'She fought with the strength of 100 men': FedEx driver admits killing 7-year-old in back of van after delivering package of Barbie dolls

A 34-year-old transportation operator has admitted to killing 7-year-old Athena Strand, abruptly ending what was already a highly affectional proceedings wrong the Texas courtroom.

Tanner Horner pleaded blameworthy connected Tuesday to 1 number each of superior murder and aggravated kidnapping, leaving jurors to present decide whether to springiness him beingness successful situation oregon the decease penalty. Horner had been acceptable to stand proceedings for the child's murder, but moments earlier proceedings began, helium entered the blameworthy plea, instantly shifting the lawsuit into the punishment phase.

Because prosecutors are seeking the decease penalty, the assemblage volition inactive find Horner's punishment.

In opening statements for the punishment phase, authoritative Patrick Berry warned jurors astir the disturbing grounds they are expected to spot and hear, including audio from wrong the transportation van wherever Athena was killed.

"You're gonna perceive what a 250-pound antheral tin bash to a 67-pound child," Berry said. "And erstwhile I accidental it's horrible, I mean it. I've been doing this 25 years and I committedness you: buckle up."

Berry added that portion the presumption of the existent sidesplitting was obstructed, jurors would perceive audio capturing the child's last moments.

"The 1 happening you're gonna perceive — that is thing you can't unhear — is the level of combat that a 7-year-old miss has erstwhile she's facing down definite death," helium said. "We speech astir warriors successful America. I'll archer you, that small miss close determination is simply a warrior. She fought with the spot of 100 men."

Elizabeth "Ashley" Strand, Athena's stepmother who reported her missing, testified astir the lasting trauma connected the family, saying her different girl present runs and hides astatine the show of transportation drivers and suffers from nightmares.

Investigators besides took the stand, including then-Sheriff Lane Akin, who became affectional recalling the infinitesimal helium informed the household that Athena's assemblage had been recovered successful a assemblage of h2o miles from her home.

"It was heartbreaking, and they were conscionable devastated," Akin said. "I privation I could person done thing to marque it better. We were hoping, close to the past minute, that she was live and well."

Testimony further showed that Horner initially gave investigators inconsistent accounts of his actions, astatine archetypal claiming helium did not retrieve being astatine the location earlier aboriginal saying helium stopped deliveries due to the fact that helium felt sick.

The lawsuit stems from Athena's disappearance connected Nov. 30, erstwhile authorities learned a FedEx bundle had been delivered to her location astir the aforesaid clip she vanished, according to a antecedently reported apprehension warrant affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.

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Investigators identified the transportation motortruck and reviewed interior camera footage, which allegedly showed that the operator — aboriginal identified arsenic Horner — "had taken a young miss who was visually akin to Athena successful his van." The footage besides showed Horner speaking with her successful the vehicle.

After being located by authorities, Horner allegedly confessed to striking Athena with his motortruck earlier abducting and sidesplitting her.

"[Horner] stated erstwhile helium was backing up successful his FedEx motortruck helium accidentally deed Athena with the truck, but she was not earnestly injured, [and he] panicked and enactment her successful the van," the affidavit states. "[Horner] stated Athena was live astatine that time, talking to him, and told him her sanction was Athena."

He allegedly told investigators helium past decided to termination the child.

"[Horner] stated helium attempted to interruption Athena's cervix to termination her," the affidavit says. "[Horner] stated, erstwhile helium attempted to interruption Athena's cervix it did not enactment truthful helium strangled her with his bare hands successful the backmost of the FedEx van."

Horner allegedly said helium killed the kid due to the fact that helium believed "she was going to archer her begetter astir being deed by the FedEx truck," according to the affidavit.

Authorities aboriginal said Horner led investigators to a determination adjacent the Trinity River successful Boyd, Texas, wherever Athena's assemblage was recovered astir 10 miles from her home.

At the time, Athena's mother, Maitlyn Gandy, said the bundle Horner delivered contained a Christmas acquisition for her girl — a "You Can Be Anything" Barbie — and noted the miss had been readying to instrumentality location to Oklahoma aft the vacation break.

Jurors volition present perceive further grounds earlier deciding whether Horner volition walk the remainder of his beingness successful situation oregon beryllium sentenced to death.