A former FedEx driver has been sentenced to death in Texas after a jury found him guilty of kidnapping and murdering seven-year-old Athena Strand in a case that has shocked the United States and drawn widespread public attention.
Tanner Horner, 34, was sentenced following a 19-day trial in Tarrant County that featured forensic evidence, emotional testimony, and disturbing details surrounding the child's final moments in 2022.
Tanner Horner was sentenced to death by a Texas jury after being convicted of capital murder in the death of Athena Strand. The decision came after roughly two and a half hours of deliberation following a lengthy trial that examined the circumstances of the child's disappearance and death.
The court heard that Horner, a former FedEx delivery driver, had been making a delivery in Paradise, Texas, when the incident occurred. Prosecutors said the case met the threshold forcapital punishment under Texas law, while the defence argued for a sentence of life imprisonment without parole.
Judge George Gallagher confirmed the sentencing options available under state law, which include life imprisonment or the death penalty, before formally imposing the jury's decision.
Athena Strand was reported missing in November 2022 while staying at her father's home in Wise County, Texas. According to evidence presented in court, Horner was delivering a package to the property when he struck the child with his van while reversing.
Prosecutors stated that Horner later admitted to investigators that he panicked after the collision and placed the child inside his delivery vehicle. He then strangled her, resulting in her death. Her body was discovered on 2 December 2022, around 10 miles from the location where she disappeared, two days after she was reported missing.
The case involved a package reportedly containing Christmas gifts, including Barbie dolls intended for Athena.
The investigation into Athena Strand's disappearance triggered a large-scale search effort involving local authorities and community members. Evidence gathered during the inquiry included audio recordings from inside the FedEx delivery van, alongside forensic analysis and DNA testing.
Prosecutors relied heavily on crime scene reconstruction and expert testimony to build their case against Horner. The evidence was presented over several weeks in court, with jurors also shown photographs and other material connected to the investigation.
Source: International Business Times UK
