Former FedEx driver sentenced to death for killing 7-year-old girl after delivery at her Texas home
ABC7 Los Angeles • • nation
Key Points:
- Tanner Horner, a former FedEx driver, was sentenced to death for the 2022 murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand, whom he abducted while delivering a Christmas gift in Paradise, Texas.
- Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder just as his trial began, with jurors concluding he posed a continuing threat to society and rejecting life without parole as a sentence.
- Evidence included harrowing audio and video recordings from inside Horner's delivery van capturing Athena's final moments, which deeply affected jurors and revealed the abuse she suffered.
- Prosecutors highlighted Horner's multiple lies about the incident, including a false claim that Athena was accidentally struck by his van, while his defense cited his autism, mental illnesses, and prenatal lead exposure as mitigating factors.
- Athena's family revealed the Christmas package Horner was delivering contained "You Can Be Anything" Barbies, underscoring the tragic loss during the holiday season; the trial was relocated to Fort Worth to ensure a fair trial.
