ATHENA STRAND

Maitlyn Gandy, mother of deceased 7-year-old Athena Strand, has filed a lawsuit against FedEx and former driver Tanner Horner, who is accused of murdering her in November.

FedEx delivery driver Tanner Horner has been indicted in the December 2022 murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand. Horner allegedly hit Strand with his vehicle and strangled her.

>> Read more trending newsAccording to court documents, Jacob Strand, the father of Athena Strand, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Wise County District Court in Decatur and lists Tanner Lynn Horner, FedEx and Big Topspin as the defendants, KTVT reported. Jacob Strand is seeking more than $1,000,000 in damages and a trial by jury, according to WFAA-TV. BREAKING: #AthenaStrand’s father has filed a lawsuit against @FedEx and the Dallas contractor who hired Tanner Horner to deliver packages for the company. (@wfaa) pic.twitter.com/ETFiXF94vL — Matt Howerton (@HowertonNews) December 14, 2022Horner is accused of kidnapping and then killing Athena Strand on Nov. 30. The lawsuit alleges that FedEx and Big Topspin, the contractor who hired Horner, were negligent and failed to properly supervise and investigate Horner’s past, KXAS-TV reported.

The father of a Texas girl killed by a contracted FedEx driver is suing the alleged killer and the delivery company.

The FedEx driver accused of abducting and killing a 7-year-old girl in Texas last week has told authorities that he strangled her after accidentally hitting her with his van while making a delivery at her home.

Athena Strand, 7, was abducted and strangled by a delivery driver in Paradise, Tex., after the driver hit her with his van, an arrest warrant states.

Texas 7-year-old Athena Strand was strangled by alleged murderer Tanner Horner, a 30-year-old contracted FedEx driver, after she was hit by his van.

A FedEx driver accused of kidnapping and then killing a 7-year-old girl in Texas told authorities that he strangled her after accidentally hitting her with his van while making a delivery at her home, according to an arrest warrant. https://t.co/l5Vd9rIw19 pic.twitter.com/zeO9K71Vj2 — Wise County Messenger (@WCMessenger) December 8, 2022The arrest affidavit, which was released Thursday, stated that Horner panicked and put the girl in his van. Strand was talking to Horner and told him her name, according to The Associated Press. “(Horner) stated he attempted to break Athena’s neck to kill her,” the Messenger reported, citing the warrant. An FBI employee viewed the one-minute video clips and said he saw the driver had taken a girl who looked like Strand in his van, the affidavit stated.

A FedEx driver panicked after striking a 7-year-old girl in Texas with his work van and threw her in the truck, where he killed her, authorities said.

The FedEx driver accused of abducting and killing a 7-year-old girl last week in Texas told authorities that he strangled her after accidentally hitting her with his van while making a delivery at her home, according to an arrest warrant obtained Thursday. Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, told investigators that Athena Strand wasn't seriously hurt after he hit her while backing up, but he panicked and put her in his van. The warrant said Horner took investigators to where he'd left Athena's body. Working with employees from the contracting company that was delivering packages for FedEx, investigators determined which van and driver made the delivery, the warrant said. The warrant said that when investigators located Horner, he told them Athena was dead and confessed.

The FedEx driver accused of abducting and killing a 7-year-old girl last week in Texas told authorities that he strangled her after accidentally hitting her with his van while making a delivery at her home, according to an arrest warrant obtained Thursday. Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, told investigators that Athena Strand wasn't seriously hurt after he hit her while backing up, but he panicked and put her in his van. He said she was talking to him and told him her name, according the warrant. The warrant said Horner took investigators to where he'd left Athena's body. Gandy said that Athena had been set to return home to her in Oklahoma after Christmas break.

The mother of a 7-year-old girl who authorities say was abducted and killed by a FedEx driver said she wanted everyone to know about the "amazing little girl" who would have received the Christmas present that driver dropped off the day she disappeared. “I was robbed of watching her grow up,” Maitlyn Gandy told those gathered at a Thursday news conference in Decatur, Texas. Tanner Lynn Horner, a 31-year-old FedEx delivery driver, confessed to killing Athena and told authorities where to find her body, Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin has said. The sheriff has said they knew early on that a delivery had been made at the girl’s home at about the same time that she disappeared. At a vigil Tuesday night in Paradise, many of the mourners gathered to remember Athena wore pink.

The FedEx driver accused of abducting and killing a 7-year-old girl last week in Texas told authorities that he strangled her after accidentally hitting her with his van while making a delivery at her home, according to an arrest warrant obtained Thursday. Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, told investigators that Athena Strand wasn't seriously hurt after he hit her while backing up, but he panicked and put her in his van. The warrant said Horner took investigators to where he'd left Athena's body.

The Texas sheriff handling the investigation into the homicide of Athena Strand, a 7-year-old girl, tells Fox News Digital his office is pursuing the death penalty for the suspect.

Delivery driver Tanner Lynn Horner is accused of killing Texas girl Athena Strand, 7, whose body was found in Boyd two days after she disappeared.

Neighbors on Monday tied bows and balloons to their homes in memory of Athena Strand, who loved the color pink.

The grandfather of Athena Strand, a 7-year-old girl kidnapped and killed in Texas allegedly by FedEx driver Tanner Lynn Horner, said he forgave his granddaughter's accused murderer.

One neighbor said she started to shake all over and didn’t sleep at all Friday night after learning Horner is accused of kidnapping and killing Athena Strand.

WISE COUNTY, Texas — Authorities arrested a contract FedEx delivery driver on Friday after officials said he confessed to kidnapping and killing a 7-year-old girl reported missing on Wednesday. At a news conference late Friday, Akin said officials learned early in their investigation that a FedEx delivery was made around the time Athena went missing. He said authorities later got a tip to investigate the driver, identified as 31-year-old Tanner Lynn Horner. “(Investigators) were able to determine that the driver abducted Athena,” Akin said, adding that officials believe she was kidnapped close to the gate at the end of the family’s driveway. Authorities believe that Athena was killed about an hour after being abducted.

Texas 7-year-old Athena Strand was found dead more than two days after she went missing. A suspect is in custody and has been charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.

A FedEx contract driver in Texas was arrested Friday and accused of kidnapping and murder in the death of a 7-year-old girl who went missing two days earlier, officials said.

Tanner Horner does not appear to have a prior criminal record in Tarrant or Wise counties.

Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said the child’s body has been found and the suspect has been arrested.