Horrifying photo shows girl, 7, being driven to her death by FedEx driver delivering her Christmas present

Athena Strand can be seen in the back of Tanner Horner's FedEx van on the day she was strangled in Wise County, Texas, in November 2022.

In the black and white photo, Athena looks uneasy as her killer focuses on the road ahead, having snatched the child while delivering his Christmas present.

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Horner, 35, admitted to the youngster's capital murder in a Tarrant County courthouse on Tuesday morning.

The child murderer had abducted young Athena while delivering a package of Barbie dolls to her father's home in Paradise, a small town about 60 miles northwest of Dallas.

Authorities say the package was intended to be Strand’s Christmas present.

According to the arrest warrant, Horner told investigators he strangled the child after accidentally hitting her with his van while backing it up to make the delivery.

He then "panicked" and put her in the van, despite her having no serious injuries.

Her body was found on December 2, two days after she was reported missing, in a location less than 10 miles away from her home.

Athena had been staying with her father Jacob Strand and his wife Ashley Strand for the Christmas holidays and was set to return to her mother in Oklahoma.

Describing the moments after she realised her stepdaughter had vanished, Ms Strand told the court: "I thought maybe she was just hiding somewhere."

Ms Strand noticed that the package of Barbie dolls that she had ordered for Athena had been dropped off in front of an abandoned trailer that was on their property.

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."