A former FedEx driver pleaded guilty this week to the killing of 7-year-old Athena Strand in Wise County, Texas, admitting to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping as his trial was set to begin.
Tanner Lynn Horner, 33, entered the plea in a Tarrant County courtroom and now faces a punishment phase in which jurors will decide between life without parole and the death penalty. Prosecutors said Horner abducted Athena on Nov. 30, 2022, while delivering a package to her family's home in Paradise, near Fort Worth.
According to court records and reporting on the case, Horner told investigators he accidentally hit Athena with his FedEx truck while backing out of the driveway, then panicked and took her away. Authorities later said he led them to her body, which was found two days after she was reported missing in a rural area southeast of Boyd, according to the New York Post.
Investigators said digital evidence helped track Horner after the child disappeared. Prosecutors have said the evidence did not support his claim that the death was accidental, and they argued that he tried to cover up what happened after taking the girl from her home.
Prosecutors also told jurors they believe Athena was likely sexually assaulted, saying the evidence points to additional abuse beyond the kidnapping and killing. Reporting from the courtroom said prosecutors pointed to DNA evidence and the condition in which Athena's body was found as part of that argument, People reported.
The plea brought a sudden end to the expected guilt phase of the trial and shifted the case directly to sentencing. During opening statements, Wise County District Attorney James Stainton said the only truthful statement Horner made was that he killed Athena.
Athena's family attended court, and her mother, Maitlyn Gandy, later said the plea spared them from a long trial. CBS News Texas reported that Athena's stepmother told jurors the package Horner delivered contained a Christmas gift for the child.
FedEx said it cooperated with law enforcement during the investigation and expressed sympathy for the family. The company also said Horner had passed a background check before working as a driver and was fired after his arrest, as per CBS News.
