Athena Strand, 7, was found dead after she was abducted from outside her home in Wise County, Texas, authorities said. Facebook family photo
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Athena Strand
A FedEx contract driver has been arrested and charged with kidnapping and killing 7-year-old Athena Strand, authorities announced Friday night. Click the arrow below to read more about this developing story.
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FedEx driver Tanner Horner is believed to have kidnapped and killed 7-year-old Athena Strand as a “crime of opportunity” while delivering a package outside her home this week, Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said .
While Athena’s cause of death has not been determined, “we believe she died at his hand,” Akin said in an exclusive interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It does not appear the child was hit by the FedEx truck, he said.
Full autopsy results from the medical examiner’s office could take a couple of weeks, the sheriff said. Investigators believe Athena died within an hour of her abduction.
Asked about Horner’s motive for kidnapping the girl, Akin said, “To me, it’s a crime of opportunity.” Authorities said Horner did not know Athena or her family.
Athena had been missing for about 48 hours when her body was found on the banks of the Trinity River near Boyd on Friday evening. Horner confessed to the crime and told authorities where to find his body, the sheriff said.
Akin said he expects no further updates Saturday on the investigation, which is nearly complete. Law enforcement is working to turn the case over to prosecutors to formally file charges.
Horner is expected to be charged by the state of Texas with capital murder of a person under the age of 10 and aggravated kidnapping. He is not expected to face federal charges, although the FBI provided valuable assistance in the investigation, Akin said.
Tanner Horner, 31, faces charges of capital murder of a person under 10 and aggravated kidnapping in the death of Athena Strand, whose body was found on Dec. 2, 2022, in Wise County, Texas. The Wise County Jail
Investigators have had discussions with the district attorney’s office about seeking the death penalty in this case, the sheriff said.
Horner, 31, is from Fort Worth. He does not appear to have a prior criminal record in Tarrant or Wise counties. He remained in the Wise County Jail Saturday with bail set at $1.5 million. It is unclear if he has an attorney.
FedEx issued a statement late Friday, saying, “Words cannot describe our shock and grief at the reports surrounding this tragic event. First, our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time, and we continue to fully cooperating with investigating authorities. At this time, any further questions should be directed to law enforcement.”
This story was originally published on December 3, 2022 at 11:30 am.
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