Athena Strand, a young 7-year-old from North Texas, was found dead in Boyd, Texas on Friday evening. This comes after local law enforcement began searching for this Wise County girl, with an Amber alert issued Thursday afternoon. 

The suspect in this homicide case is Tanner Lynn Horner, a FedEx driver. Horner was making a delivery at Athena’s house when he allegedly abducted her. He is currently being held in jail and faces charges of aggravated kidnapping and capital murder.

Authorities revealed that Horner confessed to the crime and disclosed the location of Athena’s body. 

Also Read | Who was Athena Strand? 7-year-old Texas girl kidnapped, killed allegedly by FedEx driver

Who is Tanner Lynn Horner?

Star-Telegram traced Turner’s social media accounts, revealing that Horner has been an Uber driver and is also a musician. Turner graduated from Azle High School. 

Authorities initially believed that Horner was a resident of  Lake Worth, but property records revealed that he lived in the Fort Worth city limits. Lake Worth Police Chief J.T. Manoushagian issued a statement confirming the address of the suspect. “To be clear, the suspect does NOT reside in the City of Lake Worth, but rather near the lake itself – miles away from COLW. Please continue to lift up Athena’s family in prayer along with the officers investigating this heinous crime,” he said.  

He was an independent contractor driving for FedEx at the time of the crime. In light of these events, FedEx issued a statement, “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. At this time, any further questions should be directed to law enforcement.”

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Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin refuses to comment on any motive behind the abduction and murder. According to reports, Horner had no connection to Athena Strand and her family prior to the alleged abduction.

Horner has no criminal record in Tarrant and Wise counties.