Former FedEx driver sentenced to death for killing seven-year-old Texas girl
BBC • • nation
Key Points:
- Tanner Horner, a former FedEx delivery driver, was sentenced to death for the 2022 kidnapping and murder of seven-year-old Athena Strand in Texas.
- The jury chose the death penalty over life imprisonment without parole after hearing evidence, including an audio recording of Athena's final moments inside Horner's delivery vehicle.
- Horner had been delivering Athena's Christmas gift when he abducted her; her body was later found near her home in the Fort Worth area.
- Athena's family has filed a lawsuit against Horner, FedEx, and Big TopSpin Inc. for failing to conduct a background check before hiring Horner.
- During sentencing, Athena's uncle condemned Horner, emphasizing the lasting impact on the family and affirming that Athena's memory will endure while Horner's will be forgotten.
