A 7-year-old lady who went lacking earlier this week from her North Texas dwelling – prompting an Amber Alert – has been discovered useless, authorities introduced Friday. A FedEx driver has been arrested on kidnapping and homicide costs.
Athena Strand had went lacking Wednesday night from her father’s dwelling in Paradise, Texas, CBS DFW reported, prompting a large multiagency search involving tons of of volunteers.
Her physique was situated Friday night — due to a tip investigators had obtained earlier within the day — Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin introduced in a news convention late Friday night time.
The suspect, recognized as 31-year-old Tanner Lynn Horner, was taken into custody Friday on costs of capital homicide and aggravated kidnapping, Akin stated.
Horner was a FedEx contract driver who had delivered a package deal to Strand’s dwelling at concerning the time she disappeared, Akin disclosed.
“We knew early on in the investigation that there had been a FedEx driver, made a delivery in front of the house, about the same time that little Athena, 7-year-old Athena, came up missing,” Akin stated.
Investigators consider that Strand died “within the very hour or so after her departure from her home,” Akin added.
He additionally indicated that Horner had confessed to the crime, and famous that investigators had obtained “digital evidence,” however didn’t elaborate.
“We do have a confession,” Akin stated.
FedEx cooperated with investigators, Akin additionally confirmed.
The reason behind Strand’s loss of life was not launched, or the precise location she was discovered. Her physique was situated southeast of the Wise County city of Boyd, Akin stated.
Horner, of Lake Worth, Texas, is being held on $1.5 million bail.
On the night of Strand’s disappearance, the sheriff’s workplace stated, it obtained a name from Strand’s stepmother reporting her lacking after the 2 had an argument whereas her father was not dwelling, CBS DFW reported.
The FBI, Texas Rangers Division, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and the U.S. Marshals Service, had been all concerned within the investigation, in accordance with CBS DFW.
Paradise is situated within the Dallas-Forth Worth-Arlington metro space, about 40 miles northwest of Fort Worth.