FBI Reveals Killer's Post-Kidnapping Searches

Tanner Horner, 34, a former FedEx delivery driver convicted of murdering 7-year-old Athena Strand, searched his cellphone for 'missing girl' and 'whether FedEx truck cameras record' shortly after the crime, court proceedings revealed. The evidence was presented during the sentencing phase of the trial, which includes the possibility of the death penalty, through the testimony of an FBI digital forensic expert.

Scott Morris, a digital forensic investigator with the FBI, revealed Tanner Horner's cellphone search history, stating that on December 1, 2022, he discovered the phrase 'Paradise missing girl' and the search query 'Does FedEx truck camera continuously record?' on Horner's device.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Jessica Dwyer testified that Athena Strand's cause of death was a combination of blunt force trauma, asphyxiation, and strangulation.

Prosecutors presented recordings of a phone call between Horner and his mother. In the call, his mother asked, "What have you done? Did the child die alone?" Horner responded, "No." When his mother inquired if he sexually abused the child, Horner denied it.