COURTROOM HORROR: Heartbreaking Final Cries Of Little Athena, As Monster Fedex Driver Orders Her To 'Take Off Your Shirt' And Calling Her 'Really Pretty' Leave Jurors Sobbing In Court

In a Texas courtroom on Thursday, the most devastating audio imaginable was played out loud – the final, terror-filled moments of innocent seven-year-old Athena Strand as she was brutally murdered by the man who had snatched her from her family's driveway.

The little girl, described by those who loved her as a bright, joyful child with her whole life ahead of her, could be heard desperately crying out for her mommy again and again. 'No!' she pleaded. 'Mommy!' Her tiny voice dissolved into screams and sobs as Tanner Horner, the 33-year-old FedEx driver who has already pleaded guilty to her capital murder, strangled the life out of her.

Jurors broke down in tears. Some had to leave the room. Athena's devastated mother, forced to sit through the agony of hearing her baby's last words, had earlier stared the killer down with unimaginable strength as she spoke for the daughter who could no longer speak for herself.

The horrifying details emerged during the sentencing phase of Horner's trial, where a jury must now decide if he lives out his days in prison or faces the ultimate punishment for one of the most evil crimes Texas has ever seen.

According to court testimony reported by NBC, Horner had demanded the terrified child remove her shirt, telling her she was 'really pretty.' When she refused and begged for her mother, the sounds of her crying, screaming and banging filled the courtroom – a nightmarish soundtrack that left even hardened professionals shattered.

And as if the audio from hell wasn't enough, the court was also shown sickening dashcam footage from Horner's own FedEx truck – captured just moments after he had killed Athena and dumped her body.

In the clip, Horner is pulled over while trying to deliver packages on a road that had been blocked off because of the missing girl. A woman approaches and tells him a 'seven-year-old kid' had been kidnapped nearby.'Are you serious?' Horner replies, his voice dripping with fake shock.

But as soon as the woman walks away, his face snaps back to cold, emotionless normal – the mask of horror vanishing in an instant. Pure, calculated evil.

The footage, shared widely on X by conservative commentator Collin Rugg, has been viewed millions of times, sparking a firestorm of outrage across America. Rugg himself called it 'disgusting,' writing: 'He pretends to act horrified, then snaps back to normal when he's not talking to the woman. Pure evil.'Even Elon Musk weighed in with a blunt demand: 'Execute him immediately.'The reactions pouring in from across the country have been raw and furious. Parents clutched their children tighter, tears streaming as they imagined their own little ones in Athena's place. 'Pray for her mother,' one heartbroken X user wrote. 'She is going to be haunted for the rest of her life that her baby called out for her and she could not protect her.'Others called for swift, merciless justice. 'Wood chopper. Now,' posted investigative journalist Laura Loomer. 'Death penalty is too easy,' raged many more, demanding prison justice or worse for the monster who stole an innocent child's life in such a depraved way.

Athena Strand was just seven years old when Horner kidnapped her in December 2022 while delivering packages near her home in Saginaw, Texas. He pleaded guilty earlier this year, admitting to the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder that shattered a family and horrified a nation.

Now, as the jury deliberates between life without parole or the death penalty, one thing is crystal clear to millions watching in disgust: this was no accident, no momentary lapse. It was the cold-blooded act of a predator who looked a terrified little girl in the eye, made her suffer unspeakable fear, and then silenced her forever.

Athena's final words – those desperate calls for 'Mommy' – will echo in the hearts of every parent who hears them. They are a haunting reminder of the precious, fragile lives we hold so dear... and the monsters who walk among us, pretending to be just like everyone else.