A chilling new detail is taking center stage in the murder case of seven-year-old Athena Strand – a moment that captures the terrifying reality of her final minutes.
Tanner Horner, 34, pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping just as his trial was set to begin, and is now awaiting sentencing. Horner had been dropping off a package before kidnapping 7-year-old Athena Strand from her father’s home in Texas.
According to an arrest warrant, Horner admitted to grabbing the young girl and putting her in his van, saying he panicked after accidentally backing into her outside the home. Prosecutors, however, claim that Athena was not seriously injured, and that what happened next was therefore a deliberate decision.
As the case moves into its next phase, prosecutors are focusing on what they describe as some of the most disturbing evidence yet, including audio recorded inside Horner’s delivery van. According to prosecutor James Stainton, the first words Horner said to Athena after abducting her were: “Don’t scream or I’ll hurt you.”
“First thing Tanner Horner says to Athena when he picks her up. Puts her in that truck, leans down, and he says, don’t scream or I’ll hurt you,” Stainton told the court, according to VT.
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