Heartbreaking final image released of 7-year-old girl in FedEx truck she was abducted in before her murder

A newly released snap of seven-year-old Athena Strand before she was brutally murdered and dumped into a river, has been released.

The disturbing picture shows the horrified child in the back of a delivery van, after it was alleged that a FedEx driver had abducted her from her Texas home while delivering her Christmas present.

Tanner Horner, 34, shocked a Fort Worth courtroom on Tuesday morning (April 7), as he pleaded guilty to capital murder of a child under 10 and aggravated kidnapping.

The plea came to light before the murder trial kicked off, as jurors were shown the chilling new image among other evidence before being sent off to decide on the fate of the delivery driver, as he could be sentenced to life behind bars.

Newly released image of Athena Strand

The seven-year-old looked terrified in the new photo, which was taken from a camera in Horner's delivery van on November 30, 2022.

As reported by the New York Post, prosecutors presented the black-and-white security image, which showed that Athena was alive and on her knees behind the driver's seat of the delivery vehicle.

Horner could be seen calmly driving and whistling while Athena looked mortified as she stared straight ahead, which prosecutors said disproved his account of a frantic encounter.

Claims during the murder trial

Judge George Gallagher told the jury on Tuesday: “Now your sole duty will be to listen to all of the evidence that is going to be presented to you because you will be using that evidence to determine the proper punishment to be assessed."

An arrest warrant revealed that Horner admitted he had grabbed the youngster and tossed her into his delivery van in a panic, after he claimed he had backed into her outside her father's Texas home.

While Athena was not seriously injured, Horner decided to allegedly murder her as he feared she would tell her father about the incident.

Wise County District Attorney James Stainton told jurors: “She was very much alive and uninjured when he put her in the truck,

“The first thing he said to her was, ‘Don’t scream or I’ll hurt you.’ That’s the first thing out of his mouth. He made good on it.”

Prosecutors will reportedly play jurors the chilling audio from the moment Horner strangled the child to death in his truck, as it was alleged that he covered the camera.

Stainton said that Athena "fought with the strength of 100 men," but warned jurors: "You’re going to hear what a 250-pound man can do to a 67-pound child."

Horner's recollection of events

Stainton said that you "can't unhear" the audio from Athena, adding: "This is the level of cold heartedness that you’re going to see.”

Horner had told police that he tried and failed to break her neck, before strangling her with his bare hands in the truck and dumping her remains in the Trinity River, just 10 miles from her father's home.

Police tracked him down after finding that he had delivered a set of “You Can Be Anything” Barbie dolls, intended to be a Christmas gift for Athena, to the home before her disappearance.

Horner then led police to the child's body just two days after Athena was reported missing by family members.

Featured image credit: Handout/FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth