FedEx driver allegedly informed investigators Texas girl was nevertheless alive soon after he struck her with car

A FedEx driver panicked after putting a 7-year-old lady in Texas with his operate van and threw her in the truck, wherever he killed her, authorities explained.

Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, who is charged with cash murder and aggravated kidnapping, explained to authorities he placed Athena Strand in his perform truck just after he struck her with it, according to an arrest warrant affidavit produced Thursday.

Horner allegedly informed investigators the boy or girl was not critically injured when he unintentionally backed the truck into her. Horner also instructed investigators he even spoke to the female in his van where by she informed him her name, the affidavit mentioned.

But he killed her right after he “panicked” and simply because “she was going to explain to her father about being hit by the FedEx truck the Defendant was functioning,” the affidavit explained.

Various media shops described Thursday Athena’s mother, Maitlyn Gandy, expressing Horner was offering Athena’s Xmas current, “You Can Be Nearly anything” Barbie dolls, shortly before she was killed.”Athena was robbed of the option to mature up to be something she required to be,” Gandy reported, when at occasions breaking down and crying. “I was intended to bring Athena back home to Oklahoma soon after Xmas break. Now alternatively, Athena will be cremated and she will come home in an urn since I am not anyplace shut to being ready to let my baby go.”

The affidavit explained Athena’s stepmother identified as 911 to report the woman went lacking from their household in Paradise, in Sensible County, on Nov. 30 about 6:41 p.m.

The kid was noted lacking considerably less than an hour after her stepmother last noticed her in her non permanent bed room, which was a converted storage get rid of she shared with her stepsister, the affidavit stated.

Investigators, in accordance to the affidavit, discovered FedEx sent a offer all-around the time she went lacking. Investigators labored with a contracting firm providing deals for FedEx, to identify which van and driver created the supply.

Investigators also discovered the FedEx truck was geared up with cameras that captured just one-moment clips, the affidavit reported. An staff with the FBI, the affidavit said, analyzed online video evidence and “observed the driver had taken a young lady who was visibly comparable to Athena in his van. The driver was witnessed on movie speaking to her in the van,” the affidavit explained.

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Investigators ended up able to discover Horner as the driver.

Horner, right after allegedly admitting he killed the female, also allegedly told investigators wherever to find her. Law enforcement staff located the dead boy or girl in water, the affidavit reported.

Horner was arrested Friday, two times just after the girl disappeared, which prompted a huge look for with close to 200 volunteers from the neighborhood.

On Friday, authorities observed her overall body southeast of the town of Boyd, a town about 11 miles away, Clever County Sheriff Lane Akin instructed reporters.

“We do have a confession,” Akin claimed at a news convention Friday night.

A bond for Horner was established at $1.5 million. It was not quickly obvious Thursday night time if Horner experienced an lawyer.

FedEx has claimed in a statement that its feelings are with the household, and the enterprise is cooperating fully with law enforcement.

“Words are not able to describe our shock and sorrow at the reviews surrounding this tragic occasion,” FedEx claimed.

This report was at first revealed on NBCNews.com