An 11-year-old Texas girl who was allegedly killed by a family friend with a history of violence was remembered Saturday during a Rosary service at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Livingston, Texas.
Audrii Cunningham was a “precious, gentle, kind, loving, smiling, animal lover,” said Father Paul Kahan during the service.
Kahan said he has no answers for what happened to the child, and exhorted the more than 100 mourners to remember her.
“Keep her memory alive by making sure that no family will ever go through what we are going through now,” Kahan said. “The safety and the well-being of our children is our highest priority.”
Prosecutors have said the girl was killed by family friend Don McDougal, who was supposed to take her to a school bus stop when she disappeared Feb. 15. Her body was found Feb. 20 in a river near Houston.
McDougal has been charged with capital murder. His attorney did not return a phone call for comment on Saturday.
Audrii’s family and others in the community say they want answers about how McDougal was allowed to remain free despite a long criminal history of violence.
McDougal was accused decades ago of indecency with a child by climbing into another Texas girl’s bed and attempting to undress her.
That case was pleaded down to a lesser charge of enticing a minor, allowing him to remain off the state sex offender registry, according to Brazoria County documents.
Last year, McDougal was accused of stabbing a man, but authorities said they didn’t have enough evidence at the time to arrest him on a charge of aggravated assault.
Jasper National Park officials in an update said all critical infrastructure in the townsite has been 'successfully protected, including the hospital, emergency services building, both elementary and junior/senior schools, activity centre and wastewater treatment plant.'
The Canadian Olympic Committee has removed women's national soccer team head coach Bev Priestman over a drone scandal, according to a press release from the organization.
A woman in Yukon believes her hair clip helped save her during a bear attack.
Newly released financial reports show that William, the Prince of Wales, drew a salary of $42.1 million last fiscal year, his first since inheriting the vast and lucrative Duchy of Cornwall.
On Wednesday night, the owner of Maligne Lodge in Jasper, Alta., was shocked to receive a photo of her business engulfed in flames.
The Law Society of British Columbia says a DNA test shows a former judge and Order of Canada recipient accused of falsely claiming to be Cree "most likely" has Indigenous heritage.
Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of another infamous cartel leader, were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden.
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.
A woman in Yukon believes her hair clip helped save her during a bear attack.
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.
It’s been a harrowing 24 hours for people living near Golden, B.C., where officials say an out-of-control wildfire has destroyed homes along with other structures.
On Wednesday night, the owner of Maligne Lodge in Jasper, Alta., was shocked to receive a photo of her business engulfed in flames.
A study says Prince Edward Island is the second most overworked province in Canada based on average weekly hours worked, while New Brunswick falls in third.
Politicians came together at the Gordie Howe International Bridge Wednesday afternoon to celebrate its deck connection.
Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of another infamous cartel leader, were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden.
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has once again found himself at the centre of media attention following his recent interview as part of 'Tabloids on Trial,' an ITV documentary on phone hacking and tabloid intrusion.
Carrying backpacks and small children, hundreds of people sleeping on the streets of Paris climbed aboard buses surrounded by armed police Thursday, the latest group of migrants and homeless people to be driven out of the city ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics.
Consumers cannot expect boneless chicken wings to actually be free of bones, a divided Ohio Supreme Court ruled Thursday, rejecting claims by a restaurant patron who suffered serious medical complications from getting a bone stuck in his throat.
Vice President Kamala Harris told Republicans to "bring it on" in what she described as a "fight for our most fundamental freedoms" as she spoke to the American Federation of Teachers on Thursday.
The current official residence for Canada's representative in New York City is 'being readied for sale,' according to a spokesperson from Global Affairs Canada.
Bob Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, will head the UN's Economic and Social Council.
The federal government has reached a $147-million settlement with a First Nation in British Columbia over a dispute about water rights that dates back to the late 1800s.
As more West Nile Virus cases are being reported in North Texas, a 15-year survivor of the severe neuroinvasive form of the virus is sharing his harrowing experience from late August 2009.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization is now recommending one dose of HPV vaccine for children and youth between nine and 20 years old.
Patients who went to Mission Memorial Hospital's emergency department on Tuesday evening were told to go to Abbotsford General or Maple Ridge hospitals, the first time a Vancouver-area acute care facility has turned away patients due to critical staffing shortages.
Already more than a month late getting back, two NASA astronauts will remain at the International Space Station until engineers finish working on problems plaguing their Boeing capsule, officials said Thursday.
More than 97 per cent of Windows sensors are back online, CrowdStrike's CEO George Kurtz said on Thursday, nearly a week after a software update by the cybersecurity firm triggered a global outage.
OpenAI said on Thursday it is selectively rolling out SearchGPT, an artificial intelligence-powered search engine with real time access to the information from the internet.
Jennifer Aniston is criticizing JD Vance for comments he made in his past about women without children.
Ryan Reynolds may be from Vancouver, but the 'Deadpool & Wolverine' star is making no secret of his love for Toronto.
