Former FedEx driver Tanner Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping on April 7

Athena Strand; Tanner Lynn Horner.

Athena Strand; Tanner Lynn Horner.Credit : Texas EquuSearch/Facebook; WFAA/YouTube

When Athena Strand was found dead in November 2022, it wasn’t long before Tanner Horner was named a suspect in both her kidnapping and death.

Horner was working as a FedEx driver and making deliveries in the 7-year-old’s neighborhood on Nov. 30, 2022, two days before her body was found about 200 yards from her home in Paradise, Texas. According to KDFW-TV, a tip led investigators to the 31-year-old independent contractor, whom authorities allege soon confessed to the killing and even told investigators where to find her body.

In early December, Horner was arrested and charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping. Shortly after, Strand’s mother, Maitlyn Gandy, spoke out on Facebook about her loss and the legacy her young daughter left behind.

“I do not want the bastard that took my baby from me and brutally murdered her to go to any city, town, county, state, or country without every single person knowing her face,” Gandy wrote. “She no longer has a voice but I will be the best voice I can as a mother for her and I will not stop.”

The case reached a turning point on April 7 during Horner’s capital murder trial in Tarrant County, Texas, when he pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping in connection with Strand’s 2022 death.

So, where is Tanner Horner now? Here’s everything to know about his life nearly three years after being named a suspect in Athena Strand’s death and what he’s said about his crimes.

What did Tanner Horner do?

Tanner Lynn Horner.

Tanner Lynn Horner.AP/Shutterstock

Horner, who had been working as a FedEx driver after being hired by contracting company Big Topspin, was making deliveries in Strand’s neighborhood on Nov. 30, 2022.

He reportedly told police that he panicked after striking the young girl with his van while delivering Christmas packages to her home, and ultimately decided to kill her, according to an arrest affidavit previously reviewed by PEOPLE.

During opening statements of Horner’s April 2026 trial, Wise County District Attorney James Stainton said that the “only truthful thing that Tanner Horner told law enforcement was that he killed her,” per NBC News.

“The pattern and web of lies that he put together, it’s going to be hard for y’all to keep up with. It is lie upon lie upon lie upon lie,” Stainton said. “The first thing Tanner Horner says to Athena when he picks her up and puts her in that truck, he leans down and he says: ‘Don’t scream or I’ll hurt you.’ He says that twice.”

Why did Tanner Horner kill Athena Strand?

Athena Strand.

Athena Strand.Texas EquuSearch Facebook

Horner allegedly told police that he killed Strand inside his van because, even though she was allegedly not seriously injured after he struck her, Horner was afraid her father would be upset that he had hit her with his vehicle, per the affidavit.

According to CBS News, he told investigators he “listened to a little voice” and decided to grab Strand, who he described as “a sweet kid,” and leave. Per the outlet, Horner described the incident as feeling like a “dream” or out-of-body experience, and made a comment about liking Strand’s first name because of an interest in mythology.

Horner allegedly told authorities that he tried to break Strand’s neck, but when he couldn’t, he instead strangled her in the back of the vehicle “with his bare hands,” the affidavit states.

During the trial, however, the jury was shown an image that depicted the 7-year-old riding in the back of Horner’s FedEx truck on her knees, while still awake and active, according to the Associated Press.

Where is Tanner Horner now?

Tanner Horner is interviewed by police.

Tanner Horner is interviewed by police.Court TV/Youtube

Nearly two months after his December 2022 arrest, Horner was indicted on charges of aggravated kidnapping and capital murder, which he initially pled not guilty to.

On April 7, however, he pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping during his capital murder trial. Now, jurors will decide whether Horner will face the death penalty or life in prison for his crimes.

Horner’s defense attorney, Steven Goble, spoke in court in January 2026 about the former FedEx worker’s alleged mental illness, lead poisoning and brain damage when telling jurors they would be asked to spare him the death penalty.

“Tanner’s injury actually began before he was born. His mother, Melissa Horner, was working as a stripper when she was pregnant and the way she was able to get on stage to do her job was to drink alcohol,” Goble said, per Fox4 KDFW

The defense attorney added, “If you’re exposed to alcohol prenatal, it doesn’t have to be a lot, it could be in the first trimester. Tanner has unfortunately also suffered various mental illnesses throughout his life that he has been diagnosed and received treatment for. And some of those are ongoing.”

Meanwhile, on April 9, day three of the capital murder trial, Horner spoke a lot about his apparent alter ego, “Zero,” who he claimed was the one who killed Strand that day. Horner said that he tried to calm Strand down after hitting her with his car, but when he was unsuccessful, “Zero kind of took over,” per NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth.

 

“I didn’t do it, but he did, and that’s what f—- with me,” Horner said. “I’m wondering who the hell’s been in my head this whole time.”

 

On May 5, jurors heard closing arguments from the defense and the prosecution. Then, Horner was sentenced to death.