A former FedEx driver was sentenced to death Tuesday after pleading guilty to the murder of a 7-year-old girl he abducted from her Texas home while delivering a Christmas gift. Tanner Horner, 34, admitted to capital murder in connection with the 2022 case involving Athena Strand.
The sentencing took place in a Fort Worth courtroom, where jurors deliberated following roughly a month of testimony and evidence. Among the material presented was audio capturing Athena’s last moments inside Horner’s delivery van. The jury concluded there was a likelihood Horner posed an ongoing threat of violent criminal behavior.
During opening statements, prosecutor James characterized Horner’s statements to authorities as a series of falsehoods. Horner initially claimed he accidentally struck Athena with his van during the delivery and killed her in a panic. He later admitted to the murder as the trial began last month, entering a guilty plea to capital murder.
The case drew attention due to the circumstances of the abduction and the recovery of critical audio evidence. Horner’s sentencing concludes the legal proceedings stemming from the tragic killing of a young child in Texas.