'Skibidi Toilet' is already an internet sensation and now its about to get even more exposure after the YouTube series is being developed for TV and film, according to a report by Variety.
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. say they have agreed to pay $500 million to settle a pair of class-action lawsuits regarding their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme.
Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai says Bell should be embarrassed by the terrible cellphone service the territory has been getting over the last several months.
Walmart Canada said on Thursday it has invested $53 million to increase hourly wages for about 40,000 of its store associates earlier this month.
A Las Vegas woman was living with her parents in 2015 when her dog Gizmo slipped past a faulty gate in the backyard of their home and disappeared. After nine years, they've finally been reunited.
A study says Prince Edward Island is the second most overworked province in Canada based on average weekly hours worked, while New Brunswick falls in third.
'Skibidi Toilet' is already an internet sensation and now its about to get even more exposure after the YouTube series is being developed for TV and film, according to a report by Variety.
In the run up to the Paris Olympics, athletes have been stepping up their preparations in order to maintain their edge over competitors. But for Australia’s Matt Dawson, those preparations looked a little different this year, with the field hockey player opting to have part of his finger amputated in order to compete in the Games.
French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla will be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics wearing a cap to cover her hair, an agreement reached with the French Olympic Committee after Sylla said she was barred because of her hijab.
Fewer Canadians are expected to reach the Paris podium than in the previous two Olympic Summer Games, a global data analytics company predicts.
A woman in Waterloo, Ont. is out thousands of dollars for a car crash she wasn’t involved in.
Whether it's for parking, speeding or running a red light, no one likes being issued a traffic ticket, but it’s important to be careful how you pay them.
One of Oscar Mayer's hot dog-shaped Wienermobiles ended up flipped onto its side after crashing on a suburban Chicago highway, police said.
A Saskatchewan-born veteran of the Second World War was recently presented with France's highest national order.
A local First Nations elder and veteran is helping to bring the Ojibwe language to a well-known film for the first time.
A cat who fled her Montreal home nearly a decade ago has been reunited with her family after being found in Ottawa.
A woman in Waterloo, Ont. is out thousands of dollars for a car crash she wasn’t involved in.
A swarm of bees living in a lamppost in Winnipeg’s Sage Creek neighbourhood has found a new home for its hive.
Around 100 acres of Manitoba Crown Land near the Saskatchewan border is being returned to the Métis community.
Nova Scotia is suspending the licensed Cape Breton moose hunt for three years due to what the province is calling a “significant drop” in the population.
A well-known childhood prank known as 'nicky nicky nine doors,' or 'ding dong ditch,' has escalated into a more serious game that could lead to charges for some Surrey, B.C. teens.
It's been more than a month since their good friend was seriously hurt in an accident and two teens from Riverview, N.B., are still having a hard time dealing with it.
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.
With cargo ships, tankers, cruise lines and aircraft operations, Burrard Inlet is one of the busiest harbours in the country.
It’s been a harrowing 24 hours for people living near Golden, B.C., where officials say an out-of-control wildfire has destroyed homes along with other structures.
Toronto police have now identified the two victims killed in a quadruple shooting in Scarborough, Ont. early Wednesday morning.
A man has been critically injured in a three-vehicle collision in north Etobicoke.
Durham Regional Police have confirmed new details about a deadly wrong-way crash on Highway 401 which claimed the lives of a baby and his grandparents following a police chase in April.
Nearly 500 evacuees from Jasper have arrived in Calgary with more expected as the wildfire in their community continues to burn out of control.
An air quality advisory was issued for Calgary Thursday, as wildfire smoke engulfed the city.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says the city's reception centre for Jasper wildfire evacuees will remain open for the next 48 hours.
A stretch of Highway 417 through Ottawa is now closed for the replacement of the aging Preston Street overpass. CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what you need to know about the Queensway closure for the replacement of the Preston Street bridge.
The Children's Aid Society of Ottawa (CASO) and striking workers with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) say a youth who was receiving support from the agency has died.
Many people across the country, including in Ottawa, have connections to the popular town of Jasper, Alta., a vacation destination. Some, with family members who evacuated, are watching anxiously from afar.
A tornado overturned a truck and uprooted several trees in Brossard on Montreal's South Shore.
Public consultations have been launched on a draft bylaw in Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard that would prohibit wake boats from Lac Saint-Joseph and neighbouring Lac Sainte-Marie.
In the Town of Mount Royal (TMR), several households have been suffering from persistent flooding following torrential downpours.
Jasper National Park officials in an update said all critical infrastructure in the townsite has been 'successfully protected, including the hospital, emergency services building, both elementary and junior/senior schools, activity centre and wastewater treatment plant.'
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge said Thursday afternoon most of its structures are "standing and intact," including its iconic main lodge.
A long-time Jasper business owner said this summer was his best yet — until his family was forced to close up, pack up and flee the raging wildfire that tore through the town Wednesday.
