Athena Strand photo shows deadly ride with FedEx driver who admitted killing girl during Christmas delivery

A haunting photo shows 7-year-old Athena Strand moments before prosecutors say she was driven to her death by the FedEx driver who abducted and killed her while delivering her Christmas present.

The image, released by prosecutors on Tuesday, shows the young girl standing behind Tanner Horner on the day she was strangled in Texas in November 2022.

In the black-and-white photo, Athena appears visibly uneasy as Horner focuses on the road ahead.

Horner, 34, a former delivery driver accused of kidnapping and strangling the 7-year-old after hitting her with his van in 2022, admitted to her capital murder in a Tarrant County courthouse on Tuesday morning.

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Once the jury was finally seated on Tuesday morning for the start of his trial, Tarrant County Judge George Gallagher asked Horner to stand. 

"Mr. Horner, to the charge of capital murder, you may plead guilty or not guilty. What is your plea?" the judge asked.

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"Guilty, your honor," Horner replied.

"Thank you. I will accept your plea," the judge said.

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Horner admitted to abducting Strand while delivering a package to her father’s home in Paradise, a town of fewer than 500 people about 60 miles northwest of Dallas. Her body was found on Dec. 2 two days after she was reported missing less than 10 miles away from the property.

Horner, authorities said, was delivering a package of Barbie dolls intended to be Strand’s Christmas present. Athena was set to return to Oklahoma with her mother after the holidays and had been staying with her father, Jacob Strand, and stepmother, Ashley Strand, in Wise County.

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According to the arrest warrant, Horner told investigators that he strangled the 7-year-old after accidentally hitting her with his van while making a delivery at her father’s home. He said Strand wasn't seriously hurt after he hit her while backing up, but he panicked and put her in his van. 

On Tuesday, Ashley Strand testified sharing the immediate aftermath when she realized that her stepdaughter had vanished.

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"I thought maybe she was just hiding somewhere," her stepmom said.

The only thing she noticed that was unusual or out of place on the property was a package from Walmart containing Barbie dolls that she had ordered for Athena as a Christmas present. It had been dropped off in front of an abandoned trailer that was on the property.

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Athena was reported missing, and eventually an Amber Alert was issued, leading to 72 hours of searching.

Wise County's former Sheriff Lane Akin also testified, sharing that the search efforts for the 7-year-old was a grassroots effort with community members standing "shoulder to shoulder" with police.

"I'll never forget the morning of Dec. 1, citizens came from all parts of Wise County to help us find that child. And we put them to work with our deputies, with our investigators, with our game wardens. It was shoulder to shoulder. We had what we estimated was about 300 citizens and they brought their 4-wheelers. Some brought horses. Some brought dogs," Akin said. "I appreciate the fact that so many people came out to help us that day."

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.