Former FedEx driver pleads guilty in killing seven-year-old girl

FORT WORTH (DMN) – The former FedEx driver charged with killing 7-year-old Athena Strand after delivering a Christmas package to her family’s Wise County home pleaded guilty Tuesday before his capital murder trial even began. Tanner Horner’s plea before State District Judge George Gallagher will send the case directly into sentencing. A jury will have the choice to sentence Horner to death or life in prison without parole. The Dallas Morning News reports that Athena’s body was found two days after she went missing and several miles away, after investigators said Horner led them to it. A medical examiner ruled she died from blunt force trauma and strangulation. No evidence of sexual assault was found. Although the case is based in Wise County, it was moved to nearby Tarrant due to argument that Horner could not get a fair trial in Wise County. Horner is charged with capital murder of a child under the age of 10 and aggravated kidnapping. He has remained jailed since his arrest. Horner was charged with three unrelated counts of child sexual assault shortly after being taken into custody in Athena’s slaying. These charges are separate and reportedly occurred in a 2013 incident. Athena’s family later sued FedEx and Big Topspin Inc., the Dallas-Fort Worth-based contractor that hired Horner on the bases of lack or proper background checks on drivers. A nondisclosure agreement entered in the case prevented family attorney Paul Belew from disclosing what happened.