In November 2022, a delivery driver for FedEx named Tanner Horner struck and killed 7-year-old Athena Strand with his vehicle while delivering a Christmas present to her father’s home in Texas. He then allegedly put her in his van and strangled her to death. Athena was missing for several days before her body was found near a country road about 6 miles from her home.
In February 2023, Horner was indicted on murder and kidnapping charges by a grand jury in Wise County, Texas. He is being held on bonds totaling more than $1,500,000. Horner is also facing four charges of sexual assault of a child in a separate case.
In December, Athena’s father filed a wrongful death lawsuit against FedEx and Horner, which was later joined by her mother, Maitlyn Gandy. The lawsuit accuses the companies of gross negligence in hiring, training, and supervising Horner, and seeks more than $1 million in damages for “acts and omissions” that led to Athena’s murder. It also alleges that Horner was acting in the course of his employment with FedEx.
Gandy’s attorneys seek to effect change at FedEx by implementing better hiring, training, and supervising practices to prevent similar incidents in the future. In the court filing for Gandy to join the lawsuit, her attorneys wrote that they were seeking to effect change at FedEx, noting that consumers trust the company and its drivers. They demand that the lawsuit bring about “better hiring, training and supervising…practices to prevent vicious killers from arriving at our doorsteps bearing an insignia that has been cultivated to instill trust.”
FedEx issued a statement expressing sympathy for Athena’s family and acknowledging the court filing. A spokesperson for FedEx stated that they are aware of the complaint filed and that their thoughts remain with Athena’s family.
The case remains ongoing as of the time of writing. The tragedy has brought attention to the need for companies to properly vet and train their employees, especially those in positions of trust and responsibility. In the wake of this tragedy, the hope is that Athena’s family’s demands for justice and changes in policy will be heeded and that similar incidents can be prevented in the future.
