Who was Athena Strand? Parents, Father, Mother, Step-mom, Age, FedEx Driver Arrested

Athena Strand, 7, was found dead in Wise County, Texas, after being kidnapped from in front of her house. A FedEx contract driver has been arrested and charged with her kidnapping and murder as a result of his confession to the police.

Tanner Lynn Horner, a FedEx driver, admitted to abducting and killing 7-year-old Athena Strand.

A FedEx driver was detained and accused on Friday in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a 7-year-old Texas girl who vanished from her driveway. According to allegations of capital murder and aggravated kidnapping of Athena Strand, 7, Tanner Lynn Horner has been detained in the Wise County jail.

Horner was allegedly bringing delivery to Athena’s house on Wednesday when she was allegedly kidnapped. He allegedly confessed to police that he had kidnapped and killed Athena. Seven kilometers from her father’s house, her body was discovered.

Although Athena’s cause of death hasn’t been determined, authorities do believe she died by his hand. Complete autopsy results from the medical examiner’s office could take a couple of weeks, but it has been believed that  Athena died within an hour of her abduction. When asked what led Horner to kidnap the girl, He responded, “To him, it was a random crime.”

According to the police, Horner was unfamiliar with Athena’s family. The state of Texas is anticipated to charge Horner with aggravated kidnapping and capital murder of a person under the age of ten. With a $1.5 million bond, he was still detained in the Wise County Jail on Saturday. It is not known if has a lawyer or not.

How old was Athena Strand and what was she wearing when she was abducted?

Athena Strand was only 7 years old and she was born around 2015. She belongs to the white ethnicity and she had blond hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a gray long shirt with white flowers, blue jeans with a white flower on the pockets, and brown boots.

Related: Who is Tanner Lynn Horner? Aged 31, Arrested for Killing Athena Strand, Wife and Family

She also had pierced ears but did not have any earrings and she had two birthmarks on her lower back. She was 4 feet tall.

The parents of Athena Strand condemn their child as a killer

Athena Strand was a 7-year-old child born in 2015 to a Viking father and Maitlyn Presley Gandy, who is also her biological mother. She previously resided with her mother, who had sole custody of her, but she also frequently visited his father and stepmother in Texas.

It was reported that the mother of the kidnapped girl drove from Oklahoma to Texas after learning of the incident. She also thanked people who had helped in the search for Athena and criticized the man accused of taking her in a spate of angry social media posts. She called the killing of her daughter a “monster” and added, “I do not want the bastard who took my baby from me and cruelly killed her to go to any city, town, district, state, or country without every single person seeing her face.”

Gandy published another Facebook article. She stated that the official agencies who helped with the probe “have all cried alongside me,” adding that “as a mother, I know no one is as broken as I am.”

Working crime scenes involving children is difficult, she said, and it requires a certain kind of person whether the child is yours or not. “I’m grateful you located my child. Everyone would have preferred a different outcome, I’m sure.

What academic year was she enrolled in?

She used to study in one of the wise county schools where her mother asked the students to wear pink in Memory of Athena.  Her mother has requested the parents of the students to dress them in pink.

Also Read: Missing Toddler, Quinton Simon, 2, Found dead, Primary suspect Mother, Police says

FedEx releases a statement

Words cannot express our horror and grief at the reports surrounding this tragic tragedy, FedEx said in a statement. “Our first and foremost thoughts are with the family during this extremely trying time, and we continue to fully assist the authorities in conducting the investigation. Any other inquiries should be directed to law enforcement at this time.”