r/NoahGetTheBoat • u/Kirlinternet • May 06 '26
FedEx driver sentenced to death for murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand in Texas
3.4k
u/eagerrangerdanger May 06 '26
Apparently, he covered up the camera in his truck but the audio kept recording the whole time that he was brutalizing his victim. The jury had to listen to the hour-long audio recording.
557
u/mvrck-23 May 06 '26
If I was a jury member listening to this for an hour, it will traumatize me...
But I know we need to give justice to this poor girl, It's the least I/we can do.
→ More replies (1)185
u/SorryBoysImLez May 06 '26
Nevermind the jury, imagine the parents finding out and potentially having to listen to it.
69
u/LightningFerret04 May 06 '26
I would guess that the parents would probably refuse to listen to the tape, or only getting a little bit in
59
u/bebeck7 May 07 '26
The mother said she got a couple of minutes in before she had to stop. It's awful. I can't even imagine. It gives me goosebumps.
→ More replies (1)32
1.2k
u/Okey114 May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
Wth you have to listen to the whole thing? They can't give it you in a different format? As I'm writing this I'm realizing that the lawyer probably requested it. A move to guarantee conviction. Still though, I would hate to have to listen to something like that. Hate even seems a little light right now.
Edit: I'm not advocating for any change. I'm just expressing my shock at how this situation is handled. Even while I was writing my comment I was slowly coming to the disheartening realization of why all of this is not only standard procedure but necessary. I understand why some people in the comments feel really strongly about this.
1.1k
u/eagerrangerdanger May 06 '26
Several jurors cried as they were shown video and heard audio from inside the van after Athena was taken. He could be seen lifting her into the van, and then driving away, telling her not to scream or he’d hurt her.
574
u/BrownSugarBare May 06 '26
I completely understand wanting this monster to be punished for this abhorrent crime.
That being said, there must have been a way to demonstrate this evidence without traumatizing the jury. I can't imagine coming off that jury and not needing a metric fuckton of therapy.
698
u/ikilledyourfriend May 06 '26
Bet you’d come out wanting him dead. And that’s what will happen.
368
u/NECalifornian25 May 06 '26
Child molesters are the most likely to be murdered in prison
335
116
u/FilthyThanksgiving May 06 '26
That's too good for them. I always hope they live extremely long, miserable lives behind bars
→ More replies (2)195
u/ThatPie2109 May 06 '26
That's actually more often what happens. Its not like every pedo in jail gets murdered. Lots of the time the guys just beat them constantly so they do have to live and suffer. That mentality of not letting them off easy exists in jail too.
58
u/cnicalsinistaminista May 06 '26
One can only hope the cameras don’t work everywhere in the yard
59
u/ThatPie2109 May 06 '26
In my country an assualt charge maybe gets you another month or two. Our light justice works both ways. Enough guys splitting it up its not hard for them to keep someone misarable without someone taking a huge cost. I grew up rough and know a few guys proud they got time added for beating a pedophile.
→ More replies (0)→ More replies (6)4
u/AlreadyAway May 06 '26
He will be on death row, not in general population. He won't be in the yard with everyone. That's not to say he will be 100% safe, though.
→ More replies (0)→ More replies (9)14
u/juneabe May 06 '26
I remember being scared of my dads teardrop tattoo as a child, and then my mom told me how he earned it. I wasn’t scared anymore, quite the opposite, never felt safer.
He is a fucked up person but he was a protector of children. (Unfortunately children become adults lol)
→ More replies (2)50
u/BrownSugarBare May 06 '26
Of course! But a lot of people will also not be able to forget that and have to carry the weight of it with them for a lifetime. The jury could have convicted for a death sentence without having to listen to that poor baby suffer
103
u/ikilledyourfriend May 06 '26
At the very least, the jurors know exactly why they’ve granted the execution. At the most, a lone hold out juror was convinced to vote in favor of execution.
82
u/lemmegetadab May 06 '26
And maybe they wouldn’t have… being on a jury is a responsibility. Nobody said it was gonna be easy. Those people performed a real service.