Police in Rothesay, N.B., say they continue to investigate the deaths of a man and a woman in the town.
New Brunswick-born wrestler Leo Burke has died at the age of 76, his family says.
A 39-year-old man from Sackville, N.B., has been sentenced to seven years in prison following drug trafficking investigations in the southeastern part of the province.
A California traveller made an unscheduled stop in Winnipeg due to the ongoing wildfire in Jasper, Alta.
Winnipeg's cycling community is coming together Thursday night to remember the victim of a fatal hit-and-run last month.
The Canadian Olympic Committee has removed women's national soccer team head coach Bev Priestman over a drone scandal, according to a press release from the organization.
After 17 years, residents of Star Blanket Cree Nation can breathe a sigh of relief when turning on their taps.
An annual report from the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS) shows Regina’s crime rate increased slightly from 2022 to 2023.
Police in Moose Jaw have laid charges following a more than year-long investigation involving firearms trafficking in the city.
A year-long nightmare has ended for a New Hamburg, Ont. couple who were told they couldn't get their truck fixed due to aftermarket hitch.
Police have arrested three males, including a teen, in connection to a home invasion shooting that left multiple people injured.
One month after Steven Lorentz hoisted the Stanley Cup, the Florida Panthers forward brought the trophy to Waterloo Region.
Nurses at Saskatoon's two busiest hospitals are once again sounding the alarm about severe overcapacity concerns in the emergency departments.
A Saskatoon mother says she feels a “little bit better” knowing that police caught her son’s accused killer.
The Government of Saskatchewan announced a $2 million funding package for the province’s food banks on Thursday, in a bid to help low-income families with the high cost of groceries.
An employee operating a piece of equipment in an open pit was killed Wednesday at New Gold's gold mine in Rainy River.
A large object was hauled through Timmins on Thursday morning, a new transformer making its way to the Porcupine Transmission Station.
Jasper National Park officials in an update said all critical infrastructure in the townsite has been 'successfully protected, including the hospital, emergency services building, both elementary and junior/senior schools, activity centre and wastewater treatment plant.'
Oxford County OPP attended the scene of a fatal collision in Zorra Township Thursday.
Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's tour through London Thursday focussed on justice and outrage over safe supply, and the term 'safe supply' itself.
A man is now facing a wide swath of charges following an investigation by London Police Services Human Trafficking Unit. Beginning in April 2019, a woman entered an agreement with a man, employed as a sex worker.
Wasaga Beach's mayor is firing back at unverified claims circulating on social media that people are defecating in the sand at the provincial park.
Four vehicles sustained damage while travelling along Highway 400 in Innisfil Thursday morning after a wheel came loose.
A female youth has been arrested in connection with two armed robberies at a Wasaga Beach gas station.
Lakeshore council and staff are mourning the loss of Ward 2 Coun. Patrick “Paddy” Byrne.
The joy and excitement of welcoming a new baby has been marred for a Belle River mom, who says she’s “disturbed” to learn a doctor looking to profit targeted her newborn.
Chatham-Kent firefighters were called to a working structure fire on Thursday.
Mounties in Nanaimo say they will be on hand to assist during an upcoming community-led search for a young woman who hasn’t been seen in more than 10 months.
An elderly woman who struck and killed a 52-year-old father who was working in a construction zone near Victoria last year will not face criminal charges in the case, authorities announced Thursday.
The B.C. government says wineries can import grapes and juice to make their 2024 vintages after "devastating" losses this winter.
A Kamloops Mountie has been charged with assault and mischief in connection to an incident that occurred last summer, Crown prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Two people are dead after a serious crash that shut down Highway 1 near Sorrento, B.C. Saturday morning.
The number of wildfires in British Columbia has flared as more lightning storms bring the potential for further fire starts.
Statistics Canada has released its crime severity index scores for 2023 and for the first time in three years, Lethbridge saw its score go up.
Lethbridge has been no stranger to extreme heat over the last couple weeks.
To break down barriers, an adaptive water skiing clinic was held for those with mental and physical disabilities on Tuesday evening...
A day before a strike was to begin, Group Health Centre and CUPE Local 894 in Sault Ste. Marie reached a tentative contract Thursday.
An employee operating a piece of equipment in an open pit was killed Wednesday at New Gold's gold mine in Rainy River.
A Sudbury man who works for Laurentian University as an accessibility advisor is headed to compete in the Paris 2024 Paralympics in men's boccia.
Unclaimed bodies are piling up in Newfoundland, and a funeral director says they likely belong to people whose loved ones couldn't get enough government help to pay for a funeral.
The owner of a refinery in Newfoundland has been charged with health and safety violations for a flash explosion at the plant in 2022 that killed a worker and injured seven others.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has sent investigators to Newfoundland to determine what caused a fire aboard a fishing boat that forced the crew to abandon the vessel for a life-raft, leaving them at the mercy of the waves for two days.
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