LIVINGSTON, Texas – Six months before Steven McDougal was charged with capital murder in 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham’s death, court documents show he was accused of stabbing a man in Livingston. Attorney David Feldman represents the victim. He said it all started in August when a woman knocked on his client’s door.
“She said that her car was broken down and she needed some help. As he approaches the vehicle, he’s ambushed and stabbed. He was stabbed in the back three times,” said Feldman.
Court records show the accused attacker was identified as Steven McDougal.
McDougal was not arrested. According to Feldman, his client informed the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on more than one occasion, beginning in September of 2023, that Mr. McDougal was the person who stabbed him on August 19, 2023.
Feldman said his client notified authorities last week when he saw McDougal was named a person of interest in Audrii’s disappearance.
According to Feldman, McDougal was charged a few hours later for the August stabbing. Investigators tell KPRC 2 McDougal confessed to the August stabbing while he was being questioned about Audrii’s disappearance.
Since then, more victims and witnesses in McDougal’s accused crimes have come forward.
Katelyn Bolin told KPRC 2 Reporter Corley Peel her friendship with Steven McDougal ended in 2019. Court records show McDougal beat her ex-boyfriend on the head with a metal pipe.
“He asked us for a ride. He said that he was going to give us gas money and that he needed us to take him to a friend’s house because he had to go to work or something the next day,” said Bolin.
Bolin was in the car when McDougal asked her ex-boyfriend to pull over at a remote location near County Road 460 and 1409 near Dayton.
“When we got out there, he started getting a little weird. He was like, all right, just pull up to this little driveway right here. Well, the driveway had no house at the end of it,” said Bolin.
She said they got out of the car.
“When I stepped out of the vehicle. I turned to look to my left, and all I could see was a metal pipe fly up in the air and slap Tyler in the head, and all I heard was Tyler screaming, stop, stop!” said Bolin.
Bolin called 911 after she found her phone where she says McDougal hid it, lodged in the back seat.
“I was on the phone with the cops. Steven got off of Tyler and he came towards me and he said, Katelyn, hang up the phone. I said no, I’m not hanging up the phone. They know your name. They know where I’m at. They’re on the way. You’re going to go to jail,” said Bolin.
McDougal ran off into the woods. Bolin said he stole someone’s car before police tracked him down. She said it’s unclear what McDougal’s motive was that night.
Corley asked Bolin why she chose to speak out following Audrii’s tragic death.
“You have to watch who you bring your children around, you have to watch who you associate yourself with because they can act like your best friend to your face and be all nice to you. But the minute, no one’s around, they can flip a script in their head. It’s crazy how you think you know someone and then you don’t know them at all,” said Bolin.
McDougal is being held without bond in the Polk County Jail for his capital murder charge.