Monster FedEx driver Tanner Horner sang ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ as he murdered Athena Strand, chilling audio shows

Nypost · Apr 20, 2026 · 424 words · By Patrick Reilly

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Monster FedEx driver Tanner Horner sang ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ as he murdered Athena Strand, chilling audio shows Monster FedEx driver Tanner Horner sang along to “Jingle Bell Rock” while he murdered 7-year-old Athena Strand in the back of his truck, according to…

Claims checked 17

Techniques found 1

Topics 1

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

Athena can be heard screaming in pain after what sounds like Horner, 34, slammed her against the truck floor when the Christmas carol came on the radio — with the confessed killer singing along as she moaned, according to WFAA.

Common ground

“Shut up,” Horner tells the girl as she continues to moan.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Crime and Justice story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Horner denied doing anything “weird” to Strand on a jailhouse phone call with his mother that was presented in court, according to KDFW-TV?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/20/us-news/fedex-driver-tanner-horner-sang-jingle-bel…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 17 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 7

check_circle Corroborated 6

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 2

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Claim 1: “Horner denied doing anything “weird” to Strand on a jailhouse phone call with his mother that was presented in court, according to KDFW-TV.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was gathered regarding Horner denying doing anything 'weird' during a jailhouse phone call with his mother.

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Claim 2: “But the audio captures him demanding she take her shirt off.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 3: “The girl’s sweatshirt also tested positive for semen, forensics expert Jacqueline Ferrara told jurors.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 4: “Footage later showed him cleaning up the delivery truck.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 5: ““Shut up,” Horner tells the girl as she continues to moan. “If you don’t shut up, I will hurt you worse.””

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results report Horner telling Athena phrases similar to 'Shut up' and threatening her if she kept making noise, matching the claim's content.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Mark of Athena is a 2012 American children's fantasy action-adventure middle grade children's fiction novel based on Greco-Roman classical mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. It was…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mark_of_Athena

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Athena" (the working title being "Theresa") is a song written by Pete Townshend and recorded by the Who. It appears as the first track on the band's tenth studio album It's Hard, released in 1982. Wr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena_(song)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Peter Rudolf Gisela Horn (7 December 1934 – 23 July 2019) was a Czech-born South African poet. He made his mark especially with his anti-Apartheid poetry. At the end of World War II he had to flee fro…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Horn_(poet)

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 6: “The video, which caused jurors to openly weep, revealed audio of the girl choking, as well as indistinct banging in the truck.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results confirm the video contained audio of the girl choking and banging, but this specific detail is only strongly featured in the context of the abduction/murder narrative, and no second independent source confirms this specific combination of audio elements.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jury Breaks Down Watching Video of Murdered Girl Athena Strand.The state showed footage of Horner pulling up to the house and walking back to the truck with the girl. He opened the door and lifted her…
https://www.usmagazine.com/crime-news/news/jury-breaks-down-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — OF - Elle Lee - Gets Pounded In The Tub.MD-0359 - Ai You, Li Zhixuan - The Inside Story Of The Hidden Rules For The Quick Promotion Of Young Female Doctors.
https://vk.com/video-219743223_456239247

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web search NEUTRAL — Raw Footage of Trophy Trucks at the San Felipe 250!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_kP-UDighg

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Claim 7: “Horner is facing the death penalty after he pleaded guilty on April 7 to kidnapping Athena from her driveway in Nov. 2022 while delivering her Christmas present to her father and stepmom’s home in Paradise.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Tanner Horner pleaded guilty to the 2022 killing of Athena Strand after the trial was set to begin.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac (聖闘士星矢（セイントセイヤ）: ナイツ・オブ・ザ・ゾディアック, Seinto Seiya: Naitsu obu za Zodiakku) is a Japanese-American original net animation (ONA) series based on the manga series Saint Se…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_the_Zodiac:_Saint_S…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Richard Russell Riordan Jr. ( RY-ər-dən; born June 5, 1964) is an American author, best known for his Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, which includes the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, The Heroes of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Riordan

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Thomas Lee (born Thomas Lee Bass; Greek: Τόμας Λι Μπας, October 3, 1962) is an American musician, best known as the co-founder and drummer of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He also founded rap metal ba…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Lee

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “The judge will determine the admissibility of expert witness testimony before the jury is able to hear it.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 9: “Monster FedEx driver Tanner Horner sang ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ as he murdered Athena Strand, chilling audio shows”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results report that Tanner Horner sang 'Jingle Bell Rock' while murdering Athena Strand. One source mentions the radio playing the song during the abduction/murder, and another notes the song was heard in the courtroom context.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hearst Castle, known formally as La Cuesta Encantada (Spanish for 'The Enchanted Hill'), is a historic estate in San Simeon, located on the Central Coast of California. Conceived by William Randolph H…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearst_Castle

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jessica Ann Walter (January 31, 1941 – March 24, 2021) was an American actress who appeared in more than 170 film, stage, and television productions. In films, she was best known for her role as a psy…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Walter

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A stock character is a dramatic or literary character representing a generic type in a conventional, simplified manner and recurring in many fictional works. The following list labels some of these st…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stock_characters

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: “He admitted to strangling her and dumping her naked body, which was found days after she vanished.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was gathered regarding Horner admitting to strangling Athena or dumping her naked body.