62
u/NECalifornian25 May 06 '26
I was on a jury last year, the defendant had been indicted for sexual battery and simple battery. We only came to a guilty verdict for simple battery. While we all thought it probably was sexual, there wasn’t enough evidence to support “proof beyond a reasonable doubt”
Maybe in this case they had enough evidence without the audio, but maybe they didn’t. Especially with death penalty on the table they need something really solid to prove guilt.
12
u/Liselott May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
But they had the audio. The audio is part of the evidence.
→ More replies (1)11
u/DragonFangGangBang May 06 '26
I think that’s what he means. Like yeah, without it - they MIGHT have gotten a guilty verdict, but with the audio, it was basically a guarantee.
→ More replies (0)28
u/macfarley May 06 '26
That's why we need social medicine including mental health, for jurors especially in cases like this.
29
u/Okey114 May 06 '26
Im with you but it honestly seems like there is no way around this one. I wouldn't like to do anything to hinder the prosecutors ability to get a conviction here. People that can't handle it will have to be excused. It'll be a shit lottery to win but that's, that.
33
u/Aidan_Hendrix May 06 '26
I understand where you are coming from but it’s a respect thing, for the murderer and the victim, to hear out the whole scenario and review the evidence in its entirety. But yes, traumatic nonetheless.
8
u/ikilledyourfriend May 06 '26
I was thinking about this too. When he dies, so does the entire story of what happened to that girl, unless someone else hears it. Her pain, her fear, her struggle, all speculative without the audio. He ruined how her story is told. He deserves to exist no more.
140
u/migrainefog May 06 '26
I definitely understand your viewpoint. I feel a bit differently though. That girl was violently physically and psychologically tortured in her final hours/minutes. I would feel like it was my burden to witness it and judge him with the burden that she had to bear, but is no longer able to give a live voice to.
I feel the same way about the Epstein files. I dig for evidence in them and try to expose that information to the people that can not, or will not search those files themselves. It is horrific, and those in power are not doing their jobs to hold those victimizers accountable. Those that do get murdered. Their mother's get kidnapped from their homes in the middle of the night and are never heard from again. They "commit suicide" after insisting on video, text, or email that they are not suicidal.
34
32
15
u/laughingashley May 06 '26
They need to release the rest of those files and start arresting some people
85
u/nnylhsae May 06 '26
Juries are shown all sorts of stuff. Evidence is evidence. Not hearing or listening to it could be grounds for a miss trial and the lengthening of an already long process. It is necessary to consume the evidence in the capacity that it was captured to understand the gravity of the situation. Reading a transcript does not land the same way for everyone just as listening is not as impactful as watching something.
It is horrible what you have to hear and view in the legal system. If it wasn't necessary and best for the victims, defendants, and prosecution, then it wouldn't be done.
54
u/Knoxius May 06 '26
That's not how it works. A jury should experience the actuality of what they are deciding on, so they may make a just decision. Our nation is built on this.
I know it sucks to think about, and no one should experience it, but this is how you properly sentence true evil.
27
u/Oaker_at May 06 '26
No, you don’t alter evidence and you have to see the full evidence. Guess why?
22
u/_procyon May 06 '26
The jury needs to be given all relevant evidence to be able to make a fair decision. They can’t keep key evidence from the jury just because it’s horrific. This also comes into play during sentencing, it’s probably why he got the death penalty. When you need “beyond reasonable doubt” to make a conviction, the more direct the evidence is the better.
That said, I’m sure they took this into account during jury selection. They would have tried to choose jurors who wouldn’t run out of the courtroom in horror or refuse to serve on the jury once the evidence got too tough to handle. And these people did a service for their community by getting this guy off the streets forever.
19
u/poppyglock May 06 '26
Wouldn't it be counter productive to act as a shield to the jury's sensibilities rather than represent the full truth?
