'She was robbed of chance to grow to be anything':
Mom of Athena Strand, 7, shows Barbie 'You Can Be Anything' Christmas gift FedEx driver delivered before kidnapping and murdering her - as prosecutors say they will seek DEATH PENALTY
The FedEx driver accused of kidnapping and killing a seven-year-old girl had been delivering her Christmas present when he snatched her from her driveway.At a news conference Thursday, Maitlyn Gandy — the mother of Athena Strand — told how Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, was delivering a You Can Be Anything Barbie to Strand's father and stepmother's house in Paradise, Texas, last Wednesday when he allegedly snatched the young girl and killed her.
'This package is the first time I'm seeing it,' Gandy said of the now-opened Walmart box, as she explained that the Barbie dolls were set to be a Christmas present for her daughter.'Athena was robbed of the opportunity to grow up to be anything she wanted to be — and this present, ordered out of innocence and love, is one she will never receive.'Horner is being held at the Wise County Law Enforcement Center in Texas on a $1.5million bond, as prosecutors work to seek the death penalty.
He is facing capital murder and aggravated kidnapping charges.Texas authorities have said Horner confessed to the crimes, and his case is scheduled to be turned over to the district attorney next week.In the meantime, the Wise County Sheriff's Office will continue to follow-up on tips they receive from the public so they can build an air-tight case against him.'Because of the age of the child, and because it was an abduction, we are going to pursue the death penalty,' Sheriff Lane Atkin told WFAA.
Meanwhile, the attorneys representing Gandy and her family are planning to conduct their own investigation to determine whether FedEx could have done more to prevent the tragedy.Benson Varghese would not go as far as to announce a lawsuit against the shipping company, but asked community members to contact them with any information — even if they, too, had just received a package from Horner that day.
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