PARADISE, TEXAS (VINnews) – A FedEx driver who pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murdering 7-year-old Athena Strand was sentenced Tuesday to death by lethal injection.
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Tanner Horner was convicted in the December 2022 slaying of Strand, whom he abducted while delivering a Barbie doll to her home in this North Texas town. A jury deliberated for three hours before imposing the death penalty.
During the trial, jurors broke down in tears as they heard audio of the final moments of Strand’s life, according to testimony and media reports. Horner is heard telling the girl to remove her shirt and commenting that she was “really pretty.” Athena repeatedly asked for her mother and said “no” before sounds of crying, screaming and banging were captured on the recording, NBC reported.
Horner snatched the child during the delivery and killed her shortly afterward. He pleaded guilty earlier in the proceedings.
The case drew national attention as details emerged of the abduction of the young girl from her family’s doorstep.
Authorities have not released additional details on the execution timeline, which in Texas typically follows years of appeals.
Sick! Why do you need to post things like this on our Frum website?
They should bring back the death penalty to NY.
What a miscarriage of justice.
Justice is a bullet NOW.
And a few Millions $ settlement from Fedex for hiring SICK MONSTERS and endangering the public.
Authorities should have given the murderer into the hands of the girl’s family.
Next Dem President will pardon him . This way he’s protected on death row until the time comes.
I hope he’ll be okay.
So now he’ll sit for ten years and some nice Jewish lawyer will argue insanity . No normal person does this so he must be insane
The death penalty seems well deserved in this case, but it seems unusual that he would plead guilty and still get the death penalty. Sounds like a case of ineffective assistance of counsel.