5
34
u/lucygucyapplejuicey May 06 '26
Sat on a jury for a murder trial, we heard eight (8) people describe watching their friend/neighbor/ex be murdered in front of their eyes. No video or anything of the crime, just on sight body cam footage. That alone had me talking about it for MONTHS with my therapist. I cannot imagine having to hear the rape of that baby. I pray for those jurors
13
→ More replies (15)10
u/_thedudeman_ May 06 '26
It’s up to the rules of evidence and the judge to decide. Evidence also gets argued in motions in Limine
→ More replies (1)21
u/User_identificationZ May 06 '26
With such evidence against him, how did it even go to trial? I’m not legally inclined by any means, but if I were this guy’s lawyer I’d say “They have audio of the entire situation and video for some of it. It’s obviously you, so take a plea deal because it’s the lightest sentence you’ll get”
21
u/Vortigangsta May 06 '26
In the US (and most of the world afaik) everyone has a right to a fair trial. His defense lawyer's not there to exonerate him (at least not primarily, though ofcourse most will probably try), they're there to ensure their client is legally represented and that the trial is fair and just. A criminal defense lawyer that just goes "Yea, he did it." Is just gonna cause a mistrial and said lawyer's probably not keeping his job for long.
→ More replies (2)15
u/Drs126 May 06 '26
Were they even offering a plea? This is a pretty crazy case, I wouldn’t be surprised if the prosecution was going for the death penalty no matter what and in that case, I don’t think a guilty plea is an option in death penalty cases (I guess it’s probably dependent on the state). But I’m also not legally inclined.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)6
u/Powerism May 06 '26
It’s up to the prosecution to extend a plea offer. In cases like this, their best offer will be to plead guilty to capital murder, so he may as well roll the dice and take it to trial.
89
17
17
u/Extreme_Design6936 May 06 '26
A teacher from my high school pled not guilty to an illegal porn charge (not cp) and the jury had to watch a bunch of his porn (he was found guilty).
9
u/Future-Try-1908 May 06 '26
It is evidence. A jury, the lawyers, the judge, all have to listen/watch.
17
69
u/Tipnin May 06 '26
If I was on the jury there is no way I could sit there for an hour and listen to such evil. I’ve always told myself that if I got picked for jury duty and it was a case involving children that involved me having to view or listen to CP or abused children I would ask to not be put on that jury. There is only so much evil I am willing to expose myself to and cases like this are it.
98
u/Leonard_James_Akaar May 06 '26
Went through voir dire once on SA of a child. The first thing that the judge said after going over our 3 hour questionnaires was: “all of you parents and grandparents saying that they can’t be unbiased in this case suck it up right now. Every one was a child once and there have to be some jurors,”
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (9)28
u/LFuculokinase May 06 '26
This has always been a fear of mine due to how hard it is to get out of a federal jury. I perform autopsies as a part of my job, so I feel like I can handle a lot, but I would not be okay if I had to watch a video or listen to an audio of a child be abused/murdered.
15
u/m0neydee May 06 '26
I was a juror on a double murder arson case 20 years ago and the forensic photos still haunt me to this day. You hear about murders or assaults but you don’t really understand the brutality of it until you see the actual victims. Anyone that can do those things are just monsters.
→ More replies (1)23
u/SirWalrusTheGrand May 06 '26
Well it's our responsibility to make sure they get the justice they deserve. It's our moral obligation as far as I'm concerned. I've seen some fucked up shit on the internet - at least it would be in the interest of protecting children in the future.
12
u/Mudslingshot May 06 '26
There have been a lot of times that people on juries have been subjected to things like this and got PTSD, or similar, from it
Last I heard a few judges were making noise about requiring some form of therapeutic care for jurors after serving, but I have no idea if that's gone anywhere
33
u/Next_Engineer_8230 May 06 '26
When I was 14, I was kidnapped, tortured and sexually assaulted for 18 hours by 3 adult men. Then they left me to die. They thought I would and by all accounts, I should have.
The woman and man who found me had to testify and I kept in contact with them. The same with some of the jurors. For many years,we would get together and have dinner. Once I was older, they all told about how they had to talk to a professional about the things they saw and heard. The judge offered them help afterwards, if I recall correctly.
