The man accused of killing a little Wise County girl during the holiday season entered a plea of not guilty at a court hearing today.
Tanner Horner, 31, pleaded not guilty to a pair of charges in connection with the killing of Athena Strand, 7.
Horner is charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Investigators say Horner told them that he had panicked after backing his delivery vehicle into Athena in her driveway after delivering her Christmas gift, so he kidnapped her and killed her, first by trying to break her neck, then by strangling her.
Horner was a contract driver for FedEx; Athena's parents, Maitlyn Gandy and Jacob Strand, have now filed lawsuits against Horner, against Big Topspin, the Dallas-based trucking sub-contractor that hired him, and against FedEx which hired Big Topspin.
Gandy was in the courtroom during the arraignment; it was the first time that she had seen her daughter's alleged killer face-to-face.
"This is easily one of the most difficult days of her life," Gandy's lawyer, Benson Varghese, tells KRLD news, "but it was just so important for her to be in the courtroom and to see justice happening."
The case has deeply affected the entire community, including law enforcement.
"There were at least 20 members of law enforcement there, representing a number of law enforcement agencies that were directly involved in the search for Athena Strand and the investigation into her death," says Varghese. "We're very thankful for them being there, many of them came up and spoke to Maitlyn, gave her a hug, and was just there and present for her."
Horner remains behind bars in the Wise County Jail.
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