Fed Ex driver kidnaps and murders girl
According to authorities, a FedEx contract driver in Texas was detained on Friday and charged with kidnapping and murder in the death of a 7-year-old girl who had been missing for two days.
Athena Strand vanished on Wednesday from her home in Paradise, Wise County, sparking a massive community search with some 200 volunteers.
According to Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin, she was discovered dead on Friday by officials 11 miles southeast of the city of Boyd.
During a news conference on Friday night, Akin stated, “We do have a confession.”
According to Akin, the driver, Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, was detained on suspicion of capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.
In lieu of $1.5 million, he was being detained in a prison.
Friday night, it was unclear whether Horner had a lawyer who could represent him.
According to Akin, Athena came home from school on Wednesday afternoon as usual, and around 6:40 p.m. her stepmother reported the child missing.
Around the time she was reported missing, Horner brought a package to the residence, according to Akin on Friday night. According to him, detectives think the girl passed within an hour or so of the kidnapping.
At a news conference, officials remained mum on the child’s cause of death and reason for passing.
In a statement, FedEx said that the business is completely assisting law authorities and that its prayers are with the family.
Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said that Horner had confessed to the crime. “We really can’t get into the content of the confession, but I will say that we have a confession,” he said. “It’s still very, very early, but we wanted to make sure that we got the information out.”
Who Is Tanner Lynn Horner?
Horner is a 31-year-old driver who worked for the FedEx delivery company. FedEx issued a statement late on Friday, saying: “Words cannot describe our shock 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.”
Horner, who is from Fort Worth, Texas, attended Azle High School and does not appear to have a criminal record in either Wise or Tarrant counties.
Horner’s social-media accounts revealed that he had worked for the Uber ride-sharing app as a driver and been an employee at various stores.
Horner was also an aspiring musician and said he was a vocalist in a band, according to his social-media sites. He also said online that he was engaged to be married, and posts suggest that he became a father for the first time. He also describes himself as “non-neurotypical. “
Where Is Tanner Lynn Horner Now?
Horner is being held in the Wise County Jail on $1.5 million bond. Further details about the case and Horner’s trial will be released by the authorities over the coming weeks.