Topline: A Texas judge condemned Tanner Horner to death following a guilty plea and a month of testimony regarding the 2022 abduction
Published: May 6, 2026 6:00 am ET
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Left: Tanner Horner during the first day of his trial inFort Worth, TX; Right: Athena Strand (via The Dallas Morning News/Wise County Sheriff's Department)
FORT WORTH, TX — A former FedEx driver was sentenced to death May 5 after he pleaded guilty to killing a 7-year-old girl he kidnapped from her Wise County home while delivering a Christmas gift.
The jury in a Fort Worth courtroom decided the punishment for 34-year-old Tanner Horner following a month of testimony. Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder in October in the 2022 killing of Athena Strand.
The girl disappeared from her home in Paradise, a rural town near Fort Worth. Authorities found her body two days after her family reported her missing.
According to the Associated Press, Horner did not show a visible reaction as the judge read the sentence. The jury determined there was a probability Horner would commit future acts of violence and remain a threat to society.
The jurors stated there were no factors in the crime or Horner’s background to justify a sentence of life without parole. Several jurors cried during the trial while viewing video and hearing audio recorded inside the delivery van.
The evidence showed Horner lifting the girl into the vehicle and driving away. He told the child not to scream or he would hurt her, according to the recordings.
Horner eventually covered the camera, but the audio remained active for more than one hour. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported the recordings captured Horner asking the girl about her age and her school before stopping the van.
Horner told the girl they were going to “hang out” and ordered her to remove her shirt. The child began to cry and asked Horner if he was a kidnapper.
When the girl asked why he was taking her, Horner replied, “Because you are pretty,” according to the audio played in court.
Prosecutor James Stainton told jurors that Horner repeatedly lied to investigators. Horner initially told authorities he accidentally hit the girl with his van and killed her because he panicked.
In the recordings, the girl told Horner that her mother said people cannot treat others that way. The recording continues over an hour and Athena’s screams can be heard. At one point he tells her: “If you don’t shut up, I will hurt you worse.”
A medical examiner testified that the girl died from blunt force injuries, smothering, and strangulation.
Defense attorney Steven Goble described the evidence against Horner as overwhelming. He asked the jury for a life sentence, stating Horner’s mother drank during pregnancy and that Horner suffers autism.
The defense also presented evidence that Horner suffered from mental illness and lead exposure.
The girl’s family said the package Horner delivered that day contained a Christmas gift for her. The box held a set of “You Can Be Anything” Barbie dolls.
The trial took place in Fort Worth after attorneys moved the case from Wise County. The defense argued Horner could not receive a fair trial in the smaller community where the crime occurred.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Death Sentence for FedEx Driver Who Killed 7-Year-Old Athena Strand
A Texas judge condemned Tanner Horner to death following a guilty plea and a month of testimony regarding the 2022 abduction
By Kate Byrd
Published: May 6, 2026 6:00 am ET
Left: Tanner Horner during the first day of his trial inFort Worth, TX; Right: Athena Strand (via The Dallas Morning News/Wise County Sheriff's Department)
FORT WORTH, TX — A former FedEx driver was sentenced to death May 5 after he pleaded guilty to killing a 7-year-old girl he kidnapped from her Wise County home while delivering a Christmas gift.
The jury in a Fort Worth courtroom decided the punishment for 34-year-old Tanner Horner following a month of testimony. Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder in October in the 2022 killing of Athena Strand.
The girl disappeared from her home in Paradise, a rural town near Fort Worth. Authorities found her body two days after her family reported her missing.
According to the Associated Press, Horner did not show a visible reaction as the judge read the sentence. The jury determined there was a probability Horner would commit future acts of violence and remain a threat to society.
The jurors stated there were no factors in the crime or Horner’s background to justify a sentence of life without parole. Several jurors cried during the trial while viewing video and hearing audio recorded inside the delivery van.
The evidence showed Horner lifting the girl into the vehicle and driving away. He told the child not to scream or he would hurt her, according to the recordings.
