A former FedEx driver pleaded guilty Tuesday to killing a 7-year-old girl after delivering a Christmas gift to her Texas home, where he told authorities he accidentally struck her with his van and then strangled her in a fit of panic. “The only truthful thing that Tanner Horner told law enforcement was that he killed her,” Wise County District Attorney James Stainton said during opening statements. It is lie upon lie upon lie upon lie.”Advertisement AdvertisementAs Athena’s stepmother testified, the jury was shown an image of Athena taken from a video inside the delivery truck. Stainton told jurors that the evidence in the case is “rough,” and they will watch video and then hear audio after the camera has been covered up. Horner told investigators that Athena wasn’t seriously hurt after he hit her while backing up, but he panicked and put her in his van.

Source: CNN April 07, 2026 23:21 UTC