Defendant is Tanner Lynn Horner (age ~35, ~31 when he committed the crime), former FedEx delivery driver.
Date of Crime: November 30, 2022.
This is in Texas, the Death Penalty is on the table.
What happend: Horner arrived at the Strand family home to deliver a Christmas gift package. According to evidence, and to his own admissions, he struck Athena with his delivery van, then kidnapped her "out of panic". He assaulted her (including sexual assault, per trail evidence - DNA), strangled her to death, and dumped her body in a creek/bridge area near the Trinity River about 9 miles from her home. Her body was found 2 days later.
Horner was arrested shortly after the crime, confessed, then led authorities to the body. He was indicted on aggravated kidnapping and capital murder of a person under 10.
This is the closing arguments of the Sentencing phase. We will likely know later today if Horner will be sentenced to death.