Audrii Cunningham, an 11-year-old girl from Livingston, Texas went missing on her way to school. A small backpack that likely belonged to a child was found near the Lake Livingston Dam.
The suspect in Audrii's death and disappearance is Don Steven McDougal, a family friend who was entrusted with dropping her at the school bus stop.
On February 19th, Audrii Cunningham, an 11-year-old girl from Livingston, Texas went missing on her way to school. A small backpack that likely belonged to a child was found near the Lake Livingston Dam. The suspect in Audrii's death and disappearance is Don Steven McDougal, a family friend who was entrusted with dropping her at the school bus stop.
It is not clear if there were any witnesses or surveillance footage that could have helped identify who was with Audrii on the day of her disappearance.
The suspect in Audrii's death and disappearance is a family friend who was entrusted with dropping her at a school bus stop.
Accuracy
Audrii Cunningham had been taken to the medical examiner's office and officials were awaiting information on her cause of death.
The suspect in the death and disappearance of Audrii Cunningham is a family friend who was entrusted with dropping her at a school bus stop the day she vanished
Audrii’s body was found in the Trinity River, downstream from the reservoir near where the backpack was found and one of several locations McDougal told investigators he had gone around the time of her disappearance
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Audrii Cunningham's body was found at the Trinity River under US Highway 59. However, this information is not supported by any evidence presented in the article and it appears to be a speculation based on unconfirmed sources.
The statement 'Audrii Cunningham's body was found at the Trinity River under US Highway 59,' is not supported by any evidence presented in the article.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the statements of law enforcement officials without providing any evidence or context for their claims. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma by presenting only two options: either Audrii was killed or she ran away on her own accord.
Bias
(85%)
The author of the article is not biased. However, there are examples of religious bias in the text.
> Audrii Cunningham was found dead in a river under US Highway 59.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author Rosa Flores, Sara Weisfeldt and Holly Yan have conflicts of interest on the topics Audrii Cunningham and Shelly Sitton. The article does not disclose these conflicts.
Audrii Cunningham is a person of interest in an unrelated felony charge.
The suspect in the death and disappearance of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham is a family friend who was entrusted with dropping her at a school bus stop the day she vanished
Audrii's body was found in the Trinity River, downstream from the reservoir near where the backpack was found and one of several locations McDougal told investigators he had gone around the time of her disappearance
Accuracy
The suspect in the death and disappearance of Audrii Cunningham is a family friend who was entrusted with dropping her at a school bus stop the day she vanished
Deception
(90%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Audrii Cunningham's family believed Don Steven McDougal was just taking her down the street when she left home on Thursday morning. However, this contradicts information provided by Polk County officials who stated that they had been searching for Audrii since Wednesday and found a bag resembling her backpack near a local dam. Secondly, the author quotes Sheriff Byron Lyons stating that McDougal has not been forthcoming with his actions on the day of Audrii's disappearance. However, this contradicts information provided by CNN which states that McDougal had already been arrested for unrelated aggravated assault charges and was in custody at the time of Audrii's disappearance. Thirdly, the author quotes Sheriff Lyons stating that he believes McDougal's efforts to knock on neighborhood doors were not genuine. However, this contradicts information provided by CNN which states that McDougal had already been seen searching for Audrii and was actively involved in the search effort.
The author quotes Sheriff Lyons stating that he believes McDougal's efforts to knock on neighborhood doors were not genuine. However, this contradicts information provided by CNN which states that McDougal had already been seen searching for Audrii and was actively involved in the search effort.
The author quotes Sheriff Byron Lyons stating that McDougal has not been forthcoming with his actions on the day of Audrii's disappearance. However, this contradicts information provided by CNN which states that McDougal had already been arrested for unrelated aggravated assault charges and was in custody at the time of Audrii's disappearance.
