The body of 7-year-old Athena Strand was found on Friday after an extensive search in Wise County. She had been reported missing by her family on Wednesday. A delivery driver confessed to abducting her from the front of her house and killing her.
"We knew early on in the investigation that there had been a FedEx driver who made a delivery in front of the house about the same time that little Athena came up missing," said Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin. "In continued good work by this investigative team, they were able to determine that the driver abducted Athena."
Relatives of Athena said she had been in an argument with her stepmother, then left the house. Sheriff Akin had said the stepmother, Athena's father and her biological mother had all cooperated with the investigation.
"We think Athena died within the very hour or so after her departure from her home," Sheriff Akin said.
He identified the suspect in the case as 31-year-old Tanner Lynn Horner of Lake Worth. He was arrested on charges of aggravated kidnapping and capital murder. He's being held in the Wise County jail on $1.5 million bond.
The Sheriff described him as a contract driver for Federal Express. He says Horner has confessed and directed authorities toward the location of Athena's body.
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