The contracting company that hired FedEx driver Tanner Lynn Horner who murdered 7-year-old Athena Strand last month still hasn't revealed details about his employment history or the procedures that he had undergone to get the job.
Dallas-based Big Topspin Inc. was identified in Horner's arrest warrant as the company that hired him to work for FedEx, local news station WFAA reported Saturday.
Reporters with the station went to the company's address that was listed in the documents and found a four-bedroom home in northern Dallas. A woman at the house couldn't comment about Horner's employment history or Strand's murder, but confirmed that her husband owned the company.
Meanwhile, a FedEx spokesperson told WFAA that "the employees of these service provider companies are subject to criminal history background checks as part of the driver eligibility process. As is common across the industry and considered standard employment practice, the background check process is administered by a third party."
FedEx didn't reveal details about the hiring processes for Big Topspin Inc. or how many drivers were contracted through the company since individuals employed by service providers have their own employees, vehicles, and equipment.
Newsweek reached out to the law firm representing Strand's family, Varghese Summersett, for comment.
Horner killed Strand after he accidently struck her with his truck outside her home while making a delivery. The arrest warrant affidavit revealed that Strand wasn't seriously injured when she was hit after Horner backed up his vehicle to leave. However, the 31-year-old allegedly admitted to authorities that he strangled the child after he took her inside his truck because he "panicked," according to court documents.
"The Defendant stated he attempted to break Athena's neck to kill her," court documents showed. "The Defendant stated, when he attempted to break Athena's neck it did not work so he strangled [her] with his bare hands in the back of the Fed Ex van."
Horner told law enforcement that he strangled the child "because she was going to tell her father about being hit by the Fed Ex truck the Defendant was operating," according to the affidavit.
The girl disappeared from her driveway in Paradise, Texas, on November 30. Her body was found two days later roughly six miles away. Authorities believe she died within an hour after being in contact with Horner, who later guided officers to the location where he disposed of her body, which was found "in the water."
Horner is currently behind bars where he is being held on a $1.5 million bond and faces charges of capital murder of a person under 10 and aggravated kidnapping.
Athena Strand Laid to Rest
Meanwhile, the Strand family held a "Viking-princess" themed funeral on Friday for the 7-year-old after receiving a customized casket that was donated by SoulShine Industries.
The young girl's casket was painted in pink, which was her favorite color, and had a princess crown with rhinestones at the top with her picture inside the lid. Two Viking symbols were also on the front of the casket.
"One of the symbols means 'father-daughter' and then the other means 'mother-daughter,'" said SoulShine's owner, Trey Ganem.
Thanking the company for creating the customized casket, Maitlyn Gandy, Strand's mother, wrote on Facebook on Friday: "You helped us capture our Viking Princess in a way we didn't think possible. Trey and his wife are truly friends for life. You guys are very talented, kind, amazing humans. Athena looked very comfortable in her bed.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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