Dec 3 - Fed-Ex Driver Arrested in The Murder of 7-Year-Old Athena Strand

11:25 PM

Athena Strand

FedEx driver is arrested in the kidnapping and k*lling of a 7-year-old girl who went missing outside her home this week, police say

Athena Strand, 7, was found dead Friday near her Texas home after she was kidnapped Wednesday, officials said.

A driver working for FedEx was arrested and charged Friday in the kidnapping and k*lling of a 7-year-old girl who had disappeared from her home's driveway in Texas earlier this week, police said.

Athena Strand's body was recovered Friday evening, Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said at a news conference.

"It hurts our hearts to know that child died," Akin said Friday.

"It's one of the toughest investigations that I've been involved in because it's a child. And anytime there's a child that dies, it just hits you in your heart," he said.

Athena was reported missing Wednesday and authorities launched a search for her across Wise County, located northwest of Fort Worth. Authorities believe the young girl was k*lled within an hour after her kidnapping from her family's driveway, which is about 200 yards from her home.

The suspect, Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, has been charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.

Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, is being held in Wise County jail on capital murder and aggravated kidnapping charges, according to its website. Bond was set at $1.5 million, Akin said. It was unclear whether Horner had an attorney Friday.

Horner, identified by authorities as a contract driver for FedEx, was allegedly making a delivery to Athena's home at the time she disappeared.

Earlier Friday, police say they received a tip that helped investigators determine Horner abducted the child from her driveway.

Strand's mother, Maitlyn Presley Gandy, said her daughter was taken from her by "a sick, cruel monster for absolutely no reason," she wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday morning.

"I cannot describe the pain and absolute anger I feel. Missing her doesn't cover how I feel," Gandy said in the post accompanying a video of Athena, then age 3. "I want the world to know my baby, my first baby, my first true love, the reason I breathe."

"Athena is innocent, beautiful, kind, intelligent, and just the brightest, happiest soul you could ever meet. I don't want her to be the girl known as the one murdered and discarded by a monster," she added. "I want everyone to know, every single person in this world, that this is my baby and my baby was taken from me. I want everyone to know her face and her voice and just how wonderful of a person she is."

Athena will be remembered for so much, like her dream of growing up to be a Viking princess with tattoos just like her dad's, how much she loved her two little sisters, and her love for anything pink, her mother wrote.

Authorities did not indicate a possible motive and said Horner did not know the family or the child, according to Akin.

Athena's cause of death remains under investigation and her body was transferred to the medical examiner's office Friday, Akin said.

Gandy shared another Facebook post dedicated to thanking "the hundreds if not thousands of volunteers" and the authorities who helped look for her daughter.

"As a mother, I know no one is as broken as I am..." she wrote, adding that the official agencies who a*sisted in the investigation "have all cried with me."

"It takes a special kind of person and whether a child is yours or not, working crime scenes involving children are hard," she added. "Thank you for finding my baby. I know everyone wishes this would have ended differently."

In a statement to CNN, FedEx expressed its sympathies and directed further questions to law enforcement.

"Words cannot describe our shock and sorrow at the reports surrounding this tragic event. First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family during this most difficult time, and we continue to cooperate fully with the investigating authorities," the statement reads

FedEx also released this statement on Twitter on Saturday morning:

"Our thoughts are with the family of Athena Strand during this most difficult time. Words cannot describe our shock and sorrow surrounding this tragic event. We continue to cooperate fully with the investigating authorities."

The Suspect

Authorities on Friday arrested Tanner Lynn Horner, a FedEx contract driver, and said he is accused of kidnapping and k*lling a 7-year-old North Texas girl after making a delivery to her home.

Horner, 31, is from Fort Worth. He does not appear to have a prior criminal record in Tarrant or Wise counties.

He was being held Friday night in the Wise County Jail on $1.5 million bond and faces charges of capital murder of a person under 10 years old and aggravated kidnapping in the death of Athena Strand. Athena’s body was found Friday evening, two days after she was reported missing by her stepmother.

The body of 7-year-old Athena Strand has been found, Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said at a press conference on Friday night, and a suspect is in custody.

Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, confessed to police to abducting and k*lling Athena Wednesday afternoon, Akin said. Horner, who was working as a contract FedEx truck driver, had been delivering a package to Athena's family home when she was allegedly abducted.

POS

Original story follows.

* * * * * * * *

Wise County investigators provided a major update to the Athena Strand case on Friday night.

At a press conference in Cottondale, Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin announced that the missing 7-year-old's body was found, deceased, on Friday evening to the southeast of Boyd.

Wise said the girl had been abducted by a contract driver with FedEx.

Watch the press conference in full below:

Police had closed off a stretch of County Road 4599 on Friday evening, just less than 10 miles from Athena's home -- but authorities left the scene after a few hours and re-opened the road.

WFAA spoke with Akin soon afterward, asking him whether anyone had been detained in the investigation of the 7-year-old Athena's disappearance, and if it was connected to that road closure, but Akin did not provide a comment.

Akin did not explain what was happening in the area, or if anything had been found concerning the investigation.

It's been two days since Athena was last seen, and Wise County deputies are still searching for the missing girl.

An AMBER Alert was issued Thursday afternoon, describing Strand as "endangered" and saying she was last seen wearing a gray/black long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans with flowers on the front pockets and brown boots.

Earlier Friday, Akin said Athena's stepmother first called police at about 6:40 p.m. on Wednesday after noticing she wasn't in her room at the house her father owns.

Foul play isn't suspected at this time, police said. But they also add that it hasn't been ruled out.

