US3 min(s) read
Published 09:00 10 Apr 2026 GMT
FedEx driver reveals his chilling final words to girl, 7, before murdering her
Disturbing new details have emerged in the killing of seven-year-old Athena Strand, including the alleged final words spoken to her by delivery driver Tanner Horner before her death.
Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping following the November 2022 killing and is now awaiting sentencing, where jurors will decide whether he receives the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
Horner's chilling final words before murdering Athena
Prosecutors say Horner abducted Athena while delivering a package to her home in Fort Worth, reportedly a Christmas gift intended for the young girl. He then forced her into his van and strangled her.
A key piece of evidence presented in the courtroom is audio recorded inside the delivery vehicle. According to prosecutor James Stainton, the first thing Horner said to Athena was a six-word threat: “Don’t scream or I’ll hurt you.”
After covering the onboard camera, Athena’s tragic final moments were captured by a microphone inside the vehicle.
Stainton told jurors: “First thing Tanner Horner says to Athena when he picks her up. Puts her in that truck, leans down, and he says, don't scream or I'll hurt you.”
He warned the court that the evidence they would hear was deeply upsetting, adding: “One thing you’re going to hear that is something you can’t unhear is the level of fight that a seven-year-old girl has.” He described Athena as incredibly brave, saying: “I’ll tell you that little girl right there is a Warrior. She fought with the strength of 100 men.”
Prosecutors also pointed to strong forensic evidence, including Horner’s DNA found under Athena’s fingernails and in “places where you shouldn't find DNA.”
The murderer's eventual admission
Initially, Horner claimed he had accidentally hit the child with his vehicle before panicking, but that version of events has been dismissed. Images shown in court appear to show Athena inside the van alive and conscious, contradicting his earlier account.
Further footage from the vehicle’s dashcam allegedly shows Horner placing a young girl into the back of the van, a moment prosecutors say is central to the case.
Bodycam footage shown in court captured the moment Horner began to admit what had happened. When questioned by police about Athena’s whereabouts, he told them: “I can show you.”
When asked directly, “Is she alive?” Horner replied: “She wasn't alive when I put her in the truck.”
The court heard that after killing her, he left Athena’s body in a rural area near the Trinity River, where she was later found.
Jurors were also shown a haunting image believed to capture some of Athena’s final moments, standing behind Horner inside the moving van.
Addressing the court, Stainton warned of the graphic nature of the evidence, saying: “You are going to hear what a 250lb man can do to a 67lb child. And when I say it's horrible, I mean it...” He added: “I'm going to put you as close as you can be without actually being there that day. We have video of it and we're going to show it now.”
With Horner’s admissions meaning that he was found guilty of the crimes committed, he now awaits his sentencing.