FedEx driver Tanner Horner, 34, has been sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand in Texas.
Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping just before trial. On November 30, 2022, he abducted Athena from her father’s home after delivering a package.
Court evidence showed Horner took her into his delivery truck, where she repeatedly asked if he was a kidnapper. He avoided her questions, made unsettling comments, and at one point asked her to remove her shirt—she refused. Soon after, her screams were heard from inside the vehicle.
Athena’s body was later found in a wooded area.
During trial, disturbing footage caused jurors to cry and forced her family to leave the courtroom. Prosecutors described the crime in graphic detail, warning jurors about what they would see.
After deliberating for hours, the jury sentenced Horner to death by lethal injection. He showed no emotion as the verdict was read.
In court, Athena’s uncle spoke through tears, saying Horner would be forgotten while Athena’s name would be remembered and honored.
Rest in peace, Athena.