In connection with Strand’s death, 30-year-old FedEx driver Tanner Lynn Horner is charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.
Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin called the girl’s abduction a “crime of opportunity.” He said that Horner allegedly admitted to taking Strand while he was delivering a package to her North Texas home. The girl’s stepmother said that she had been lost. The girl’s body was found two days later, less than 10 miles from where her father lived.
FedEx Driver Arrested
Tanner Lynn Horner, the driver, is in jail and is being charged with murder and kidnapping. He is 31 years old. Akin says that Horner, who lives in Lake Worth, is being held on a $1.5 million bond.
“We didn’t get the answers we had hoped for. And we want the family of Athena Strand to know how sorry we are “Akin said.
BREAKING: Wise County Sheriff’s Office confirms this is Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, the man arrested and charged in the capital murder of #AthenaStrand.
He’s from Lake Worth—charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.
Bond set at $1.5 million.
Courtesy: Facebook (@wfaa) pic.twitter.com/9wsAFoXJsj
— Matt Howerton (@HowertonNews) December 3, 2022
Akin said that early on in the investigation, police knew that Strand went missing around the same time that a FedEx package was sent. Akin said that Horner, who worked as a contract FedEx driver, was not related to or knew the family.
FedEx Driver Previous Crime!
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Horner did not appear to have a prior criminal record. The spokesperson for Uber did not explain to the newspaper why Horner was planned from the platform months ago.
A 23-year-old woman named Shay Marie reportedly has repeatedly claimed on social media that Horner raped her in 2014 when she was age 16. However, it is not clear if Horner was ever prosecuted.
Before she was scheduled to return to her mother, Marilyn Gandy, in Oklahoma around Christmas, Strand was reportedly staying with her father and stepmother in Texas. “Athena is innocent, beautiful, kind, intelligent, and just the brightest, happiest soul you could ever meet,” Gandy wrote in a heartbreaking tribute on Facebook.
Read More: Athena Strand Cause of Death: Texas Girl Killed by “Fedex Driver” Today’s Conversations!
Where Was Body Found?
According to Sheriff Lane Akin, her body was discovered on Friday, December 2, 2022. The body was discovered six kilometers from her house. Police assert that he abducted Athena on the basis of digital proof and statements made by the driver of a FedEx truck. Additionally, it was discovered that she passed away one hour after being kidnapped.
Tanner Lynn Horner, age 31, has been identified as the driver. He has been held in the Wise county jail ever since. While he was delivering a present to her house, Tanner might have abducted Athena from her driveway.
Tanner allegedly sent the police to two locations that didn’t exist before pointing them in the right way, according to Sheriff Lane. Tanner is unable to comment on what caused the crime because he did not know Athena or her family.
FedEx Statement on This Brutal Murder!
FedEx said in a statement that they were sorry about Strand’s death.
— FedEx (@FedEx) December 3, 2022
“We are so shocked and saddened by what we’ve heard about this terrible event that we can’t even put it into words. First and foremost, we are thinking about the family during this very hard time, and we are still doing everything we can to help the people who are investigating. At this point, you should ask the police if you have any more questions “FedEx told ABC News in a statement.
