white delivery truckWhat Happened to Athena Strand?

PARADISE, Texas – A FedEx driver has confessed to kidnapping and murdering a seven-year-old Texas girl named Athena Strand, according to Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin.

The suspect, Tanner Lynn Horner, who was working for an independent contracting company that was contracted by FedEx, confessed to the crimes, according to Sherriff Akin. An Amber Alert was issued on December 1st, 2022 after Strand’s step-mother reported her missing from their home in Paradise, Texas.  

Days later, Strand’s body was found less than 10 miles from her home. According to local warrants and reports, Horner hit Strand with his truck, then strangled her because “she was going to tell her father about being hit by the FedEx truck.”

How Instances Like This Can be Prevented

People who are hired to work for delivery companies, like FedEx, should go through background checks and rigorous training. These companies send delivery drivers to millions of people’s homes each and every day. People shouldn’t have to worry about a delivery driver or any other vendor who stops at their home harming them or their children. But unfortunately, if companies cut corners, they’re putting peoples’ safety at risk.

How Can Corporations Do Better?

We always ask – in instances like this, was the company doing enough when background checking their employees? Even if this particular driver didn’t have a criminal record, did the company check references for this employee? Was he violent or aggressive in past jobs? Does he have a record of driving dangerously? Did his managers notice any dangerous or questionable behavior on the job?

Many times, people who commit such atrocious crimes show signs of posing danger to others. It’s important that the people in charge notice these unsafe behaviors and handle the situation before it escalates, and someone ends up hurt or killed.

How Children Are Especially at Risk

Sadly, children are often targets of these awful crimes. Parents should not have to worry about their kids being kidnapped, assaulted, or murdered by delivery drivers stopping by their homes. Yet, when the proper steps aren’t taken, large delivery companies, like FedEx, could be hiring dangerous people to deliver for them, and in turn causing serious harm to kids.

What to Do If You or Your Loved One Was Harmed Because of a Company’s Negligence

If you live in Texas and want to talk to a lawyer about holding a company accountable for causing harm to you or a loved one, reach out to our team.

As child advocates and personal injury attorneys, we have experience holding companies accountable after they have cut corners and caused catastrophic injury or death to others. It’s important that you reach out soon, so that you have enough time to have your potential case properly investigated and filed.

Don’t hesitate to contact The Button Law Firm to start getting help on getting justice for your loved ones. You can call us 24/7 at (214) 699-4409 or fill out the contact form below. You can also reach out to a member of our team by starting a chat. Don’t wait to start getting justice for your loved one. Contact us today.

Russell Button
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Dallas, Houston, and Midland Texas trial and personal injury lawyer dedicated to securing justice for clients.
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