Change on model missing 11-year-damaged-down Audrii Cunningham

Good afternoon uh my name is Lieutenant Craig Cummings Texas Department of Public Safety um today we're here to provide some updates on the search for 11-year-old Audrey Cunningham who went missing on Thursday of last week um I'm also joined by pop County Sheriff Byron lions and pop County district attorney Shelley siton um I want to say that.

Investigators are following active leads based on tips that the and evidence that we have gathered the videoos submitted to investigators by the community have been very helpful we're looking for and asking the Public's help for additional video on FM 3126 that shows the highway this video would have been on Thursday February.

15th between 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. so again that's video from FM 31 126 on Thursday February 15th between 6:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. that shows the highway I also want to announce the Pope County crimes Stoppers reward has been increased to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the person responsible for Audrey's.

Disappearance we are asking the public based on the evidence that we have been getting right now to stay away from Scenic Loop fm3277 unless have a need to be there that is a potential point of interest in this investigation we've had a lot of people driving down there um please stay away let the investigators do what they.

Are doing and our volunteers that they are doing so that we can bring Audrey home well also want to say that we're thankful for the pokee County District Attorney's office for their continued legal advice as they provide that to investigators in this continued search for Audrey um investigators have given.

McDougall who was who was arrested Friday on an unrelated charge um several opportunities to cooperate and we remain hopeful that he will begin helping in this case now we also want to address some rumors um that have been circulating McDougall is not required to register as a sex offender uh we would referee to.

The various counties that prosecuted McDougall for inquiries regarding his criminal history um and we also want to say that McDougall resides in a camper behind the residence where Audrey lives with her father grandparents and other family the family does have a relationship with McDougall and with that I want to turn.

It over to pop County Sheriff Byron lions for some remarks for him before we open it up for questions good afternoon since Au was reported missing uh we have been working with investigators and volunteers uh doing everything we can to bring Audrey home unfortunately uh I've had bronchitis and.

It has impacted my my ability to speak so that is why I want to say first thank you to the Department of Public Safety and to the FBI for assisting me with the social media and uh and in my media briefings I also want to take a moment to thank all the investigators and the volunteers and members of the community who are working to bring Audrey home the.

Outpouring of support from the tips and from the videos and the donations of food and and water has just been inspiring as a community as a county as a state and a nation to search for Audrey has brought out some of the most ex exceptional people that I have come to know I have been in contact with the family and they want everybody to know.

That they thank you and they appreciate all the prayers and how you've kept Hing and them in your hearts and they just ask that you continue to to pray for them and Audrey's being able to bring her home and I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has helped in this case any some questions he was he was uh was supposed.

To be taking her to the dropping off at the bus stop and we do feel at this point that he was the last person who seen Audrey there has there has been information found that there were some occasions that he he did drop her off at the bus stop or even take her to school if she missed the bus's.

Rumors moual moual has not confessed um he has been talking with some of the investigators but at at this point in time he has not confessed why are you asking to stay away you know and that's kind of why one of the reasons that we're asking for the videos we're trying to piece together timeline of where he's been and and uh.

The the travel that he took the roadways that he took so this area is just one that's in in particular that we can say that we know that he was he was in and so we're we're making sure that we do extensive search of those areas but the problem is is that when we have a lot and I know that people are concerned and people want to help but a lot of time.

When we bring too many people into an area it hinders uh our efforts and being able to try to uh to find and locate evidence we feel strongly today that that backpack that was found is a high probability that is going to be Audrey's there's a lot of okay yes we do feel as though we are we are investigating a criminal.

Investigation and at this point in time as we we conduct our investigation we are not leaving out or adding in any just charges we are investigating the evidence as it as if any if we find any and then we'll let that be determined you know once we get all the evidence put together on What charges if any will be.

Filed and be honest with you I I don't know I can't answer that right now because it's in another County I just the only thing that I've been able to find out that it was not something that they were able to uh require him to register for as a sex offender River there have been some occasions.

Where uh on one occasion where we have taken uh McDougall that he agreed to to work with us and has taken us to certain locations no and see one of the things in in our investigation when we conduct investigation we want to make sure that we try to capture a a a good timeline so even if we're looking at a projected.

Time safe it's 7 we still want to go to back up you know 3 4:00 in the morning because we want to know exactly what the individual or suspect or suspects may have been doing up until that point someone asked about water around the house around the house has that area been searched okay that was the first area the on the night that she was.

Reported missing uh volunteers came together with law enforcement that was the first area the subdivision search no no no me take that 6 645 6:45 is the as the is when we felt like she went missing do I'm hoping and praying that she's still alive I am not giving up hope that.

We'll be able to bring Audrey home so yes I am hoping that she yet is still alive and we're going to work just as hard to make sure that we do everything that we can to try to bring her home sheriff is there any other person of interest in this case okay we got a couple questions at a time right here I when you say is he being.

Cooperative I think that Mr moule he is what what he's doing um on occasions he will and I I use that were cooperate um lightly but he is somewhat you know working and talking with the investigators but um we are very cautious on the information that we are he's giving are you guys a to interest in this Cas we I will say this that.

