McDougal was seen at an auto shop near Highway 59 in Livingston when Audrii Cunningham went missing.
Court documents revealed on Wednesday that Audrii Cunningham's 11-year-old neighbor has been charged with capital murder after her body was found in a Trinity River in Texas on Tuesday, US media reported.
Audrii Cunningham disappeared on February 15 while leaving her home with her family friend Don Steven McDougal in Livingston, who lived behind her house in a trailer.
McDougal was arrested when police began an investigation into the case. He has been held without bail since Friday.
The criminal report said: “Video footage and mobile phone data place McDougal at three locations of interest, including along the Trinity River.”
Authorities have not yet revealed the cause of his death.
A crime scene was declared around an area of US-59 and the Trinity River Bridge.
Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons testified Tuesday that McDougal admitted he left the house with Audrii in the morning when she disappeared, but would not reveal what happened after that.
“We believe there is sufficient evidence,” Lyons said.
His body was tied with a large rock and the rope used matched that seen on McDougal's vehicle in a traffic stop two days earlier.
McDougal was a friend of Audrii's father and sometimes took her to take the school bus, according to the sheriff.
ABC13 He also revealed that McDougal was seen at an auto shop near Highway 59 in Livingston when Audrii disappeared.
McDougal agreed to take investigators to several locations after her disappearance, including the Livingston Dam, where officials discovered what they believe is the girl's wet backpack, Lyons said.
Water levels were lowered to help divers locate the 11-year-old boy's body. The authorities, however, did not reveal the condition of his body, which was sent for a medical examination.
A ABC13 The report noted Tuesday that the suspect was charged with attempted indecency with a child about 17 years ago in Brazoria County, which would have required him to register as a sex offender. However, he pleaded guilty to child enticement in 2008. The charge does not require sex offender registration.
