In Wise County, Texas, the Sheriff’s Office is pushing for the death penalty in the case of a FedEx driver who kidnapped and murdered 7-year-old Athena Strand.
Wise County Sheriff’s Office Pursuing the Death Penalty for FedEx Driver Accused of Killing 7-Year-Old Athena Strand
Sheriff Lane Akin spoke with Fox News Digital and said that the death penalty is being pursued because of “the serious nature of the case…and because the child is 7.” Akin acknowledged that there could be some legal obstacles but that would be lifting for prosecutors.
After a several-day search, Strand’s body was discovered on December 2, 2022 in Boyd, Texas. A tip pointed investigators toward Tanner Lynn Horner (31). The FedEx driver confessed to the kidnapping and murder of the young girl.
In their investigation into Horner, it was found that he was banned from Uber as a driver for undisclosed reasons. Also, there was a rape accusation from a 23-year-old woman who claimed that Horner assaulted her in 2014. However, there’s no information on if the claims were argued in court.
Authorities said that the accused had no prior criminal history but the murder has brought up concerns about FedEx’s screening of drivers as there have been several reports of drivers committing crimes across the U.S—including a New York driver who raped victims in the FedEx truck and another who was charged with murder and arson.
As for Tanner Lynn Horner, he was charged with aggravated kidnapping and capital murder. He is being held on a $1.5 million bond.
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