Former FedEx Driver Sentenced to Death for Murder of 7-Year-Old Texas Girl
Tanner Horner, a former FedEx driver, has been sentenced to death for the 2022 kidnapping and murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand in Texas.
A Texas jury has sentenced former FedEx driver Tanner Horner to death for the 2022 kidnapping and murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand. Horner, 34, pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping last month, leading the trial to proceed directly to the sentencing phase.
During the sentencing, jurors were presented with audio and video evidence from inside Horner's delivery van, capturing Athena's final moments. The recordings revealed Horner threatening and assaulting the child, who pleaded for her life. A medical examiner testified that Athena died from blunt force injuries, smothering, and strangulation.
Prosecutors argued that Horner's actions demonstrated a pattern of deceit, including false claims that he accidentally struck Athena with his van. They contended that Athena was unharmed when Horner abducted her. The defense presented mitigating factors, citing Horner's mental health issues, autism, and exposure to lead, but the jury determined he posed a continuing threat to society.
Athena's family revealed that the package Horner delivered was a Christmas gift for her—a box of "You Can Be Anything" Barbies. The trial was relocated to Fort Worth to ensure impartiality.