FedEx Driver Accused Of Killing 7-Year-Old Was Delivering Christmas Gift Of Barbie Dolls Before Allegedly Abducting Her
A FedEx driver accused of killing 7-year-old Athena Strand was said to be delivering a Christmas gift on the day she was reported missing by her stepmom, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Athena's mother, Maitlyn Gandy, said the suspect had driven onto the property of her father on November 30 to drop off the box of "You Can Be Anything" Barbie dolls.
"This is the package, and it's the first time I'm seeing it," said Gandy, fighting back tears while standing outside the Wise County Courthouse on Thursday, December 8.
Driver Tanner Lynn Horner told Texas police he strangled Athena out of fear she would tell her father he hit her with his delivery van, an arrest warrant obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram stated, claiming she was not seriously injured beforehand.
Her body was recovered two days later on December 2.
"Athena was robbed of the opportunity to be anything she wanted to be. And this present, ordered out of innocence and love is one she will never receive," she continued alongside her attorney, Benson Varghese.
"In this present ordered out of innocence and love, my innocent, free-spirited 7-year-old daughter was murdered," she said. "I was supposed to bring Athena back home to Oklahoma after Christmas break. Instead she will be cremated and come home in an urn because I am not ready to let my baby go."
RadarOnline.com can confirm that Horner was arrested and is being held on $1.5 million bond in the Wise County Jail.
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Records show that he faces charges of capital murder of a person under 10-years-old and aggravated kidnapping.
Prosecutors said if he is convicted, they will push for the death penalty.
FedEx expressed its condolences to the family, revealing "the employees of these service provider companies are subject to criminal history background checks as part of the driver eligibility process."
Horner reportedly does not have a prior record.
"She was an amazing little girl who loved singing, dancing and all animals. Dogs, horses, cats, lizards and chinchillas," Gandy shared. "Athena also loved flowers but she wasn't afraid to get down in the mud with the boys. She was her father's daughter."
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