FedEx driver who kidnapped and killed girl, 7, writes letter to her family and police from jail
Warning: This article contains contents which some readers may find distressing.
Athena Strand's killer penned a letter to her family apologising for 'taking their little angel away' - before chillingly claiming he 'wasn't the only one involved' in another addressed to investigators.
Tanner Horner, 34, confessed to abducting and murdering the seven-year-old on 30 November, 2022, after delivering a parcel to her dad's home in Paradise, Texas.
Jurors - who were left in tears after listening to distressing audio of the little girl's final moments last week - must now decide if the former FedEx driver should face the death penalty or life in prison.
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Horner has claimed that he panicked after hitting Athena with his truck on that fateful day and feared she would tell her parents - so he bundled her into his vehicle and horrifically strangled her to death in the back of it.
Heartbreakingly, audio recorded from inside the vehicle captured the youngster asking him if he was 'a kidnapper' before pleading for her mother and tearfully begging to be taken home.
Wise County District Attorney James Stainton previously told the court in Fort Worth that the killer had spun a 'web of lies' about what happened on the day of Athena's death.
"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'," Stainton said. "He says that twice."
Upon his arrest in December 2022, Horner - who has Asperger’s syndrome - told detectives that his 'alter ego', who he dubbed 'Zero', took over after he kidnapped the child, as per CBS News.
He explained he 'listened to a little voice' when he made the decision to snatch her from her family home, and 'listened to that little voice' again before deciding to kill her.
Video footage recorded from inside his van captured Horner attempting to clean up the murder scene before heading back to the FedEx facility and asking if he could use the same vehicle the next day.
"It smells like barf in here… it must have been something I ate," he chillingly told his colleagues when offering some reasoning behind why he wanted the same truck, according to reports.
While awaiting trial for Athena's murder, Horner tried to take his own life in jail in 2023. A number of letters were found littered in his cell by Sgt. Brett Yaro after the inmate was taken to hospital.
One was addressed to 'Athena's Family', while another was intended for 'Detectives ONLY!!!' and a third was written for the Legacy Church in Springtown. Three other letters to different people were also discovered.
Horner's letter to Athena's family
Horner spoke of the devastation he had caused the little girl's loved ones in a two-page letter, which began with him saying: "I want to start by saying how sorry I am about Athena."
He went on: "I've done a terrible thing to your family and I'm sorry. I can't tell you how many countless nights I've stayed awake, unable to sleep. I pray for all of you. So many people were affected by my breakdown.
"Not just your family, but my own as well. You'll never get to see your baby girl grow up and I'm sorry. Now my son is going to grow up without his father and protector. I owe it to you all to explain where my mind was at."
He then referenced having Asperger's syndrome, which he said means that he doesn't cope well with changes that are 'unpredictable in nature'.
Horner claimed he was initially given one route to follow when he started his role as a delivery driver, but alleged that his employer started 'making random changes' to his route 'so they could make more money'.
He alleged that this left him considering suicide at one point, adding: "The only thing that stopped me was thinking of my son growing up without his father."
After sharing various complaints about his job, the killer then said: "I'm sorry I allowed my mental state to be unstable. I'm sorry I took your little angel away from you. She didn't deserve it. Y'all didn't deserve it.
"My son didn't deserve to lose his father. My mother didn't deserve to lose her son. My fiancé didn't deserve to have her wedding day stripped away from her.
"I pray that my death eases your suffering in some way. The only thing I ask is for forgiveness and for you to remember my son and show him some grace and mercy for he no longer has his father. I love you all and I'm sorry."
Horner's letter to detectives
Despite him since taking responsibility for Athena's suffering, Horner made a bombshell claim in a letter to detectives that he penned two days before he was set to be arraigned.
"I'm worried that I'll be killed either to or from my way to court," the dad wrote. "The day Athena was killed, I wasn't the only one involved."
He alleged that after arriving at the family home in Paradise, an 'older man' pulled a rifle on him and demanded that he hand over his wallet.
"It's weird, he almost expected me to be there," Horner claimed. "After he checked my wallet, he gave me instructions after handing my wallet back. He told me to take the girl and bring her to a specific spot.
"He gave me a change of clothes for the girl and told me to have her change into them before handing her over to him. He had threatened my family and I didn't know what to do, so I just went along with it."
Horner said that if something happened to him en route to court, he would 'assume' that the mystery older man was responsible.
"When I handed her over, it seemed like she knew him," he went on to allege in the letter. "It kind of freaked me out when she calmed down after seeing him."
Horner then claimed that he then watched the man park next to the creek where Athena's body was found two days after her death, before returning to the scene the following day and finding her lifeless body.
The inmate said that he then placed her into the water, before telling investigators: "This is between me and you, detective. As long as it stays between us, my family stays safe. I'll gladly keep the blame as long as they're safe."
Prosecutors have previously said they are seeking the death penalty, although Horner's legal team have urged the jury to spare him this fate.
His lawyer Steven Goble told the court back in January that he has 'suffered various mental illnesses throughout his life', adding that 'some of these are ongoing'.
Citing alleged lead poisoning and brain damage that his client has suffered, the attorney said, as per Fox4 KDFW: "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.
"If you're exposed to alcohol prenatal, it doesn't have to be a lot, it could be in the first trimester."
Tragically, Athena's former school teacher also previously told the court how the little girl's final journal entry at school was about 'stranger danger', according to the publication.
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.
Topics: US News, Crime, True Crime
Olivia Burke