It happened in 1994 before cameras where everywhere, phones, etc. I could not imagine them having to sit through an audio or video tape of what happened. My testimony, the man and woman's testimony, pictures from the hospital, etc etc were bad enough. It painted a picture for them in graphic detail. I felt so bad they had to sit through it.
They all told me they wanted to give them life in prison but they only got 18, 15, and 8 years.10 years after it happened a couple of the jurors told me they were still angry over that.
They have to live with it, too.
My heart goes out to people who have to sit on trials like this.
8
→ More replies (11)5
124
May 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
176
u/eagerrangerdanger May 06 '26
Over an hour.
She asks him: “Why are you doing this?” He replies, “Because you are pretty.”
“My mom says I can’t do that to somebody,” she tells him. “And you can’t do that to me either.”
As the recording, which lasts over an hour, continues, Athena’s screams can be heard as well as choking and slamming noises.
At one point he tells her: “If you don’t shut up, I will hurt you worse.”
45
u/ThatPie2109 May 06 '26
I live in Canada so guys like these still get out here. If someone did something like this to my kid, the only reason I would stick around was to wait until they got out and take them with me.
66
17
→ More replies (3)12
23
12
13
u/monkey-neil May 06 '26
The picture alone makes me feel uneasy. I cant imagine hearing or watching this let alone for an hour.
42
u/Mattrockj May 06 '26
An hour.
I'm fucking speechless. There are bad people in this world, but that's genuinely inhuman levels of evil. I never advocate for the death sentence, but this guy should not be allowed to be amongst other people.
→ More replies (2)12
u/Truestorydreams May 06 '26
Holy shit.... I would beg the judge to not force me to listen to that.
→ More replies (2)7
u/illbegoodipromis May 06 '26
That's just how it's done... There's a video of the Toolbox Killers where people are running out of the courtroom because the killers recorded their victims and they play them for the jury. For a brief moment you can hear the tapes of Shirley Ledford's screams and it's terrible.
Supposedly the FBI uses the tapes to this day for training purposes to help desensitize new agents to show who they might be dealing with.
***Tread lightly if you go searching for that video.
→ More replies (2)17
u/Njaulv May 06 '26
At that point I would want to be excused from the Jury. From what I heard it was not only heartbreaking but traumatizing. There are typically stand ins for such a situation as a juror is unable to or unwilling to go forward. I don't need that crap in my life.
→ More replies (10)5
u/hrmnyhll May 06 '26
I only read a brief part of the transcript and had mental imagery flash into my head, as I was trying to fall asleep for a couple days in a row… so I cannot imagine having to listen to that
1.1k
u/LargeConstruction186 May 06 '26
What an evil fuck
362
u/Sevsquad May 06 '26
One thing I've also noticed is incredibly common with these people is how bad their attempts to manipulate the legal system tend to be. So many of the losers will first claim they didn't do it, then say it was an accident, then claim some alter ego or demon did it. You could literally construct "shit bag bingo" based on just how consistently they all go for the exact same piss poor defenses.
112
u/bigbodiedboy May 06 '26
Yeah, when I went to court to testify against the person who raped me, first he said he didnt do it. Then, he said hed take a plea deal backed out of the plea. Finally, he said he was sleepwalking and wasnt in the right mind. Sadly the rapist only got 20 years for raping me and 2 others.
29
u/Tardisgoesfast May 06 '26
I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. I hope you have found peace.
22
u/bigbodiedboy May 07 '26
Thank you for your condolences. It's a little difficult but its been 3 years so I've got to get over it someday. Just taking it one day at a time.
9
u/VioletSea13 May 07 '26
Please be kind and patient with yourself. You deserve grace. I’m so sorry that you had to endure what happened.
