During his arrest, a FedEx driver admitted to police that he had callously disposed of a seven-year-old girl’s body in the woods. Tanner Horner, 34, was recorded making this chilling confession on bodycam footage as he was taken into custody for the murder of Athena Strand. The video was presented in court following Horner’s acknowledgment of charges for capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.
Horner is set to face trial soon, with the possibility of receiving either the death penalty or life imprisonment. Prosecutors heavily criticized his deceitful behavior, condemning his repeated lies. The newly released bodycam footage also captured the moment police searched Horner’s residence for any traces of Athena, pressuring him to reveal her whereabouts. Horner eventually admitted, stating that the girl was deceased when he transported her in his truck.
The tragic incident occurred after Horner had delivered Christmas presents to Athena’s home in Fort Worth, Texas, in November 2022. Her lifeless body was discovered two days later, approximately seven miles away from her residence, near a rural road. Initially, Horner had falsely claimed that he accidentally hit Athena with his truck and then strangled her in a state of panic. However, he only confessed to the murder at the commencement of his trial in Dallas this week.
Further revelations in court shed light on Horner’s heinous actions, including his admission of discarding Athena’s body in the woods after her death, although he could not pinpoint the exact location. A disturbing picture presented in court depicted Athena standing behind Horner in his vehicle just before the tragic events unfolded.
Addressing the jury, Wise County District Attorney James Stainton emphasized the gruesome nature of the crime, describing the violence inflicted by a 250lb man on a 67lb child. Jurors were shown video and audio evidence during the hearing, with a warning of the distressing content they would encounter, including the harrowing audio recording of Athena’s killing.
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