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Claim 11: “A DNA analyst who testified last week said male DNA was found in Athena’s vaginal and anal regions, WFAA reported.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “The trial is briefly on pause until Wednesday as the judge and attorneys on both sides will meet without the jury present, as part of so-called Daubert hearings.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 13: “Athena can be heard screaming in pain after what sounds like Horner, 34, slammed her against the truck floor when the Christmas carol came on the radio — with the confessed killer singing along as she moaned, according to WFAA.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results corroborate that WFAA reported Athena Strand screaming in pain after Horner slammed her against the truck floor while singing along to a Christmas carol.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — According to ABC-affiliate WFAA , the video, which was captured via the FedEx truck's surveillance camera, contained audio of the former driver singing “Jingle Bell Rock” as the young girl screamed in…
https://www.aol.com/articles/fedex-driver-killed-athena-stra…

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web search NEUTRAL — Tanner Horner, 34, snatched Athena Strand from her home while delivering a package of Barbie toys her parents had bought the girl for Christmas, in November 2022. The evil murderer was heard signing '…
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/fedex-driver-sang-chri…

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web search NEUTRAL — Tanner Horner is seen driving his truck after killing Athena Strand. (Court Evidence).The audio captured Horner asking Athena to take off her shirt; she replied that her mother taught her to say “no” …
https://www.courttv.com/news/killer-sang-jingle-bell-rock-as…

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Claim 14: “He also asked him if he was a kidnapper and asked for her mother.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm Athena asked Horner if he was a kidnapper and asked for her mother.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Athena is heard crying for her mother and asking her abductor 'Where are you taking me?' and 'Are you a kidnapper?' in a small, trembling voice. These Athena Strand's final moments provide a window in…
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/athena-strand-audio-recording-juro…

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web search NEUTRAL — He then pulled over and told her they would 'hang out for a minute'. Members of Athena's family were seen leaving the room while the audio was played - and devastatingly, one portion of it captured he…
https://www.ladbible.com/news/crime/athena-strand-tanner-hor…

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web search NEUTRAL — Her disappearance led to a large search effort, and her body was found two days later. Horner has pleaded guilty to kidnapping and killing Athena Strand. Now, the court must decide his punishment. The…
https://mylolowcountry.com/crime/harrowing-video-shows-kille…

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Claim 15: “Under Texas law, the decision from the jury must be unanimous before the death penalty is granted.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 16: “The gut-churning moment came about 30 minutes into a recording from the truck’s surveillance camera after Horner abducted the little girl from her rural Texas home in 2022.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results mention the abduction occurred in 2022, but none of the provided evidence sources specify that the recording showing the abduction occurred 'about 30 minutes into the surveillance footage from the truck.' The web search results are general about the video evidence.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The .30-30 Winchester / 7.62×52mmR (officially named the .30 Winchester Center Fire or .30 WCF) cartridge was first marketed for the Winchester Model 1894 lever-action rifle in 1895. The .30-30 (prono…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.30-30_Winchester

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 30 may refer to: 30 (number), the natural number following 29 and preceding 31 one of the years 30 BC, AD 30, 1930, 2030
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Thirty may refer to: David's Mighty Warriors, the retinue of the Biblical king David Thirty Tyrants, the Athenian oligarchy beginning in 404 BC Trial of the thirty, trial of anarchists in the Thi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thirty

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 17: ““Where are you taking me?” Athena, clearly terrified, innocently asked Horner before he covered the camera lens, footage shows.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Athena asked Horner where she was going and that he covered the camera lens.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — JURORS sobbed in court on Thursday as the chilling audio of Athena Strand's last moments were played, where she asked her killer, "Are you a kidnapper?" multiple times. Tanner Horner, 34, is currently…
https://www.the-sun.com/news/16234434/athena-strand-audio-ta…

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web search NEUTRAL — Jurors were left sobbing and family members fled a Texas courtroom as footage from the last moments of young Athena Strand's life were played at her killer's murder trial.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/16/us-news/jurors-wail-family-lea…

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web search NEUTRAL — As Horner drove away, Athena asked him several times, "Where are we going?" before he covered the second camera, prosecutors said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/jury-hears-chilling-aud…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.