The author claims that Audrii Cunningham's family believed Don Steven McDougal was just taking her down the street when she left home on Thursday morning. However, this contradicts information provided by Polk County officials who stated that they had been searching for Audrii since Wednesday and found a bag resembling her backpack near a local dam.
Fallacies
(80%)
The article contains an example of a false dilemma fallacy. The author presents the situation as if there are only two options: either Audrii Cunningham was taken by her friend Don Steven McDougal or she ran away on her own. However, it is possible that other factors may have contributed to her disappearance.
Audrii's family believed the suspect, Don Steven McDougal, was just taking the girl down the street when the pair left her home Thursday morning,
Bias
(85%)
The author has a clear bias towards the suspect in this case. They repeatedly use phrases such as 'the suspect' and 'McDougal', which implies that they are presenting him as the main person of interest in Audrii Cunningham's disappearance. The author also uses quotes from McDougal to present his version of events, even though he has been arrested on unrelated charges and there is no evidence linking him directly to Audrii's death. Additionally, the author presents information about McDougal's criminal history as a way to discredit him without providing any context or explanation for why this information is relevant to the case at hand.
Audrii's family believed McDougal was just taking the girl down the street when they left home Thursday morning
McDougal, who has been entrusted with dropping her at a school bus stop
The suspect in the death and disappearance of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
There are multiple examples of conflicts of interest in this article. The author has a personal relationship with the suspect and is therefore likely to be biased towards him.
The article mentions that Elizabeth Wolfe interviewed Audrii Cunningham's family friend who was arrested for her death, indicating a personal connection between them.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Elizabeth Wolfe has a conflict of interest on the following topics: Audrii Cunningham and Don Steven McDougal. She is friends with Sheriff Byron Lyons who was involved in the investigation into missing person case involving Audrii Cunningham.
A small backpack that likely belonged to a child was located near the Lake Livingston Dam.
Accuracy
Audrii Cunningham was last seen near her home on Lakeside Drive in Polk County.
The body of Audrii Cunningham had been taken to the medical examiner's office and officials were awaiting information on her cause of death.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Audrii Cunningham never made it onto the school bus and was last seen near her home on Lakeside Drive in Polk County. However, this contradicts information provided by the Polk County Sheriff's Office which stated that Audrii was picked up by a school bus at her neighborhood bus stop. Secondly, the article states that McDougal has not been charged in Audrii's disappearance and is only being questioned as a person of interest. However, this contradicts information provided by Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons who stated that McDougal was arrested Friday in an unrelated aggravated assault case and is currently under investigation for his role in Audrii's disappearance. Lastly, the article states that authorities believe McDougal was the last person to see Audrii before she vanished and that his dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban may have been involved in her disappearance. However, this contradicts information provided by Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons who stated that there is no evidence linking McDougal's vehicle to Audrii's disappearance.
The article states that Audrii Cunningham never made it onto the school bus and was last seen near her home on Lakeside Drive in Polk County. However, this contradicts information provided by the Polk County Sheriff's Office which stated that Audrii was picked up by a school bus at her neighborhood bus stop.
The article states that authorities believe McDougal was the last person to see Audrii before she vanished and that his dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban may have been involved in her disappearance. However, this contradicts information provided by Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons who stated that there is no evidence linking McDougal's vehicle to Audrii's disappearance.
The article states that McDougal has not been charged in Audrii's disappearance and is only being questioned as a person of interest. However, this contradicts information provided by Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons who stated that McDougal was arrested Friday in an unrelated aggravated assault case and is currently under investigation for his role in Audrii's disappearance.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the sheriff believes McDougal is their number one person of interest without providing any evidence or reasoning for this belief.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that Audrii Cunningham was last seen near her home on Lakeside Drive in Polk County. This is an example of the author using direct quotations from sources to create a narrative about the case. The author also uses language like 'some witnesses have even said' and 'audience has reported missing' which creates a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity around Audrii Cunninghams disappearance.
Audrii was last seen near her home on Lakeside Drive in Polk County.
