A former FedEx driver, who confessed to killing a 7-year-old girl in Paradise, Texas, told authorities that he “disposed of” her body carelessly.
Tanner Horner, 34, pleaded guilty to charges of capital murder and aggravated kidnapping related to the death of Athena Strand in 2022. He initially claimed that he unintentionally collided with a delivery truck while on a route to his father’s place, as reported recently.
Jurors this week viewed an interrogation video where police questioned Horner about Strand’s whereabouts before the body was found. During the questioning, Horner indicated he could reveal where she was.
In the footage, he stated: “I threw her in. I couldn’t just keep driving around with a child in the back like that. I tossed her in the bushes or whatever you want to call it.”
The jury now faces the decision of whether Horner should receive a death sentence or life in prison without parole.
Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin, overseeing the case, had previously expressed support for pursuing the death penalty against Horner.
Horner’s legal team argued in January that he should not be sentenced to death due to his autism. Prosecutor James Stainton, during opening statements, recounted a chilling incident where Horner warned Strand not to scream or he would hurt her. He emphasized how fiercely a 7-year-old would fight in a life-and-death situation.
Stainton continued, “We have DNA evidence. Not only do we have Tanner Horner’s DNA under Athena’s fingernails, but also in places you wouldn’t typically find DNA from a 7-year-old girl. This little girl was a warrior; she fought with incredible strength.”
Two months after his arrest, it emerged that Horner also faced accusations of sexually assaulting a girl when she was 16. This information surfaced in follow-up reports.
During the trial, a photograph taken inside Horner’s delivery truck was presented, showing him at the wheel with Strand nearby. This image seemingly contradicts his claim of having hit her with the vehicle.
Prosecutors alleged that Horner concealed a camera, threatened the girl, and assaulted her in his vehicle before leaving her body near Boyd, all while a large-scale search ensued.
