Former FedEx Driver Admits to Killing 7-Year-Old Athena Strand in Texas
Jurors are now tasked with determining the fate of a former FedEx driver who has pleaded guilty to the murder of a 7-year-old girl in Texas. Tanner Horner faces either the death penalty or life in prison for the killing of Athena Strand, whose body was discovered two days after she was reported missing in the rural town of Paradise, near Fort Worth, in 2022.
Horner's Confession and Contradictory Evidence
Horner initially told authorities that he accidentally struck Athena with his delivery van and then strangled her in a panic. However, Wise County District Attorney James Stainton dismissed this account as an "absolute lie" during opening statements. "The only truthful thing that Tanner Horner told law enforcement was that he killed her," Stainton asserted. "The pattern and web of lies that he put together, it's going to be hard for y'all to keep up with. It is lie upon lie upon lie upon lie."
Stainton revealed that evidence shows Athena was uninjured when Horner placed her into the vehicle. "The first thing Tanner Horner says to Athena when he picks her up and puts her in that truck, he leans down and he says: 'Don't scream or I'll hurt you.' He says that twice," Stainton told the court.
Graphic Details and DNA Evidence
The jury was shown a chilling image of Athena, captured from a video inside the delivery truck, where she was still alive and kneeling behind the driver's seat. Stainton warned jurors that the evidence is "rough" and includes video footage of the incident, followed by audio recorded after the camera was covered. "You are going to hear what a 250-pound man can do to a 67-pound child," Stainton said. "And when I say it's horrible, I mean it."
Prosecutors presented compelling forensic evidence, noting that Athena fought Horner, with his DNA found under her fingernails. Stainton added that Horner's DNA was discovered "in places where you shouldn't find DNA on a 7-year-old girl."
Defense Arguments and Trial Details
According to an arrest warrant, Horner claimed he strangled Athena after hitting her with his van while making a delivery. He told investigators that Athena was not seriously injured but he panicked, placing her in the van. Horner allegedly said he did not want her to inform her father, so he attempted to break her neck and, when that failed, strangled her with his hands in the back of the vehicle. The warrant also states that Horner led investigators to where he had left Athena's body.
In his opening statement, Horner's attorney, Steven Goble, acknowledged the "overwhelming" and "terrible" evidence against his client but urged jurors to consider mitigating factors. Goble cited Horner's mother drinking during pregnancy, his autism diagnosis, a history of "various mental illnesses," and exposure to a "massive amount of lead." "When someone's brain is what's injured, you don't see it," Goble argued, requesting a sentence of life in prison rather than the death penalty.
Personal Testimony and Trial Relocation
Ashley Strand, Athena's stepmother, testified that the package Horner delivered was a Christmas present for Athena—a box of "You Can Be Anything" Barbies. Strand, who has since divorced Athena's father, fondly recalled Athena's joy in living on their rural property, where she got to "run wild and free."
The trial was moved from rural Wise County to Fort Worth after Horner's attorneys argued that he would not receive a fair trial in the original location. This change underscores the high-profile and emotionally charged nature of the case as the jury deliberates on Horner's ultimate sentence.