Child Protective Services confirmed to WFAA that they have never had any cases involving Athena. However, sources told WFAA that CPS has visited the home prior to investigate the stepmother and another child.

Police said Athena first got off her school bus at her father's home at about 4:15 p.m. Wednesday. Her father wasn't home when Athena went missing; he was on his way to a deer hunting trip.

Athena's stepmother told police she and Strand got into an argument at some point, which Akin said the stepmother told police wasn't unusual for their relationship.

When the stepmother went to make dinner, police said, that's when she went to find Athena in her room and realized she wasn't in the house.

After searching for Athena for an hour, the stepmother called 911, prompting a police search that began along with EMS and volunteer firef*ghters. Search dogs were also used Wednesday night along with thermal imaging from the air, but only wildlife was seen.

The search was called off at about 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, then restarted a few hours later with about 200 citizens joining in to comb the area. Still, nothing was found -- not Athena, nor any evidence. About 50 acres have been searched in total since the search began.

Akin said registered s*x offenders in the area have been interviewed as part of the investigation as well.

At one point, search dogs found a scent around the house, but nothing outside of the perimeter.

The FBI, Texas DPS, U.S. Marshals and Texas Rangers are also a*sisting in the search and investigation, with the FBI using digital resources to look at things like cell phone data and social media posts.

As the second day of searching for missing Wise County 7-year-old Athena Strand continues, a massive police presence has arrived along a stretch of County Road 4599, less than 10 miles from her family's home.

An overhead view of the police presence along CR4599 in Wise County as police search for missing 7-year-old Athena Strand.

It is not yet clear why the police have gathered in this location, but it appeared on the scene as if law enforcement officials were investigating a ditch along the side of the road, which it had closed off to through-traffic with police tape.

Police said the father and stepmother are cooperating with their investigation. Akin said they are acting "appropriately" to the situation.

But Athena's mother Maitlyn Gandy and her sister (and Athena's aunt) Keeland Kulbeth said things aren't adding up right now, and that Athena wouldn't just wander off.

Athena has wandered off before, they said, but it was never serious; she was always found quickly after it happened. They said she's gone to neighbors' houses in the country to visit as well.

Kulbeth said that, from what she had been told, Athena may have been upset at her father for leaving to go hunting.

"We definitely don't believe Athena ran off," Kulbeth said. "We’re not sure if she’s been abducted. We just want everyone to keep an eye out and bring her home to us."

Kulbeth described Athena as a very loving and friendly kid who loves people and flowers.

"She's a girly-girl," Kulbeth said. "I just can't see her running away."

Kulbeth said she and Athena often ride horses together, which they were planning to do this weekend in Comanche, Oklahoma, along with seeing a Christmas parade.

"We take her to see movies, and we're ready for her to come home," Kulbeth said. "I just want her home and safe where I can physically see her... I'm scared and I'm hoping that we find her because I wouldn't want anyone to be in this situation right now."

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2 .. ted/index.html

https://www.wfaa.com/amp/ .. 0-230aea9f74f0

Athena Strand's mother, Maitlyn Gandy, shared this GoFundMe fundraiser

https://www.gofundme.com/ .. e03a0fc599bd0d

Tanner?

Watch your kids smh

RIP... this might sound a little paranoid but you always gotta have your guard up around strangers... because k*llers come with a smile

Watchman said

...
The suspect, Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, has been charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping....

Anyone named Tanner is white... usually.

SMH. Skin his a*s alive

Authorities believe the young girl was k*lled within an hour after her kidnapping from her family's driveway, which is about 200 yards from her home.

That n*gga dirty but why is a 7 year old 600 feet from the crib?

view image

I had to get a visual reference myself once I read it.

The suspect, Tanner

FedEx really is the worst man…

…terrible service and trash a*s employees.

His bi*ch a*s gon rot in jail and probably die behind the walls before the state executes him, but man on man Fed Ex finna get the sh*t sued outta ‘em…

Thank god Texas got the death penalty. Wish they would burn his a*s alive.

I remember seeing the amber alert for this a couple days ago, this dude just snapped with no priors and kidnapped a child and then k*lled her, am I reading that right?

That's some wild sh*t.

Wow what the fu*k really going on out here man

That's some foul sh*t

02:31 PM

Texas be do having a lot of amber alerts ��

DeadPresident said

Texas be do having a lot of amber alerts ��

You ain't lying, I just moved to Texas from New York back in July and I've seen at least one a week since being here.

In New York, I rarely got a notification for an amber alert.

Looks like a typical dudebro

They’ll have plenty of cheese for him in the slammer

Rip to that little girl

FedEx is a racket I hate them more than USPS which is a feat

Set him on fire and save time and money

SMH man

ab650 said

That n*gga dirty but why is a 7 year old 600 feet from the crib?

view image

I had to get a visual reference myself once I read it.

that's not far, I know it seems like it but that's less than 1 city block

when I was a kid my mothers rule don't leave the block, in all fairness city block is a lot different from a rural area

TrapInBriks11 said

FedEx is a racket I hate them more than USPS which is a feat

fu*k you

sincerely,

A shareholder

nocomment said

fu*k you

sincerely,

A shareholder

Getcha money my G but write the board and tell ‘em to step their sh*t up…

Only good Pedo is a dead Pedo

view image

They need to do this muthafu*ka like they do in them foreign countries. Beat his is a*s to near death and then throw a burning tire on his a*s and watch him die slow. fu*k keeping him and jail and wasting tax dollars. Hope he burns in hell for eternity.