A Texas man has voiced regret over not having used deadly force against Don McDougal, now the person of interest in the disappearance of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham. Elic Bryan III, who once worked with McDougal and narrowly escaped an attack by him, said he should have shot the 42-year-old with a violent criminal past. Audrii was last seen with McDougal, leading authorities to intensify their search efforts amid fears of foul play.
McDougal, who is currently detained in Polk County Jail on unrelated charges, has a worrying history of criminal convictions. In a chilling recollection of the night he was attacked, Bryan described the terrifying incident to FOX 26, explaining how McDougal turned from a seemingly 'all-right guy' to a violent aggressor. "He got drunk one night. We threw him out of the house, and he came back with a knife, slashed tires, tried to stab me with the knife," Bryan said.
In a statement that resonates with the urgency and despair enveloping Audrii's disappearance, Bryan expressed a pointed wish. "I wish I would have shot him, to be honest with you. That's my one regret," Bryan told The New York Post.
Bryan's understanding of loss is intimate and deeply personal. Having lost his daughter to cancer at the tender age of seven, he confided, "So, I know how it is and this right here is even worse because there's no closure."
McDougal, known to be a family friend of the Cunninghams, had been living on their property in a trailer, as confirmed by Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons. His recent movements have drawn the attention of officials as he reportedly was supposed to take Audrii to the bus stop on the morning of her disappearance, but the girl never arrived. His involvement in leading authorities to various locations near Lake Livingston and Trinity River remains shaded with uncertainty, as the officials have yet to disclose the details of the "information" McDougal provided.
