FedEx driver charged in 7-year-old Athena Strand's death delivered her Christmas present before abducting her, mother says - CNN

CNN  — 

The FedEx driver accused of kidnapping and sidesplitting 7-year-old Athena Strand delivered her Christmas contiguous –Barbie dolls – earlier the girl’s disappearance, her parent said Thursday.

Maitlyn Gandy called for stricter screening policies for transportation drivers astatine a quality conference.

On an easel beside her was the package, a container of “You tin beryllium anything” Barbie dolls. It was the archetypal clip she’d seen the present, she said.

“Athena was robbed (of) the opportunity to beryllium thing she wanted to be,” a tearful Gandy said. “I was robbed of watching her turn up, by a antheral that everyone was expected to beryllium capable to spot to bash conscionable 1 elemental task – present a Christmas contiguous and leave.”

Athena disappeared from the driveway of her location successful Wise County, Texas, connected November 30. After a county-wide search, her assemblage was recovered Friday evening, according to Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin. Authorities judge she was killed wrong an hr of her alleged kidnapping, but her origin of decease is inactive nether investigation, Akin said Friday.

The suspect, identified by authorities arsenic a declaration operator for FedEx, is 31-year-old Tanner Lynn Horner, Akin said. He allegedly delivered a bundle to Athena’s father’s location erstwhile she disappeared, authorities said.

Horner is being held successful Wise County jailhouse connected superior execution and aggravated kidnapping charges, according to its website. Bond was acceptable astatine $1.5 million, Akin said. CNN has repeatedly tried to find an lawyer for Horner, to nary avail.

Horner told investigators helium had accidentally deed Athena arsenic helium was backing up his transportation motortruck and though she was not earnestly injured, helium panicked and enactment her successful the van earlier allegedly sidesplitting her, according to 2 apprehension warrants obtained by CNN affiliate KTVT.

According to the warrants, 1 issued for each charge, Horner told authorities that helium strangled the kid due to the fact that “she was going to archer her begetter astir being deed by the Fed Ex truck.”

Horner was tracked down by his employer, a subcontractor of FedEx, aft authorities learned Athena went missing astir the clip a FedEx transportation was made to the home, according to the warrants. Surveillance video from the motortruck showed the kid inside, talking to the driver, according to the warrants.

After helium was questioned, Horner led investigators to the child’s assemblage and surrendered without incident, according to a warrant.

Akin, the sheriff, did not respond to CNN’s messages Thursday afternoon.

Authorities said Horner did not cognize the household oregon the child, Akin antecedently said.

Gandy said her extremity is to impact alteration successful hiring policies “so that monsters wearing transportation uniforms don’t amusement up connected our children’s doorsteps.”

Her lawyer Benson Varghese said helium is inactive successful the “investigation phase” of Athena’s case. Varghese said his bureau has enactment radical they “think mightiness beryllium responsible” connected notice, asking them to sphere immoderate grounds related to the investigation.

Varghese said helium plans to clasp immoderate idiosyncratic oregon corp accountable “whose actions oregon inactions could person prevented this small girl’s tragic death,” but said helium is not successful a unreserved to record a lawsuit.

“The eventual extremity present is to guarantee that nary parent, oregon grandparent, oregon household subordinate feels the nonaccomplishment that Maitlyn’s going done close now,” Varghese said.

In a connection to CNN past week, FedEx expressed its sympathies and directed further questions to instrumentality enforcement.

“Words cannot picture our daze and sorrow astatine the reports surrounding this tragic event. First and foremost, our thoughts are with the household during this astir hard time, and we proceed to cooperate afloat with the investigating authorities,” the connection reads.

Earlier this week, respective schoolhouse districts crossed Texas wore pinkish successful grant of Athena.

Gandy, who appeared astatine Thursday’s quality league sporting agleam pinkish hair, said she was grateful for the community’s outpouring of emotion and support.

“I person felt your prayers, I person work your messages and your letters and I spot your pinkish everywhere.”