Tanner Horner, a 34-year-old delivery driver, has pleaded guilty to the capital murder and aggravated kidnapping of 7-year-old Athena Strand, ending what had been a highly emotional trial in a Texas courtroom. Horner entered his guilty plea just before the trial began, shifting the focus of the proceedings to the penalty phase, where the jury will now decide his punishment.
A Disturbing Trial and the Penalty Phase
Horner’s guilty plea has moved the case directly to the sentencing phase, where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. In his opening statement, prosecutor Patrick Berry warned the jury about the disturbing evidence they would soon witness, including audio from inside Horner’s delivery van during the moments when Athena was killed.
Berry described the horrific nature of the crime, stating, “You’re gonna hear what a 250-pound man can do to a 67-pound child,” and added, “The one thing you’re gonna hear — that is something you can’t unhear — is the level of fight that a 7-year-old girl has when she’s facing down certain death. She fought with the strength of 100 men.”
Impact on the Family
Elizabeth “Ashley” Strand, Athena’s stepmother who was responsible for reporting her missing, testified about the lasting trauma caused by the crime. She revealed that Athena’s younger sister now runs and hides at the sight of delivery drivers and suffers from nightmares due to the terror her sister’s death has caused.
Authorities also provided emotional testimony, including Sheriff Lane Akin, who recalled the heartbreaking moment when he had to inform Athena’s family that her body had been found. “It was heartbreaking, and they were just devastated,” Akin said. “I wish I could have done something to make it better.”
The Crime and Investigation
Athena disappeared on November 30, and investigators soon learned that a FedEx package had been delivered to the Strand home around the time she went missing. Surveillance footage from the delivery truck showed Horner speaking with a young girl who resembled Athena before taking her into his vehicle.
Initially, Horner gave investigators inconsistent statements. He first claimed he did not remember being at the Strand home but later admitted that he had stopped deliveries due to feeling ill. When Horner was confronted, he allegedly confessed to hitting Athena with his truck and then abducting her.
Horner reportedly told investigators that after accidentally striking Athena, he panicked and placed her in the van, where she was still alive. Horner said that he ultimately decided to kill Athena because he believed she would tell her father about being struck by the truck. He claimed that he tried to break her neck and, failing that, strangled her with his bare hands.
Discovery of Athena’s Body
After confessing, Horner led investigators to a location near the Trinity River in Boyd, Texas, about 10 miles from Athena’s home, where her body was found. The Christmas gift Athena was expecting—a “You Can Be Anything” Barbie—had been part of the package delivered by Horner earlier that day. Athena had planned to return to Oklahoma after the holiday break.
The Next Steps
Horner’s sentencing will now proceed with jurors considering additional evidence before determining whether he will spend the rest of his life in prison or face the death penalty.
