Former FedEx driver pleads guilty to killing 7-year-old girl after making delivery at her Texas home
ABC7 New York • • nation
Key Points:
- Former FedEx driver Tanner Horner pleaded guilty to killing 7-year-old Athena Strand in Texas, claiming he accidentally hit her with his van and then strangled her in panic; jurors will decide between the death penalty or life imprisonment.
- Prosecutors argue Horner's story is a lie, stating Athena was uninjured when he put her in the van and that he threatened her not to scream; Horner's DNA was found under her fingernails and in inappropriate places on her body.
- Horner admitted to investigators that after hitting Athena, he tried to break her neck and then strangled her in the van to prevent her from telling her father, later leading authorities to her body.
- Defense attorney highlighted Horner's mental health issues, including autism, prenatal alcohol exposure, and lead poisoning, asking jurors to consider life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.
- Athena's stepmother testified that Horner had delivered a Christmas gift to Athena shortly before her death, and the trial was moved to Fort Worth to ensure a fair trial for Horner.
