FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Tanner Horner, the FedEx driver who was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering 7-year-old Athena Strand in Texas, was sentenced to death in a case that shocked the United States.
The 34-year-old pleaded guilty just hours before the trial began, and the jury quickly decided to impose the death penalty.
The tragic incident occurred in November 2022 in Paradise, Texas. Horner, while delivering packages, approached the home of little Athena carrying a box of Barbie dolls, intended as a Christmas present. According to authorities, he kidnapped the girl, put her in a FedEx truck and drowned her shortly after, abandoning her body in a creek about 14 kilometers from the house.
In an audio file presented to the court, Athena is heard asking:
" Is this your house?"
Horner replies: “ No, I don’t live near here.”
A little later, the 7-year-old asks, "Where are we going? What are you doing?"
He replies: "We'll stay together for a while."
According to the court, the perpetrator asked the girl to take off her blouse and forced her to be silent when she started crying and asking for her mother.
In one of the most shocking moments of the audio, Athena asks him through tears:
"Are you a kidnapper? Why are you doing this to me?"
Horner replies: "Because you're beautiful. You know that?"
The little girl tries to understand what is happening, while he insists that they will stay together for a while. The audio describes the moment when the 7-year-old tries to find answers and searches for her mother.
After the death penalty was announced, Athena's uncle, Elijah Strand, addressed the killer, saying that his name will be forgotten, while the little girl's name will remain alive in everyone's memory. Prosecutor James Stainton called Athena a "fighter" and emphasized that Horner's crime is an example of why the death penalty continues to be implemented in Texas.
The forensic examination concluded that Athena died of strangulation and asphyxiation, with no signs of sexual abuse. Meanwhile, male DNA was found in samples collected as evidence.
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