheriff’s office, “Audrey was supposed to catch the school bus at her neighborhood stop. However, school officials informed the sheriff’s office that the school bus did not pick up Audrey, nor did she show up at school.” “.

Audrey’s family reported her missing when she did not return home from school. A search involving multiple agencies, including the Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety, Livingston Police Department, Texas State Guard and several local fire departments, was activated, the sheriff’s office said.

They must have found his backpack

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said this Friday, “a small backpack possibly belonging to a juvenile was located near the Lake Livingston Dam.”

Earlier, authorities said Audrey was carrying a bright red “Hello Kitty” backpack.

However, the investigation “remains active and ongoing,” the sheriff’s office said.

A person of interest participated in the search for the girl. The sheriff believes he did it for “appearance”.

A family friend named by investigators as a person of interest in the disappearance of Audrey Cunningham participated in the search for the girl the day she disappeared, according to the Polk County, Texas, sheriff.

“Some witnesses have also said he was out in the community knocking on doors… asking, ‘Have you seen him?'” Sheriff Byron Lyons told CNN.

Don Steven McDougall was arrested Friday in an unrelated case and has not been charged in connection with Cunningham’s disappearance. The sheriff says McDougal’s involvement in the search gives him no reason to exempt him from investigating Cunningham.

“To me, that just indicates that he’s trying to make it look like she’s not to blame for her disappearance and that’s why he joined the crew that was trying to find her,” Lyons said.

Asked if he believed the search effort incriminated McDougal, Lyons replied: “No. No, I don’t think so. I think he’s, uh, um, our number one person of interest.”

Lyons says McDougal and Audrey left the house toward the bus stop the day she disappeared. McDougal lives in a caravan on property owned by Audrey’s family.

The Sheriff’s Office said the 42-year-old man is “one of the persons of interest involved in the disappearance” and that investigators believe his dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban was involved.

“This is the kind of thing you see on television.”

Audrey Cunningham’s mother, Casey Matthews, said she always feels bad for the parents of missing children she hears about on the news.

“You see this kind of thing on television, and you can only imagine what the family and the parents are going through,” Matthews told CNN affiliate KPRC.

Now, he is one of those parents.

“There’s no words to describe it. There’s not one feeling. It’s a roller coaster. You’re broken, you’re angry, you’re empty. And right now, I’m empty,” Matthews said.

“There are so many opportunities ahead of him, and he deserves every right to be able to achieve them.”

Audrey is white, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He is about 1.2o meters tall and weighs about 34 kilograms, the sheriff’s office said. The girl was last seen wearing black pants, a black hoodie with white lettering and black high-top sneakers.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office immediately at 936-327-6810 or submit an anonymous tip online.

CNN’s Rosa Flores, Chris Boyett and Joe Sutton contributed to this report

This article has been updated