The Chilling Destiny of the FedEx Driver Who Killed 7-12 months-Previous Athena Strand
2 min learnUp to date: Might 6, 2026 01:56 PM IST
A driver, previously with FedEx supply, was sentenced to dying on Tuesday for kidnapping and stangulating a 7-year-old Texas lady in his van, reported the New York Occasions.
Thirty-four-year-old Tanner Lynn Horner kidnapped the lady, Athena Strand, on November 30, 2022, from exterior her father’s residence in Texas’ Paradise, authorities mentioned. He was charged on December 3, 2022. On April 7 subsequent yr, Horner pleaded responsible to capital homicide and aggravated kidnapping.
What occurred on November 30, 2022?
On the day of the incident, Horner had delivered a package deal containing “You might be something” Barbies, a Christmas present for Athena, whom he allegedly killed, the sufferer’s mom Maitlyn Gandy mentioned in a press release.
Strand alighted from her faculty bus at 4.15 pm on that day, whereas her stepmother lodged her lacking grievance round 6.10 pm.
A search operation was launched with a number of legislation enforcement businesses and nearly 200 volunteers in motion. Two days later, her physique was recovered, about 6 miles away from her father’s residence, said Melody McDonald Lanier, a spokesperson for an advocate representing Athena’s mom, Maitlyn Gandy.
The investigators had been tipped off {that a} FedEx supply was made to the house across the similar time Athena went lacking. An officer on the FBI workplace in Dallas, mentioned, “digital proof and partnerships with FedEx” had helped them establish Horner.
The authorities mentioned they acquired video footage of Horner inside his truck with Athena from the corporate offering cameras for such supply vans.
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When approached by the legislation enforcement businesses, Horner confessed and mentioned he had unintentionally hit Athena together with his van. He then panicked and picked her up, the district lawyer, James Stainton, mentioned throughout a courtroom look broadcast.
The video of Horner with Athena contained in the van was performed for the jury.
A forensic analyst on the Texas Division of Security, Jaqueline Ferrara, testified that male DNA was detected on Athena’s physique. Semen and blood had been additionally discovered on varied objects belonging to Horner.
— with inputs from New York Occasions
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