There are at this point Mr moual is our main person of of interest but we are not ruling out anyone else who may be or involved or may not be involved we we are not just honing in on just just this one individual we're making sure that we're covering all stones and you anticipate charges being filed in connection to this case anytime soon I.

Anticipate that if the evidence presents itself that proves that uh Mr mougle has committed an offense or crime that charges will be filed in him poke Alle so in and speaking with the uh the Rangers we're just asking them hey take us to where uh in any place that you think or where you may have been and so he's he has done that on one.

Occasion okay and and kind of like I addressed in um in my in my opening statement is that I am so grateful for those who have came out and volunteered raised their hands to want to participate um and yes the volunteers have been great and have been very valuable to us us but one of the things that we have to do is that we have to.

Limit and we have to make sure that we we don't overdo it because remember we are yet still while we try to bring ay home we are yet still making sure that if there's evidence or if there's anything that we need to to capture or anything that we need to be able to to retain we want to make sure that we don't have so many people that we damage.

Or destroy evidence at the time so the way we are today we had had the volunteers meeting over at uh Tiger ville's Park and then as we needed them we would send an officer over to get those folks and then take them into an arrogant to help search at this time right now we we we don't want to share locations that he's.

Taken us to other than to say that there are multiple places of interest that we have gone to and have made searches and and I'm sure for to this day is out we'll be searching other locations and really when it comes down to it I wasn't it wasn't there with those officers and so I can't answer to exactly what was just said other than.

These are just places that he uh instructed them to Goa he dropped off at the school bus NOC is that where the backpack was found or other items were found the only thing at this point in time right now that that I can speak to for sure is going to be that backpack so do you think he's given you false leads you know and.

That's the thing is that we have to just continue to work all the leads that he's he's presenting to us um whether or not they're false or not it it depends upon how we how it works out and how the investigators are able to put those pieces together are you guys able to with C records maybe like we are able we are working with every.

Every tool made available to us whether it be cell phone whether it be video which has been an awesome tool for us we are using every tool made available us to try to piece together of a window or a a a picture of where he may have gone I'm sorry repeat that at this time right now has not acknowledged that whether or not she's.

Made it that whether or not he dropped her off or she made it to the bus stop or not has he admitted to leaving the house uh yes it's off of the scenic loop it's the um well let me say this I it's in the cnic loop area there near Tigers Ville Park if I say on National Television Vision don't go to this specific.

Location kind of defeating my purpose but I I I am saying that there are officers that that's in the area who are at instructing people or directing people away from those areas please work with those officers if if they ask you to turn around or they ask you to go into another location while they they search those areas Sher mentioned.

That what else do you need charge well our thing is and and the district attorney here one of the things that we must do is that we must not jump to conclusions the we want to make sure that we take all the evidence that we have collected yes he may have been the last person with her and yes she is.

Missing at this time but we want to make for sure that whatever evidence that we collect and that we we place on an affidavit today is going to be something that's going to hold up in the court later um it does us no good to prematurely charge him now and then 3 four months from now it get tossed out of court because we were moving too fast.

So I ask you please understand as we work carefully through this because Audrey deserves this she deserves us taking our time she deserves us making sure that we do it right she deserves to have her voice to be heard and I want to make for sure that we do that and we do it the right way Sher one of the te is called.

One of the cell phone techniques is called Geo are GE I will say this um we are using every tool made available to us to be able to work cell phones and videos uh and video to be able to try to track his his movements that morning eliminated there have been other.

Persons that we have certainly have have looked at and that this point in time we're not ruling anyone out you know at this point we are still it's an active investigation and everybody's going to be looked at everybody's going to be maintained until we can definitely say for sure either you are or you're not a party to this investigation what.

The the details I I I what I can go to in on that was it was an aurated assault that took place um U August I believe and that in that investigation there were some um in during that investigation there was some circumstances that took place that would not allow us to be able to arrest him at that time and he would not cooperate.

Would not uh basically lawyered up would not talk with the investigators but on um I think Saturday Friday night whichever night he was arrested he did make the statement to the to that that offense which at that point in time he was arrested for the off it was he aggravated assault he assaulted another.

Individual male feale male we have we have heard those same things and we've been told that there is an affiliation with Aaron Brotherhood those are some things that we will come back after we are able to get Audrey located and we will we will tie those things down to prove whether or not he's Affiliated or.

Not those things have been done yes ma'am two more questions yes very much so Rel and and for this for this to be our last question um to answer your question is that basically the way it was explained.

To us is that he was a friend of the family A friend of the father and he was allowed to live there in a trailer behind the house and he he was a friend of the families um and and basically that's why he was there allowed to live there uh appreciate what everyone has done I appreciate your you're helping us get.

Audrey story out there and thank you so much for your diligence in this and I ask you as you continue to work with us and allow us to tell Audrey's story allow us to work this investigation properly and understand when it doesn't go or doesn't appear to go the way that you feel it should trust us that we getting it done and we're trying our.

Best to do it the right way thank you I appreciate it your service and your officer service thank you

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