‘It Hurts to the Very Core' Says Sheriff as Investigators Work Athena Strand Case

It's been a week since an Amber Alert went out statewide in search of Athena Strand, but the outcome of the search left people all over heartbroken.

The Wise County Sheriff's Office said the 7-year-old girl was kidnapped and killed. The suspect at the center of the investigation is a North Texas man who authorities said was a contractor for FedEx.

"We don't work a lot of criminal investigations that involve children that young, so it touches our heart, it hurts us to the very core, which motivates us to get the job done right so that we give a good package over to the district attorney's office," said Lane Akin, the Sheriff for Wise County.

He said Athena had walked outside of her home in Paradise, Texas Wednesday evening.

"We believe Athena had just walked away, which she had done before, but she always came back. Unfortunately in this situation and this time, she didn't come back. Unfortunately, she'll never come back, and it just it just hurts us, it's something that we will carry with us in our careers for years and years to come," said Akin.

The 7-year-old's stepmother told law enforcement that Athena went missing around the same time they received a delivery from FedEx, and Akin said that information helped investigators.

The sheriff said the cooperation between his deputies, investigators, Texas Rangers and the FBI helped find the suspect accused of killing the young girl.

"The digital evidence that came to light and then it was just good police work," said Akin about finding the suspect.

He said that evidence helped them locate the truck.

Tanner Horner, 31, was pulled over in the southern part of Wise County for a traffic stop according to Akin. He said the suspect was in a FedEx truck.

"We took him into custody and then the investigators went about the business of conducting interviews and we ended up with a confession," explained Akin who said he could not talk about what was specifically said.

The sheriff said during the confession, the suspect led authorities to the child's body at the water bank of the Trinity River.

"This was a tough one and I still haven't gotten the images and the thoughts and the sadness out of it, out of my mind," said Akin who has been in law enforcement for more than 40 years.

He said investigators have been troubled by what they've seen and learned in the course of the investigation. Akin said there is counseling available for everyone who is working on this case.

"We've got to make sure that we're all on the same track, that we're trying to have some level of mental wellness for our entire team. I'm concerned more about the young ones, more so than those [older] like me, because we've been dealing with this for so long. With some of the younger officers, they might have not been in this situation before, so we want to make sure that they're cared for and that they know even more so, that we care," said Akin.

While the main part of the case has been solved, the sheriff said there is still more work to do before they hand everything over to the district attorney.

"We want to make sure that this is done properly so that the person who did this evil deed on a 7-year-old, receives the punishment he deserves," said Akin

Horner remains in the Wise County Jail on a $1.5 million bond. Akin said Horner is in his own cell. He's been charged with aggravated kidnapping and capital murder, which means he could face the death penalty.

The sheriff said the affidavit, which usually has preliminary information into a crime and arrest, is currently sealed by a judge for now.