Tanner Horner Arrested for Abduction and Murder of 7-Year-Old Athena Strand

Tanner Horner, a former delivery driver, has pleaded guilty to the capital murder and aggravated kidnapping of seven-year-old Athena Strand in Tarrant County, Texas.

The guilty plea occurred on Tuesday, April 8, 2026, during the start of his trial. Following the admission, the court immediately entered the punishment phase to determine if Horner will receive the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

Details of the Crime

The case dates back to 2022, when Athena Strand disappeared from her home in Paradise, Texas. According to arrest records and court testimony, Horner was delivering a package containing a Christmas gift to the child’s home when he allegedly struck her with his delivery truck while backing out of the driveway.

Horner told investigators that he panicked and abducted the girl, fearing she would inform her father about the accident. Prosecutors stated that Horner’s initial claims that the girl was not seriously injured after being hit were untruthful.

During the kidnapping, prosecutor James Stainton told jurors that Horner told the child, Don’t scream or I’ll hurt you, as he placed her in the vehicle.

Court Proceedings and Evidence

During the sentencing phase, jurors were shown interrogation videos in which Horner admitted to strangling the seven-year-old. In the footage, Horner told investigators that the child wasn’t alive when I put her in the truck and later described how he just kind of tossed her in the woods.

The trial included testimony from FBI Special Agent Patrick McGuire, who explained that the FBI assisted local agencies with the kidnapping investigation and specifically investigated the package delivered to the Strand home around the time of the disappearance.

Horner was originally indicted on February 16, 2023, for capital murder of a person under the age of 10 and aggravated kidnapping.

Impact and Legal Aftermath

In response to the tragedy, a new law called Athena Alerts was implemented to help law enforcement disseminate information about missing children to the public more rapidly.

The case has also led to civil litigation. Athena’s father, Jacob Strand, filed a lawsuit in 2022 against Tanner Horner, FedEx, and the contractor that employed Horner at the time of the crime.

The jury is currently weighing the evidence to decide the final sentence for the 34-year-old former driver.