![\"Christmas](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-130123885,imgsize-133624,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/130123885.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nAthena Strand was only seven years old when she went missing from her home in Wise County, Texas, on November 30, 2022. Two days later, she was found dead. She had been staying with her dad and stepmom and was just playing near her house when the incident happened.According to the authorities, former FedEx<\/a> driver Tanner Horner, who was delivering Christmas packages to Athena\u2019s home, allegedly struck the girl with his van. Panicking, he placed her in his vehicle, and, according to prosecutors, ultimately strangled her in the back of the truck. The tragic irony: Athena had just received a box of \u201cYou Can Be Anything\u201d Barbies, a gift meant to inspire her dreams.<\/p>\n Horner, a contract driver for Topspin delivering for FedEx, was arrested days after Athena went missing. Court documents reveal that he confessed to the murder and led authorities to the location where her body was discovered, near a river about nine miles from her home. He was charged with capital murder, aggravated kidnapping, and additional sexual assault counts, though the full scope of those charges remains under investigation.<\/p>\n During opening statements, Wise County District Attorney James Stainton called Horner\u2019s story \u201ca web of lies,\u201d saying the only truth he told was that he killed Athena. Prosecutors also presented video evidence showing Athena alive in the back of Horner\u2019s truck, contradicting his claims that he panicked after an accidental strike.<\/p>\n Athena\u2019s mother, Maitland Gandy, expressed heartbreak over the loss: \u201cAthena was robbed of the opportunity to be anything she wanted to be\u2026 I was robbed of watching her grow up by a man that everyone was supposed to be able to trust.\u201dBoth of Athena\u2019s parents have filed lawsuits against FedEx and Topspin, claiming negligence and failure to properly vet Horner before entrusting him with deliveries.<\/p>\n Horner\u2019s attorney, Steven Goble, told the jury that Horner has autism and lifelong mental health issues, allegedly exacerbated by prenatal alcohol exposure and lead poisoning. Goble asked jurors to sentence him to life in prison, rather than the death penalty.Over three years after the horrific killing, Tanner Horner has pleaded guilty, leaving the jury to determine whether he will face execution or spend life behind bars.<\/div>\n\nInvestigation and arrest<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Trial opens with shocking details<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Family speaks out<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Defense cites mental health issues<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n