<p>Justice for a joyful little girl who was abducted outside her rural Texas home and murdered by a stranger driving a delivery truck.</p><p>MaryAnn Martinez, the Daily Mail’s Texas bureau chief, was in the courtroom as a jury sealed the fate of 7-year-old Athena Strand’s killer, Tanner Horner.</p><p>Athena, a first-grader with an affinity for the outdoors and the color pink, was abused and tortured by Horner, a FedEx driver, before he killed her and callously discarded her tiny frame in a nearby creek on Nov. 30, 2022.</p><p>A frantic, multi-day search for Athena ensued. The child’s death traumatized her rural community.</p><p>Horner pleaded guilty to murder and kidnapping in April but a jury still had to determine his fate, which in Texas included the possibility of the death penalty. After a five-week trial,</p><p>Athena’s family watched as the panel found that Horner should be executed by lethal injection.</p><p>On this episode, Martinez discusses the case with host Kayla Brantley and takes us inside the courtroom for the dramatic last moments of the proceeding.</p><p>We also learn what is expected to happen next as Horner waits on death row.</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Email us: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[email protected]</a>&nbsp;</li><li>WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial</li><li>Presenter: Kayla Brantley</li><li>Producers: Shayna Jacobs and Lucy Robson</li><li>Editor: Chelsey Ranore</li><li>Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham</li><li>Executive Producer: Jamie East</li></ul><p><br></p><br><p><br></p><br><p>Follow us on TikTok: @DailyMailCrime</p><p>Email us:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[email protected]</a></p><p>WhatsApp us:&nbsp;<a href="tel:+447796657512" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">+44 7796 657512</a>&nbsp;Start your message with Trial</p><br><p>Presenter: Kayla Brantley</p><p>Producer: Lucy Robson</p><p>Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham</p><p>Executive Producer: Jamie East</p><br><p><a href="https://link.news.dailymail.co.uk/join/4w5/crime-desk-sign-up?utm_source=dailymail.co.uk&amp;[%E2%80%A6]&amp;utm_term=crime_newsletter_podcast&amp;utm_budgetpot=organic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter</strong></a>. <strong> </strong></p><p>It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>