The state of Texas appears set to change its AMBER Alert system after it failed to help Athena Strand, a 7-year-old girl who was kidnapped and strangled to death last November.
The Texas House passed an “Athena Alert” bill, or HB3556 on May 9, allowing law enforcement to quickly issue a regional alert when a child goes missing without confirmation of an abduction.
Wise County Sheriff's Office(TARRANT COUNTY, Texas) A district attorney in Texas will seek the death penalty against a man accused of kidnapping and murdering 7-year-old Athena Strand while he was working as a FedEx contract driver. Tanner Lynn Horner was arrested and charged with capital murder for a person under 10 years of age and aggravated kidnapping in December. He was held on $1.5 million bond. District Attorney James Stainton filed court documents in federal court this past week informing the judge that he will seek the death penalty against Horner if he is found guilty of capital murder, a crime that qualifies for the death penalty under Texas law. Horner, 31, confessed to abducting and killing Strand while he was delivering packages to her family's home. Horner is also facing two counts of sexual assault against a child in Tarrant County Court, according to jail records obtained by ABC News. He is being held on a $15,000 bond for each count. The charges are unrela