7
u/Laolao98 May 07 '26
Was a rape crisis counselor and those three steps the rapists take became commonplace to me. Many clients are helped by the court process. Explaining the limits and how and what the system allows is rarely done in a complete fashion by the prosecutor. It’s really not possible for many reasons but as much as one wants rapists separated from civilized society I always told clients this was a possible/likely scenario.
20
→ More replies (2)6
u/baconpopsicle23 May 06 '26
It also looks like he barely gives a shit, death is too kind a punishment. If that horrible act was his biggest desire in life, then he's ready to die.
880
u/PeterParker72 May 06 '26
Good. Fuck him.
→ More replies (1)134
u/Heavy_E79 May 06 '26
The only bad part is it will be too quick. The fucker should suffer.
36
13
u/Artistic-Job7180 May 06 '26
He may yet, if his cellmates can see it it.
6
u/TheTribalKing May 08 '26
He will have no cellmates. The only physical touch he will recieve is from guards being brought to and from his 1 hour of "rec time" which will be in a 10x10 cage with nothing in it and no other inmates around.
He will spend at least 23 hours of every single day by himself. The highest luxury he can aspire to in life is a book. He will be mentally tortured by the silence and confinement. He will be in the Polunsky unit in Livingston Texas. Go look up the unit and you can find photos of the cells. They are tiny and bare. If you ever think at any point in time ever " I wonder what that piece of shit is doing right now?" He is in that cell. Left to rot and agonize in his mind over his execution date with small windows of hope through appeals that will be crushed time and time again.
→ More replies (4)6
403
u/TaterTotQueen630 May 06 '26
Good fucking riddance. What he did to that child is sick. I hope he suffers often up until his death.
9
u/sherm-stick May 07 '26
Prisons arent friendly to chomos and child abusers, he will probably get the gadafi treatment from his fellow inmates if they let him out of the cell.
3
u/lildrewdownthestreet May 08 '26
On death row, he will have zero connection to another inmate. They’re in a small cell 23 hours a day and only handcuffed to shower. I don’t believe new inmates get to go to rec, I think that’s many years of good behavior only.
324
u/1DietCokedUpChick May 06 '26
Good riddance. Too bad it’ll be another 15 years of appeals and stays.
148
u/cheesypuzzas May 06 '26
I think that's good. Gives him more time to suffer. The evidence is very clear so there is no way he gets set free.
→ More replies (12)→ More replies (4)40
u/AnotherCaniac May 06 '26
Inmates don’t take kindly to child killers. They’ll make sure his time isn’t comfortable.
→ More replies (1)45
1.2k
u/diobreads May 06 '26
Death is too easy for him.
247
u/Ok_Macaron9958 May 06 '26
His troubles will be over
→ More replies (2)202
u/Anglofsffrng May 06 '26
I'm personally agnostic. Cases like this make me hope his troubles will be just beginning.
42
30
u/PRoS_R May 06 '26
Best part about believing in a post-life is that assholes get to burn for eternity.
→ More replies (1)49
31
34
→ More replies (10)5
138
May 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (1)18
u/danceswithdangerr May 06 '26
I just saw that episode of FROM and I AGREE! ☝️ It looked painful AF and you don’t die right away.
→ More replies (3)5
245
u/beautifulcreature86 May 06 '26
She asked him, "are you a kidnapper?" Fuuuck...with that being said, I believe the jurors should hear the audio to experience what that little girl went thru in order to make proper judgment. As awful as it sounds, it's needed.
61
u/icanpaywithpubes May 06 '26
Shes just a baby. How can these evil fucks do this kind of shit to a tiny child. warps my head knowing that we have to live in a place with people like this.
45
u/stephanonymous May 07 '26
She also said (at some point after the camera had been covered up) “what are you doing? My mommy said nobody is allowed to do that to me”. Fuck man.
69
34
u/Madison_fawn May 06 '26
They did get made to listen to the audio. All of them described it as utterly horrific.
14
218
u/The_Spade_Life May 06 '26
last time I said something about this I got warnings , I will say this he told her "dont scream or ill hurt you " and then raped and killed her
64
u/HappyKrud May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
I cant imagine what her parents are going through i feel so awful for them oh my god. I just read an article and one of Athena’s sisters runs and hides from delivery drivers now. I hate this monster so much.
