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FedEx driver Tanner Horner pleads guilty to Athena Strand’s murder
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A haunting picture reveals 7-year-old Athena Strand Moments earlier than prosecutors say she was pushed to her loss of life by the FedEx driver who kidnapped and killed her whereas delivering her Christmas current.
The picture, launched by prosecutors on Tuesday, reveals the younger lady standing behind Tanner Horner on the day she was strangled in Texas in November 2022.
In the black-and-white picture, Athena seems visibly uneasy as Horner focuses on the highway forward.
A newly launched picture reveals seven-year-old Athena Strand shortly earlier than prosecutors say she was kidnapped and killed by a FedEx driver delivering her Christmas current. (POOL by way of KDFW-TV)
Horner, 34, a former supply driver accused of kidnapping and strangling the 7-year-old after hitting her together with his van in 2022, admitted to her capital murder in a Tarrant County courthouse on Tuesday morning.
Once the jury was lastly seated on Tuesday morning for the beginning of his trial, Tarrant County Judge George Gallagher requested Horner to stand.
“Mr. Horner, to the charge of capital murder, you may plead guilty or not guilty. What is your plea?” the choose requested.
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“Guilty, your honor,” Horner replied.
“Thank you. I will accept your plea,” the choose mentioned.
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Authorities mentioned Athena Strand, 7, was kidnapped and murdered by 30-year-old FedEx supply driver Tanner Lynn Horner. (Wise County Sheriff’s Office)
Horner admitted to abducting Strand whereas delivering a bundle to his father’s house in Paradise, a city of fewer than 500 individuals about 60 miles northwest of Dallas. Her physique was discovered on Dec. 2 two days after she was reported lacking lower than 10 miles away from the property.
Horner, authorities mentioned, was delivering a bundle of Barbie dolls meant to be Strand’s Christmas current. Athena was set to return to oklahoma together with her mom after the vacations and had been staying together with her father, Jacob Strand, and stepmother, Ashley Strand, in Wise County.
According to the arrest warrantHorner informed investigators that he strangled the 7-year-old after by chance hitting her together with his van whereas making a supply at her father’s house. He mentioned Strand wasn’t critically harm after he hit her whereas backing up, however he panicked and put her in his van.
Athena’s stepmother, Ashley Strand, testified on Tuesday, April 7 about their household’s house within the small metropolis of Paradise, in Wise County. She mentioned they lived in a rural space that did not get a lot site visitors. (POOL by way of KDFW-TV)
On Tuesday, Ashley Strand testified sharing the rapid aftermath when she realized that her stepdaughter had vanished.
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“I thought maybe she was just hiding somewhere,” her stepmom mentioned.
The solely factor she seen that was uncommon or misplaced on the property was a bundle from Walmart containing Barbie dolls that she had ordered for Athena as a Christmas current. It had been dropped off in entrance of an deserted trailer that was on the property.
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Former FedEx supply driver Tanner Horner was dropping off a field of Barbies — a Christmas current for Athena Strand — to her father’s house on Nov. 30, 2022. (Varghese and Summersett Law Group)
Athena was reported lacking, and ultimately an Amber Alert was issued, main to 72 hours of looking out.
Wise County’s former Sheriff Lane Akin additionally testified, sharing that the search efforts for the 7-year-old was a grassroots effort with neighborhood members standing “shoulder to shoulder” with police.
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“I’ll never forget the morning of Dec. 1, citizens came from all parts of Wise County to help us find that child. And we put them to work with our deputies, with our investigators, with our game wardens. It was shoulder to shoulder. We had what we estimated was about 300 citizens and they brought their 4-wheelers. Some brought horses. Some brought dogs,” Akin mentioned. “I appreciate the fact that so many people came out to help us that day.”
Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
