The young Texas girl who went missing from her home earlier this week has been found dead after an alleged abduction by a FedEx driver.
According to tragic reports, police located the body of 7-year-old Athena Strand on Friday, two days after she is said to have vanished from her bedroom.
Authorities say the FedEx driver in question, Tanner Lynn Horner, had delivered a package to her home around the time she disappeared.
As per the New York Post, Horner, 31, confessed to abducting Athena from her home in Paradise, Texas and has now been charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.
BREAKING: Wise County officials announce they recovered the body of 7-year-old Athena Strand. A FedEx driver is in custody with a $1.5M bond related to her abduction and death. Sending my condolences to the north Texas family😢💔 pic.twitter.com/vaBsVAQBlU
— Tahlia (@TahliaSG) December 3, 2022
Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin told reporters at Friday’s press conference: “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.”
Furthermore, investigators say they have “digital evidence” that Horner is the evil soul responsible for Athena’s murder, though they did not speak more on what that evidence might be.
Akin told how Athena likely died “within the very hour or so after her departure from her home.” Her body was found southeast of Boyd, a town lying around 10 miles of her family home in Paradise.
The 7-year-old was initially reported as missing at 5:45 p.m. last Wednesday when her stepmother couldn’t find her at home.
“We know that there was a little bit of an argument between her and her step-mom last night but it isn’t anything unusual,” Akin told NBC 5.
“There was that argument, then step-mom went to fix dinner, came back to get Athena, and Athena wasn’t in her room.”
Police believed in the beginning that she might have left the house on her own before getting lost. An Amber Alert announcement was held back on until early Thursday morning because her family informed police that she had done this before and they hoped to find her in the night.
Athena Presley Monroe Strand has been found deceased. She was senselessly murdered. This man will pay. Rest In Peace sweet girl. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/C4mxzphLp9
— Rose (@901Lulu) December 3, 2022
However, Keeland Kulbeth, Athena’s aunt said soon after: “We definitely don’t believe Athena ran off.”
A huge search operation was initiated in the wake of Athena’s disappearance, one that attracted some 200 citizens and a number of Texas departments. Ultimately, Wise County Office of Emergency Management department had to tell volunteers to stop showing up for search parties as they had too many people aiding the effort.
Rest in peace, Athena Strand. My heart bleeds to read this news.
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