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Former delivery worker receives death penalty in Athena Strand case
A Texas jury delivered a death sentence Tuesday to Tanner Horner, a former FedEx contractor, for the 2022 abduction and killing of seven-year-old Athena Strand. Horner pleaded guilty last month to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.
Crime details and court proceedings
Horner was delivering a Christmas gift-a box of Barbie dolls-to Athena's home near Fort Worth on November 30, 2022, when he kidnapped her. Her body was discovered two days later. During the trial, jurors heard an audio recording of the girl's final moments inside Horner's delivery vehicle.
After a weeks-long trial, the jury chose the death penalty over life imprisonment without parole. Video footage showed Horner remaining expressionless as the judge announced the sentence. His execution by lethal injection is scheduled before sunrise on an unspecified date.
Family's emotional response
Athena's uncle, Elijah Strand, addressed the court after the verdict, describing the family's grief as an "emptiness that can never be filled."
"There are no words that truly capture the devastation that Tanner Horner caused us and our family. You destroyed a family. You will feel the wrath of God."
Elijah Strand, Athena Strand's uncle
Elijah Strand also told Horner, "You are nothing. You are a footnote in Athena's story. Her name will forever be remembered, her name will forever be celebrated, and everyone will forget you."
Legal actions against employers
The Strand family previously filed a lawsuit against Horner, FedEx, and Big TopSpin Inc., a FedEx contractor that hired Horner. The suit alleges the companies failed to conduct a proper background check before employing him.
At the time of the murder, FedEx issued a statement expressing condolences to Athena's family but did not comment on the lawsuit. The BBC has since reached out to FedEx for updated remarks following Horner's sentencing. Big TopSpin Inc. has not responded to requests for comment.
Case background
Athena Strand disappeared on the day Horner delivered her Christmas present. Authorities found her body two days later, prompting a statewide search and investigation. Horner's guilty plea last month expedited the sentencing phase of the trial.