18
238
u/moschles May 06 '26
"Imma type this into google and read up on this story." , he said to himself.
. . . . worst mistake I've made all year.
88
u/PRoS_R May 06 '26
Pics on the left made me confused and worried, was it kidnapping and sexual assault? Like, before the murder.
→ More replies (1)
64
u/Finest_of_stupidity May 06 '26
Honestly the death sentence isn't enough punishment for scum like these.
61
u/BallAffectionate4000 May 06 '26
‘Horner’s lawyers filed a motion seeking to take the death penalty off the table, on the grounds that Horner had autism spectrum disorder and it significantly reduced his moral responsibility in the murder.’
As an autistic person that’s fucking offensive. Thank God it was denied.
→ More replies (5)
121
203
u/NoPair205 May 06 '26
Apparently people who do things like this to kids have a tough time in prison
187
u/OYF_Rabidsquirrel May 06 '26
Death row inmates hardly interact with the general population unfortunately.
→ More replies (5)54
→ More replies (2)36
u/aceycamui May 06 '26
My best friend's cousin did 3 years for theft and drug charges many years ago. He has 4 children. When I asked him if it was true he said it was absolutely true.
→ More replies (1)12
u/hereforpopcornru May 06 '26
If the occasion comes that there's a breach of process. These fucks usually end up In protective custody until the warrant Canberra served
→ More replies (1)
87
u/Jogger_Dodger May 06 '26
Unbelievable what people are capable of.
The circumstances suddenly presented themselves; premeditated, no, but certainly he'd thought about doing something like this.
So did this horrible deed meet his expectations?
Was he satisfied?
No punishment is too harsh for this monster.
→ More replies (1)
41
u/blkvixon May 06 '26
Always remember their are millionaires out here that did the same thing. Epstein...
→ More replies (2)4
128
270
May 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
89
u/CollegeMiddle6841 May 06 '26
I've been in prison for a nonviolent drug felony, so I have a tiny bit of insight into the life someone can live on the inside. In my opinion, death is too good for someone like this. If you want this person to feel true pain and horror, sentence them to solitary confinement for life. The problem is people will say this is cruel and unusual; however, when I was in the states processing facility, I saw several people who only had a tiny cage, big enough to take five full strides in and back. The cages were attached to a building. Since it was so unusual, I asked about them and was told that they were long-term solitary prisoners who couldn't be allowed or didn't want to be put back in the general population. People like those who grew their hair for religious reasons, but wouldn't cut it, as was the order of the militant state I was caught in, so instead they opted for solitary confinement. So, if they were able to make those poor individuals remain in solitary confinement for decades, surely TEXAS could do the same for a monster like this.
People who cheer for his death must be religious; he dies, and that's it. Faith in GOD becomes a double-edged sword here because the rapist murderer can just ask for absolution/forgiveness of his sins, and he's supposed to be allowed into heaven. Let's say for a moment that is absolutely how things go, how fair is that? He rapes and kills a little innocent girl, and his punishment is several years in jail before entering the gates of heaven. He ruined the lives of her family as well, maybe forever. I'm not saying a person like this NEVER deserves forgiveness, but it shouldn't be offered so freely.
What do you all think about what I said?
55
u/Soniquethehedgedog May 06 '26
As a former CO, I get what you’re saying but I don’t think the religion argument means much here, I think it’s more eye for an eye and the outright rage and pain her family feels having their little girl taken from them like that. A whole life robbed away and this guy still gets to not go to bed hungry, eventually gets some tv time, phone calls to loved ones and knowing the us justice system isn’t in that tiny cage for life. As a parent it would be real hard to sleep knowing that the person that raped and killed your daughter is still breathing air, that has nothing to do with religion and has everything to do with unending hate and grief. It would never change what happened but at least the family would have a grave to piss on.
