Athena Strand was a 7-year-old girl who lived in Paradise, Texas, with her father and stepmother. On November 30, 2022, she was expecting a Christmas delivery of a box of Barbie dolls, which was delivered by former FedEx driver Tanner Horner. Athena was last seen around 5:45 PM that day, and her disappearance triggered an immediate search.
Investigators focused on Tanner Horner after the search failed, as he had been delivering packages in the neighborhood during her disappearance. FBI Special Agent Patrick McGuire was assigned to investigate the package delivered to Athena's home around the time she disappeared.
Just get in the back of the van, we're going to go to the hospital.
A SWAT team searched Horner's home and found items of Athena's clothing, including her socks and underwear thrown in a bin. Police found an image from Horner's truck camera showing Athena alive in the vehicle as he drove her away, contradicting his initial story. A few days later, FBI Special Agent Patrick McGuire obtained dash camera video from Horner's truck showing Horner placing a small girl into the back of his FedEx van.
Horner initially claimed he struck Athena with his delivery van while backing up near her home, framing her death as an accident. Horner later admitted that Athena was alive after the incident, speaking and telling him her name. Horner said Athena wasn't seriously hurt after he hit her, but he panicked and put her in his van. Horner said he tried to calm Athena down, but when unsuccessful, an alter-ego he called 'Zero' took over and told her to get in the van to go to the hospital.
I wasn't worried about losing my freedom because hitting her was an accident, but was worried about losing my job.
Horner said he panicked, fearing Athena would tell her father and he would lose his job. Horner put Athena in his truck and drove away instead of getting help. Horner confessed he tried to break Athena's neck and, when that failed, strangled her with his bare hands in the back of the van. Horner said Zero killed Athena, and he felt like Zero pulled the trigger while he tried to stop it. Athena was strangled to death by Horner in his truck, with her last minutes captured by a microphone after he covered a camera inside.
After killing Athena, Horner dumped her body beside a country road near a river, about nine miles from her home. Horner led Texas Rangers on a wild goose chase, initially claiming he tossed her body in a bamboo thicket, but later led them to Bobo's Crossing on the Trinity River near Boyd, Texas, where her body was found on December 2. The warrant said Horner took investigators to where he left Athena's body. Athena was naked when her body was discovered.
It's common for local agencies to request help from the FBI with missing child or kidnapping investigations.
Tanner Horner's sentencing trial included horrific evidence, such as grisly images and audio from inside his FedEx truck during the killing. The evidence included excerpts from an hour-long video of Horner strangling Athena. A forensic crime scene investigator testified that a forensic test revealed a large amount of bodily fluids had been cleaned inside the truck, believed to be from the strangulation. When Athena's body was found, there were marks on her face consistent with the floor of the van.
Horner had previously pleaded not guilty but changed his plea to guilty on the eve of the trial. Horner is facing a sentencing trial where jurors will decide if he should receive the death penalty for murder. Horner is facing aggravated kidnapping and capital murder charges. The capital murder trial for Tanner Horner began with a guilty plea, and the punishment phase of the trial began immediately after the guilty plea.
Horner said he didn't remember making a delivery at Athena's home.
Horner was an independent contractor working with FedEx. Wise County's former sheriff, Lane Akin, was sworn in to testify before the jury. Sheriff Lane Akin was the sheriff in office in November 2022 when Athena disappeared.
Prosecutors have indicated there is DNA evidence of sexual assault.
After agents tracked Horner down in person, he admitted he did recall the delivery, claiming he saw a green van leaving the family's driveway and then claiming he went home sick after making the delivery.
The exact content of the audio and video evidence from Horner's truck remains largely undisclosed to the public, leaving unanswered questions about what precisely it reveals about the moments leading up to and during the killing.
It remains unclear why Tanner Horner changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on the eve of the trial, and what negotiations or considerations influenced this decision. The jury's final sentencing decision regarding the death penalty versus life imprisonment for Tanner Horner remains pending as the punishment phase continues.
I warned other law enforcement officers to be on the lookout for a green Chevy Astro van, which I now believe never existed.
Athena's nude body was found in an area of the Trinity River called Bobo Crossing, about 13 miles away from her home by car.