Athena Strand.Photo: Texas EquuSearch Facebook
The grandfather ofAthena Strand, a 7-year-old girl abducted and found dead in Paradise, Texas, last week, has said he is trying to forgive the child’s alleged killer.
In an emotional Facebook post,Mark Strand writes that although he’s furiouswith the person who allegedly took his granddaughter’s life, he’s also committed to forgiving him. “…I want 5 minutes alone in a cell with the psycho that took our Athena away from us, but there’s a soft gentle voice in the back of my head telling me I need to forgive him,” he writes.
Strand goes on to connect this voice in his head to that of God, asserting, “Hate is a powerful force that will take root in your soul. God wants to protect us all from that hate. Hate is the gateway for the Evil we see growing in the world today.”
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The stepmom contacted authorities after searching for Athena for approximately one hour. The two had allegedly had “a little bit of an argument” shortly before Athena went missing, Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said, according to KXAS. The disagreement, he added, wasn’t “anything unusual.”
“Then stepmom went to fix dinner, came back to get Athena, and Athena wasn’t in her room,” Akin continued.
Two days later, Strand was found dead along the Trinity River, about seven miles from her home, Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin toldreporters. A FedEx driver was subsequently charged after allegedly kidnapping Strandfrom the drivewayand killing her, authorities said.
A tip reportedly helped authorities focus onTanner Lynn Horner, 31, a contract driver for Fed Ex who was delivering packages in the girl’s neighborhood. Police allege Horner confessed to the killing, multiple outlets report, and also allegedly told police where to find Athena’s body.
Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock
Horner, a father who describes himself as a “non-neurotypical musician” and “metalhead"on his Facebook page, has been charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping in Athena’s case.
He is now being held in the Wise County Jail on $1.5 million bond. It is unclear if Horner has entered a plea or retained a lawyer to comment on his behalf.
PEOPLE reached out to the Wise County Sheriff’s office and has not yet heard back.
Shay Marie describedthe alleged assault on her Facebook page in 2019, naming Tanner Horner as the person who allegedly raped her at age 16, when Horner was 23. “December 6th and 7th marks 7 years since you violated me and treated me like you were entitled to my body. 7 years. i was a child in a vulnerable state and you took advantage of that,” Marie wrote last December.
It’s unclear whether a report was filed or if Horner was ever charged in the alleged incident. PEOPLE reached out to Shay Marie for comment and did not immediately hear back.
source: people.com
