FedEx Driver Who Murdered 7-Year-Old Girl Seen Reacting To Woman Who Tells Him About Kidnapping
Awful story out of Paradise, Texas, as a FedEx driver accused of abducting and strangling a seven-year-old girl has pleaded guilty to the murder.
Tanner Horner, 34, snatched 7-year-old Athena Strand as he was delivering a Barbie doll to her home meant as a Christmas present in November 2022.
During the trial this week, jurors watched a clip of Tanner returning to the scene of the kidnapping in his FedEx truck the next day honking and yelling at the search party. He then acts shocked when a neighbour tells him that a “seven-year-old kid” has been kidnapped: “Are you serious? That’s what all this is for? Are you serious?”
NEW: Tanner Horner, who pleaded guilty to murdering 7-year-old Athena Strand, seen on camera reacting to a woman telling him that a "seven-year-old kid" had been kidnapped.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 16, 2026
During the trial today, jurors broke down in tears after audio footage was played of Horner killing Athena… pic.twitter.com/ujrM7nunie
Jurors broke down in tears after audio footage was also played of Horner killing Athena after he told her to take off her shirt and told her she was “really pretty.”
Athena asked Horner: “are you a kidnapper?” and repeatedly asked for the mother.
NBC reported: “Horner is then heard asking Athena to remove her shirt, and there are several moments when she says “no” and asks for her mom. That was followed by repeated sounds of crying, screaming and banging.”
Horner initially claimed he accidentally hit her with his van and panicked, but digital evidence and surveillance footage showed the girl was unharmed when she entered the vehicle.
He then blamed the murder on an alter ego named “Zero”, claiming that “Zero” took over his body and that he felt like he was in a “dream” or having an out-of-body experience.
Though he has not been convicted of a sexual crime, prosecutors also presented significant evidence and testimony related to sexual assault. Horner denies this, claiming he did not rape her because his medication caused him to have a “low libido.”
The jury must now decide whether to sentence Horner to the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
It’s a tough choice, and to be honest, neither punishment feels harsh enough. Just an unbelievably disturbing case to read about so I can only imagine what the parents are going through. If he does receive the death penalty, here’s hoping he has enough time in prison beforehand to let the other inmates “take care of him” a bit.
RIP Athena Strand and thoughts with her family.
For the moment a 92-year-old Ipswich man was arrested for a murder he committed in 1967, click HERE.
