A 7-year-old girl who was missing for several days in Wise County, Texas, has been found dead, authorities said.
Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin broke the news Friday night that authorities located the body of 7-year-old Athena Strand during an afternoon search in Boyd after following a tip that led them to a delivery man
The sheriff said investigators believe the suspect abducted the girl and killed her.
The suspect, a 31-year-old FedEx driver named Tanner Lynn Horner, later confessed to kidnapping the girl, Akin said. Horner was a hired driver.
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“It’s one of the toughest investigations I’ve ever been involved in because it’s a child,” Akin said at a news conference Friday night alongside Athena’s birth mother and other emergency response officials.
He added: “Every time there’s a child that dies, it just hits your heart.”
Look: Delivery driver suspect Tanner Lynn Horner has been charged with murder and kidnapping, Wise County Sheriff says
Akin also said they believe the girl was killed “about an hour” after she was taken from her home. “This community doesn’t like to lose their children,” Akin said Friday night.
Athena disappeared Wednesday afternoon after leaving the house after an argument with her stepmother, according to Fox 4. Athena got off the bus around 4:15 p.m. and left the house before 5:15 p.m., when the stepmother realized that he was not there.
Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin held a news conference Friday night and said authorities found the body of missing 7-year-old Athena Strand.
(KDFW)
The stepmother searched for an hour and then called the police, Fox 4 reported.
His biological father was out of town on a hunting trip and his biological mother lives in Oklahoma, according to the report.
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Finding the body brings a heartbreaking end to more than two days of search, which involved dozens of law enforcement officers, helicopters and dog rescue teams. More than 300 volunteers also stepped in to help, the Wise County Office of Emergency Management said.
Acting FBI Agent in Charge Jim Dwyer told Fox 4 that digital evidence helped lead investigators to the FedEx driver, but he did not elaborate.
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“Words cannot describe our shock and grief at the reports surrounding this tragic event,” a FedEx spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “First of all, our thoughts are with the family during this very difficult time, and we continue to cooperate fully with the investigating authorities. Any additional questions should be directed to the police at this time.”
Horner, who is from Lake Worth, is in the Wise County jail on capital murder and aggravated kidnapping charges, Fox 4 Dallas reported. He is being held on $1.5 million bail.
Authorities did not comment on whether the girl had been sexually assaulted. A cause of death has not been determined.
