Tanner Horner, a former contract delivery driver for FedEx, has admitted to abducting and strangling 7-year-old Athena Strand in November 2022, following a delivery to her Texas home. The details of the crime, including Horner's confession and the prosecution's presentation of evidence, are currently before a jury who will decide on the penalty, with the death penalty being a consideration.
Horner's account to investigators indicates a sequence of events beginning with him claiming to have accidentally struck Athena with his truck. Following this alleged accident, he stated he panicked, placed her inside his FedEx vehicle, and subsequently strangled her. Prosecutors contend that Horner admitted to initially attempting to break the child's neck before resorting to strangulation with his hands. Athena's body was discovered two days after her disappearance, approximately nine miles from her residence. Evidence presented to the jury includes photographs of the FedEx truck, which prosecutors allege was the scene of the abduction and murder. Investigators also found Athena's clothing in a trash pile outside Horner's home, and DNA evidence reportedly placed Horner's genetic material under the victim's fingernails.
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The case has unfolded with Horner unexpectedly pleading guilty to capital murder of a child under 10 and aggravated kidnapping just as his trial was set to commence. =During the proceedings, a former crime scene investigator testified that marks found on Athena's face appeared to match the pattern on the floorboards of Horner's truck, leading authorities to remove sections of the flooring as evidence.= Prosecutors have suggested that Horner's motive for killing Athena stemmed from a fear that she would report the initial alleged accident to her parents.
The packages Horner was delivering to Athena's father's home at the time of the incident reportedly included a set of "You Can Be Anything" Barbie dolls intended as a Christmas gift for the young girl. ===A surveillance video clip allegedly shows Horner placing Athena into the van on the day of her disappearance.*
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Background:Athena Strand was reportedly staying with her father and stepmother at the time of her abduction and death in Wise County, Texas. Horner was a contract driver for Topspin, a company that delivered packages for FedEx. The investigation into Athena's disappearance led to Horner's arrest, with authorities initially pursuing leads related to the FedEx delivery. Horner, who is 34 years old, faces a penalty phase where jurors will deliberate on his sentence. Reports also suggest that prior to this incident, Horner may have had other alleged offenses involving underage girls.
