Texas Murder of 7-Year-old Girl Sparks Fears Towards FedEx Delivery Drivers [Full Details]

A FedEx driver killed and kidnapped 7-year-old Athena Strand. He admitted to the crime after delivering a package to her family's home. The incident left a Texas neighborhood in mourning.

Strand's corpse was discovered by police southeast of Boyd, Texas. The Wise County sheriff, Lane Akin, told reporters on Friday that they suspect Strand was killed within one hour of her kidnapping based on information gathered from digital evidence and interviews, according to ABC News.

Tanner Lynn Horner, the 31-year-old driver, has been arrested and is being held on capital murder and aggravated abduction charges for the Texas killing. Horner lives in Lake Worth and is a resident of the area.

Sheriff Akin says that law enforcement officials knew early on in their inquiry that a FedEx delivery had been made around the time Strand disappeared.

The official stated that Horner, the contract FedEx driver, was not linked to or acquainted with the family.

As one of the "toughest" cases Akin has ever been a part of, he is surprised that law enforcement was able to make Horner confess to the crime.

Victim Honored By Mother, Community

Strand's mother, Maitlyn Presley Gandy, said her daughter was taken from her by "a sick, cruel monster for absolutely no reason," she wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday morning, per a CNN report.

"I want the world to know my baby, my first baby, my first true love, and the reason I breathe," Gandy said in the post, which was accompanied by a video of the victim when she was 3 years old.

Shock waves from the senseless Texas Murder reverberated across the neighborhood, prompting many vigils and memorials to be arranged in her honor.

FedEx also released a statement expressing their shock at the Texas killing.

The company extended its condolences to Athena Strand's loved ones. "Words cannot express our shock and sorrow surrounding this tragic event and we continue to cooperate fully with the investigating authorities," FedEx said in a statement about the Texas Murder.

The company was already under fire before Strand's death this year due to crimes committed by other drivers.

FedEx driver Gregory Thomas Bufkin was detained by the sheriff's office in North Carolina in December on suspicion of breaking into at least 12 residences. He was found guilty this year, according to local media sources.

Last year, another FedEx worker, Tyrek Herbert, was jailed in Connecticut for allegedly breaking into a house, holding the occupants, including her children, at gunpoint, and then leaving.

The day before the incident, Herbert identified himself to the victim as a FedEx driver, according to the arrest warrant cited by CT Post.

Just weeks after he reportedly held the mother and children at gunpoint, Herbert was also charged with raping a student at Sacred Heart University.

FedEx Questioned on Hiring Process on Drivers

In light of the reported crimes, FedEx was asked by Fox News about hiring methods for drivers.

According to a FedEx representative, "FedEx Ground contracts for transportation, pickup, and delivery services with more than 6,000 independent firms that are dedicated to delivering great package pickup and delivery services utilizing their own workers."

According to the spokesperson, all of the hired personnel are subject to extensive background checks.

The FedEx spokesperson noted that background checks on prospective workers' criminal records are a normal element of the selection process for service provider companies.

"Should we become aware of any criminal activity within our network, we work swiftly to investigate and address those incidents, including cooperating with law enforcement," the spokesperson said.

A representative for the company told Fox News Digital that "criminal history background checks are also conducted on seasonal personnel as part of the driver eligibility process."

When compared to the vast number of deliveries made every day, the incidents blamed on FedEx drivers are quite uncommon. FedEx Ground delivered 9.9 million parcels each day in 2022, according to a Statista analysis.

A FedEx driver in Philadelphia early this year who was reportedly held at gunpoint, tangled up, and looted of the goods on the truck are just a few examples of some of the other FedEx workers who have experienced crimes while at work.