FedEx driver who murdered 7-year-old Athena Strand has been sentenced to face “Wrath of God”

FedEx driver Tanner Horner has been sentenced for the murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand by a Texas jury.

Tanner Horner, 34, pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping on April 7, just before his trial was set to begin. He abducted Athena Strand from her father’s home in Texas on November 30, 2022.

That day, Horner had delivered a package intended as a Christmas gift for the little girl, containing Barbie dolls. He later strangled Athena inside his delivery truck before disposing of her body in a wooded area nearby.

The trial has been ongoing for weeks, with disturbing evidence shown detailing what happened inside the delivery truck. According to reports, the footage was so gut-wrenching that jurors were seen crying, while Athena’s family had to leave the courtroom.

During the first day of the trial, Wise County District Attorney James Stainton warned jurors about the brutal evidence they would see.

“You’re going to hear what a 250-pound man can do to a 67-pound child. And when I say it’s horrible, I mean it,” he told the jury, according to New York Post.

“I’ve been doing this 25 years, and I promise you, buckle up.”