Family, friends say final goodbyes to Athena Strand at her funeral
WISE COUNTY, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — Family and friends have said their final goodbyes to Athena Strand in a private funeral Friday.
The 7-year-old girl was found dead after police say a contracted FedEx driver abducted her from her father's home in Wise County and later killed her.
Police ultimately charged the FedEx driver, 31-year-old Tanner Horner, with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.
According to the arrest affidavit, Horner told investigators he was dropping off a package to Strand's home when he accidentally hit her with his truck.
Horner told police the girl was not seriously injured and was talking to him, but that he "panicked" and put her in his truck, and later killed her.
The child's mother, Maitlyn Gandy, spoke about losing her daughter Thursday.
"I will never see her bright blue eyes or her smile again," Gandy said. "I will never be able to hear her say, 'I love you, Mommy.'"
She revealed the package Horner was dropping off was a Christmas gift for her daughter.
"I was robbed of watching her grow up by a man that everyone was supposed to be able to trust to do just one simple task—deliver a Christmas present and leave," Gandy said.
The family's legal team is conducting its own investigation and is pursuing possible civil litigation.
"We're investigating not just what FedEx's responsibility might have been, but anyone else who was involved in the decisions that were made that led to this tragic loss," Gandy's attorney, Benson Varghese, said.