Horner eventually covered the camera, but the audio remained active for more than one hour. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported the recordings captured Horner asking the girl about her age and her school before stopping the van.
Horner told the girl they were going to “hang out” and ordered her to remove her shirt. The child began to cry and asked Horner if he was a kidnapper.
When the girl asked why he was taking her, Horner replied, “Because you are pretty,” according to the audio played in court.
Prosecutor James Stainton told jurors that Horner repeatedly lied to investigators. Horner initially told authorities he accidentally hit the girl with his van and killed her because he panicked.
In the recordings, the girl told Horner that her mother said people cannot treat others that way. The recording continues over an hour and Athena’s screams can be heard. At one point he tells her: “If you don’t shut up, I will hurt you worse.”
A medical examiner testified that the girl died from blunt force injuries, smothering, and strangulation.
Defense attorney Steven Goble described the evidence against Horner as overwhelming. He asked the jury for a life sentence, stating Horner’s mother drank during pregnancy and that Horner suffers autism.
The defense also presented evidence that Horner suffered from mental illness and lead exposure.
The girl’s family said the package Horner delivered that day contained a Christmas gift for her. The box held a set of “You Can Be Anything” Barbie dolls.
The trial took place in Fort Worth after attorneys moved the case from Wise County. The defense argued Horner could not receive a fair trial in the smaller community where the crime occurred.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Death Sentence for FedEx Driver Who Killed 7-Year-Old Athena Strand
A Texas judge condemned Tanner Horner to death following a guilty plea and a month of testimony regarding the 2022 abduction
By Kate Byrd
Published: May 6, 2026 6:00 am ET
Left: Tanner Horner during the first day of his trial inFort Worth, TX; Right: Athena Strand (via The Dallas Morning News/Wise County Sheriff's Department)
FORT WORTH, TX — A former FedEx driver was sentenced to death May 5 after he pleaded guilty to killing a 7-year-old girl he kidnapped from her Wise County home while delivering a Christmas gift.
The jury in a Fort Worth courtroom decided the punishment for 34-year-old Tanner Horner following a month of testimony. Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder in October in the 2022 killing of Athena Strand.
The girl disappeared from her home in Paradise, a rural town near Fort Worth. Authorities found her body two days after her family reported her missing.
According to the Associated Press, Horner did not show a visible reaction as the judge read the sentence. The jury determined there was a probability Horner would commit future acts of violence and remain a threat to society.
The jurors stated there were no factors in the crime or Horner’s background to justify a sentence of life without parole. Several jurors cried during the trial while viewing video and hearing audio recorded inside the delivery van.
The evidence showed Horner lifting the girl into the vehicle and driving away. He told the child not to scream or he would hurt her, according to the recordings.
Horner eventually covered the camera, but the audio remained active for more than one hour. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported the recordings captured Horner asking the girl about her age and her school before stopping the van.
Horner told the girl they were going to “hang out” and ordered her to remove her shirt. The child began to cry and asked Horner if he was a kidnapper.
When the girl asked why he was taking her, Horner replied, “Because you are pretty,” according to the audio played in court.
Prosecutor James Stainton told jurors that Horner repeatedly lied to investigators. Horner initially told authorities he accidentally hit the girl with his van and killed her because he panicked.
In the recordings, the girl told Horner that her mother said people cannot treat others that way. The recording continues over an hour and Athena’s screams can be heard. At one point he tells her: “If you don’t shut up, I will hurt you worse.”
A medical examiner testified that the girl died from blunt force injuries, smothering, and strangulation.
Defense attorney Steven Goble described the evidence against Horner as overwhelming. He asked the jury for a life sentence, stating Horner’s mother drank during pregnancy and that Horner suffers autism.
The defense also presented evidence that Horner suffered from mental illness and lead exposure.
The girl’s family said the package Horner delivered that day contained a Christmas gift for her. The box held a set of “You Can Be Anything” Barbie dolls.
The trial took place in Fort Worth after attorneys moved the case from Wise County. The defense argued Horner could not receive a fair trial in the smaller community where the crime occurred.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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