A FedEx driver has confessed to kidnapping and murdering a seven-year-old girl.
The girl’s body was found two days after she disappeared from her home in Paradise, Texas.
The driver, Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, confessed to the murder of Athena Strand after his arrest.
Police believe that the child was killed within two hours of being abducted.
It does not appear that the driver had any connection to the child other than delivering a package to her home.
Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said at a press conference on Friday night that Athena was dropped off at her home after school around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. She is said to have had an argument with her stepmother and went out into the driveway. Her father was on a hunting trip and not at the house.
At 6:40 p.m., the stepmother reported the child missing.
The Daily Wire reports, “Wise County Sheriff’s officers worked with Texas Rangers, and FBI agents, quickly zeroing in on Horner following a tip, Akin said. Athena’s body was found about 10 miles from the home after hundreds of volunteers joined the effort.”
“It’s one of the toughest investigations that I’ve been involved in,” Akin said.
“Anytime there’s a child that dies, it just hits you in your heart,” Atkin continued. “You compare that child to your own children when they were that age, and it just takes the wind out of your sails.”
Horner has been charged with aggravated kidnapping and capital murder. He is currently being held on a $1.5 million bond. It does not appear that he has any prior criminal history.
“Words cannot describe our shock at the reports surrounding this tragic event,” FedEx said in a statement. “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family during this most difficult time.”
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