Jurors in a Texas courtroom are now hearing chilling new details about the man who admitted to killing 7-year-old Athena Strand — including a handwritten letter he sent to her grieving family.
According to the New York Post, the letter, written by former FedEx driver Tanner Horner, surfaced during proceedings as the court considers whether he should face the death penalty or spend life in prison.
Horner, 34, wrote the note in 2023 while behind bars, shortly before attempting to take his own life.
“I’m sorry I took your little angel away from you. She didn’t deserve it. Ya’ll didn’t deserve it,” he wrote.
“I pray that my death eases your suffering in some way.”
The letter was one of several writings discovered in his jail cell after the suicide attempt, according to testimony presented in court.
Despite the apology, prosecutors argue the case against Horner is defined by deception.
Horner has already admitted to abducting and killing Athena after delivering a package to her home in 2022. However, authorities say his explanations of what happened have repeatedly shifted.
Initially, he claimed he accidentally struck the child with his delivery vehicle before killing her in a panic. But prosecutors have challenged that version of events, pointing to surveillance footage that shows the girl inside his truck after the alleged incident.
Wise County District Attorney James Stainton told jurors that Horner threatened the child moments after taking her.
“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,” Stainton said.
“The only truthful thing that Tanner Horner told law enforcement was that he killed her,” he added. “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.”
In his letter, Horner also reflected on his own life, writing about the impact his actions would have on his son.
“Just know I have found God through all of this,” he wrote. “I love you all and I’m sorry.”
He has also claimed that an alter ego he called “Zero” was responsible for the crime.
Defense attorneys have argued that Horner’s actions were influenced by a brain injury and autism, while prosecutors continue to portray him as fully responsible.
The trial will ultimately determine whether Horner receives the death penalty or a sentence of life imprisonment for the killing that has shaken the community.
