DALLAS — The man accused in the slaying of 7-year-old Athena Strand last month faces unrelated child sexual assault charges, court records show.
Tanner Horner, a 31-year-old contract FedEx driver from Fort Worth, faces charges of capital murder and aggravated kidnapping in connection with Athena’s disappearance and death.
On Wednesday, authorities filed multiple, unrelated counts of sexual assault of a child against Horner out of Tarrant County. It is unclear whether he has an attorney.
Court records indicate two offenses occurred in 2013 — one in June and another in August. No additional information about the offenses was immediately available.
Athena was reported missing from her home Nov. 30 in Wise County, about 30 miles northwest of Fort Worth. Her body was found two days later.
Horner, who was delivering a Christmas package to her home, told authorities he accidentally hit Strand while reversing his delivery van but that she was not seriously injured, according to an arrest-warrant affidavit.
Horner said he panicked, threw her in the van and later strangled the 7-year-old because he worried she would tell her father, the affidavit says.
Jacob Strand, Athena’s father, filed a lawsuit in a Wise County court accusing FedEx of placing “dangerous persons in a position of trust” even if they are not employed directly by the international shipping company. It seeks more than $1 million in damages.
Athena’s mother, Maitlyn Gandy, has hired a legal team to investigate Athena’s death, and has called for stricter hiring policies for delivery employees.
“Screening and hiring policies must be put in place so that monsters wearing delivery uniforms don’t show up on our children’s doorsteps,” Gandy said at a news conference.
Horner remained in custody in the Wise County jail Wednesday, with bail set at just over $1.5 million.
