A FedEx driver has confessed to the abduction and murder of seven-year-old Athena Strand, with prosecutors unveiling a disturbing image showing the girl alive inside his delivery van shortly before her death.
In US court proceedings, 34-year-old Tanner Horner admitted to capital murder of a child under 10 and aggravated kidnapping related to the November 2022 killing in Texas. His trial was scheduled to begin but was preempted by his unexpected guilty plea.
Jurors will now determine whether Horner receives the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole.
In a significant development, prosecutors introduced a black-and-white photo from a camera inside the delivery truck, depicting Athena on her knees behind the driver’s seat on the day she was abducted, alive and uninjured. This evidence contradicts Horner’s earlier statement that he acted in panic after accidentally hitting the child outside her home in Paradise, Texas.
Wise County District Attorney James Stainton informed jurors that Athena was very much alive when placed in the truck. Authorities believe Horner decided to kill her out of fear she would report the incident.
Investigators detailed that Horner admitted to grabbing Athena, placing her in his van while warning her to stay quiet, and later strangling her inside the vehicle. He then disposed of her body in the Trinity River, approximately 10 miles from her residence.
Police identified Horner after confirming he had delivered a package containing Barbie dolls, intended as a Christmas gift, to Athena’s home shortly before she disappeared. Two days after her disappearance was reported, Horner led officers to her body.
Prosecutors are expected to introduce additional evidence during sentencing, including audio recordings made inside the van during the murder.
