Athena Strand

Arrest Warrant Details How Delivery Driver Was Identified As Suspect in Athena Strand's Murder

The body of 7-year-old Athena Strand was found Friday, Dec. 2, two days after she vanished from her family's home in Paradise.

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New court documents released this week detail how authorities were able to identify a delivery driver as the suspect in the abduction and murder of a missing Wise County child.

The body of 7-year-old Athena Strand was found Friday, Dec. 2, two days after she vanished from her family's home in Paradise. Authorities say Tanner Horner, 31, confessed to killing the girl.

According to an arrest warrant, FedEx delivered a package to Strand's home around the time the 7-year-old went missing. Investigators later learned the company Big Topspin was the contracting company delivering packages for FedEx.

Employees from Big Topspin worked with investigators to determine which van and driver made the delivery, later identifying Horner. The van he was driving was equipped with video capability, which is run by a third party, Velociter.

Velociter provided video from the delivery truck, which included one-minute clips.

The arrest warrant states an FBI employee reviewed the footage, which shows Horner "had taken a young girl who was visually similar to Athena in his van." He was seen on video talking to her in the van, authorities said.

The arrest warrant also states Horner told investigators he "accidentally hit Athena with the truck" when he was backing up. According to Horner's statement to investigators, she was not seriously injured but he panicked and put her in the van.

"The Defendant stated Athena was alive at the time, talking to him, and told him her name was Athena. The Defendant stated he attempted to break Athena's neck to kill her," the arrest warrant reads.

Horner told investigators, his attempt to break the girl's neck failed. He strangled her with "his bare hands in the back of the FedEx van" because Strand was going to tell her father about being hit by the FedEx truck, the arrest warrant states.

Horner faces a capital murder charge.

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