7-Yr-Previous Athena Strand’s Loss of life Is Inspiring Texas To Revamp Its Lacking Little one Alerts

Lawmakers in Texas voted Wednesday to approve a invoice for a localized model of the Amber Alert system that may allow police to inform individuals inside a 100-mile radius as quickly as a toddler goes lacking.

The so-called Athena Alert invoice is known as after Athena Strand, the 7-year-old lady who was allegedly kidnapped and killed by a FedEx driver delivering a package deal to her home in rural Sensible County on Nov. 30. Her physique was discovered Dec. 2, lower than 10 miles from her father and stepmother’s dwelling. Tanner Horner has pleaded not responsible to capital homicide and aggravated kidnapping expenses and is being held on a $1.5 million bond.

The laws now goes to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who should signal it earlier than it turns into regulation. His workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

GOP state Rep. Lynn Stucky, who authored House Invoice 3556, informed the Texas House Committee on Homeland Safety & Public Security that Sensible County’s sheriff would have been in a position to concern a localized alert virtually instantly had the Athena Alert been in place on the time.

“I’m grateful to my colleagues within the Senate for sending my invoice, HB 3556, to @GovAbbott’s desk,” Stucky tweeted Friday, utilizing the governor’s Twitter deal with. “Particular thanks to Athena’s mother, Maitlyn Gandy, for coming to Austin to testify in assist.”

“If this alert had been in place when my daughter disappeared, I’ve little doubt that the Sensible County Sheriff’s Workplace would have activated it,” Gandy, the mom, was quoted as saying in a press launch issued by her attorneys.

“Sadly, their fingers have been tied as a result of my daughter’s disappearance didn’t instantly meet the strict standards for a statewide AMBER alert. It was a helpless feeling that I wouldn’t want on any mother or father. My hope is that each state will observe Texas’ lead and amend the regulation in order that no different mother or father has to attend when their youngster is lacking.”

Sensible County Sheriff Lane Akin informed HuffPost that his workplace “deeply appreciates” Stucky’s efforts with the Athena Alert invoice.

“With its passage, regulation enforcement will have the ability to make a neighborhood judgement name and ship out an alert which will assist carry a toddler dwelling to hisher mother and father,” Akin stated. “Hopefully, we’ll by no means have to make that judgement name, but when it does occur once more and in that case determined, we’ve an extra software to assist us get well a lacking youngster.”

On the day of Athena’s disappearance, her stepmother spent “about an hour” in search of the lady earlier than reporting her lacking to police at round 6:40 p.m., authorities stated, however an Amber Alert wasn’t issued till the following afternoon.

On the time, Akin stated that Athena’s stepmother had informed police that she and the lady had had an argument. Authorities didn’t suspect foul play and believed she might need run away, the sheriff informed CBS final 12 months.

“At first we thought it was simply one other lacking youngster, a lacking youngster who can be present in a matter of minutes,” Akin informed HuffPost on Friday. “However, that was not the case. We weren’t in a position to put up an Amber Alert as a result of, at the moment, the case specifics didn’t meet the standards set by the Texas Division of Public Security.”

The state’s Amber Alert standards embrace “a preliminary investigation [that has] verified the kidnapping and eradicated various explanations for the kid’s disappearance,” and a willpower by regulation enforcement that the kid is in “speedy hazard of sexual assault, dying or severe bodily damage,” amongst different elements.

Athena’s father, Jacob Strand, was not at dwelling when Athena disappeared and Gandy, her mom, lived in Oklahoma. Athena was visiting her father and because of return to Gandy’s after the Christmas break, the mom stated.

Authorities stated that Horner, 31, confessed to strangling Athena after hitting her along with his truck and informed them the place to seek out her physique.

Athena’s household filed a wrongful dying go well with towards Horner, FedEx, and the subcontractor who employed Horner, BuzzFeed Information reported.

Subscribe to our true crime e-newsletter, Suspicious Circumstances, to get the most important unsolved mysteries, white collar scandals, and charming circumstances delivered straight to your inbox each week. Enroll right here.