Content Warning: The article mentions graphic details about s-xual abuse and violence leading to death.
A former FedEx driver was sentenced to death Tuesday in Dallas, Texas, after pleading guilty to killing a 7-year-old girl he abducted while delivering a Christmas package. Tanner Horner, 34, pleaded guilty in the death penalty case following his trial in the murder of Athena Strand on Nov. 30, 2022.
Jurors affirmed Horner’s death sentence after reviewing testimony and evidence over the course of a month, including audio recordings from inside the van. According to a livestream, Horner showed little visible emotion when the sentence was announced. Jurors said his behavior and testimony indicated he could remain a threat to society.
During opening statements, prosecutor James Stainton told jurors Horner had told “lie upon lie upon lie upon lie,” including claiming he accidentally struck the victim with his van during delivery and then killed her in a moment of panic.
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According to USA Today, attorney Stainton further said, “That’s not the look of someone who doesn’t have a plan, who doesn’t have motivation, that hasn’t thought this out, that hasn’t fantasized about this,” he said. “That’s the look of a predator right there,” he added.
Defense attorney Susan Anderson said during closing arguments that Horner killed Strand after she allegedly saw him snorting cocaine inside the van, and the situation “snowballed” as he became uncomfortable. Anderson said Horner’s long-term substance abuse and autism diagnoses did not justify the killing but helped explain the circumstances leading to it.
Stainton said the incident began when Horner went to Athena Strand’s home in Paradise, a small town of fewer than 500 residents about 60 miles outside Dallas, to deliver a package containing Barbie dolls. He reportedly kidnapped her and s-xually assaulted her for more than an hour.
After his arrest, Horner gave several conflicting statements about the events leading to the girl’s murder. He initially claimed he struck Athena with his van and abducted her to prevent her from reporting him. He later told investigators the child was not seriously injured but that he panicked and strangled her after she threatened to tell her father. Prosecutors also said Horner fabricated a person named “Zero” and blamed that individual for the killing.
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Courtroom attendees were emotional after audio and video evidence from inside the van was played during the trial. The footage disclosed Horner lifting Strand into the vehicle and driving away, warning her not to scream, or he would hurt her. Prosecutors said Horner later covered the van’s camera, though the audio continued recording.
In the recording, he questioned the girl about her age and school, then stopped the vehicle and told her they would “hang out.” He instructs her to remove her shirt, and she begins crying, asking if he is a kidnapper. He tells her to remove her shirt, and she begins crying, asking if he is a kidnapper. She asks him, “Why are you doing this?” He responds, “Because you are pretty.”
“My mom says I can’t do that to somebody,” she says. “And you can’t do that to me either.” Athena Strand’s body was found n-ked in the Trinity River near Bobo’s Crossing, about 12 to 13 miles from her home, according to Stainton and former Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin, who testified in court.
As the recording continued for over an hour, Athena Strand’s screams were heard. At one point, Horner told her, “If you don’t shut up, I will hurt you worse.” Medical examiner Jennifer Dwyer confirmed that the girl died from fatal injuries combined with forceful strangulation.