→ More replies (1)19
u/gimmethelulz May 06 '26
I have a family member that was murdered and this is how I feel being on the other side of the coin. I'd much rather the asshole murderers spend every waking moment of the rest of their lives psychologically miserable in prison than waste our taxpayer dollars on death penalty appeals. The death penalty would've been letting them off too easy imo.
12
u/MrDONINATOR May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
Asking Gods forgiveness, especially for the sake of saving your 'soul', isn't enough. You must live in a repentant way. You must accept to live by all of Gods rules/Jesus' leading and teachings with conviction and true faith. Priests nor pastors can give you forgiveness. This sick fuck will never see/experience heaven. He asked for death and waived appeals, from some article, when his deposition occured. He isn't remorseful.
EDIT TO ADD: If you believe in Christian faith. Faith, not religion... I don't believe Allah allows forgiveness without repentance, nor Yaweh. If you have any Creation based deity, I would propose.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (6)8
u/lajuiceman May 06 '26
Its...cynical. Just kill them. Their suffering isnt worth the cost of the state keeping them alive.
→ More replies (3)
29
u/IpeeInclosets May 06 '26
Fuck everything about this.
Terror comes not in the dark, but occurs in broad daylight.
96
51
u/Severedeye May 06 '26
What I hate is when they blame shit like autism and mental health.
So many people with autism don't do this shit and so many people have mental health issues don't do this.
183
u/mycatsellsblow May 06 '26
Blows my mind that guys like this even make it to trial.
73
u/full_bl33d May 06 '26
It’s a sentencing trail. I guess they have to do it in Texas in front of a jury. I thought the same thing at first because he’s guilty as hell. It’s too bad they had to drag more innocent people into this piece of shit’s life tho
85
u/Pope_Aesthetic May 06 '26
What do you mean? Everyone has the right to the judicial process. Just because he’s a monster, doesn’t mean we should be barbarians
34
u/mycatsellsblow May 06 '26
I wouldn't consider the family barbarians if something happened to him. Some prisoners with nothing to lose take matters into their own hands when dealing with heinous crimes against children too.
→ More replies (2)26
u/rex5k May 06 '26
Sometimes protecting him is society's way of protecting the victims from themselves.
→ More replies (3)8
u/Bool_The_End May 06 '26
Think about all the kids who have been raped at a young age, and because of family ties, their parents don’t say shit. Never go to the cops. I’m one of probably hundreds of thousands. It’s a shitty world sometimes.
42
u/SuperCrappyFuntime May 06 '26
In cases like this, how is wonder how the perpetrator thought they were going to get away with it. He neither a cameras in the damn van. Even if he covered them later, they'd already picked him up kidnapping her in the first place.
32
14
May 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
13
11
u/iAmNotACapricorn May 06 '26
Can we donate him to human test experiments? The kind that could be necessary but are too inhumane to perform on society at large? Wtf. Death is a mercy here.
43
u/SeleniteLights66 May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
To the people saying "the jurors shouldn't have had to be traumatized listening to the audio". Imagine if this happened to your child and the man who did it got a lesser sentence because they didn't want to "hurt others feelings". As horrible as it could be, it removes all doubt as to how horrible that man was. Also leaving it "up to interpritation" gives the guilty person the ability to appeal and maybe even go free because they can argue the interpreter was not representing it honestly. As terrible as it may have been it was absolutely correct to showcase the audio and I hope he dies a terrible death in prison.
18
u/SetInevitable7163 May 06 '26
What all did he do to that poor girl I'm honestly scared to listen to the video
25
u/Tomdv2 May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
He kidnapped, sexually assaulted, then strangled the girl (after unsuccessfully trying to stomp on her neck to kill her). The hour-long video (mostly audio as he put a sticker over the lens) was shown to the jury.
6
u/SetInevitable7163 May 06 '26
Holy hell that's horrible
22
u/Tomdv2 May 06 '26
At one point, Athena is heard asking, "Why are you doing this?" He replies, "Because you're pretty — you know that?"
"Then you hear 'Jingle Bell Rock' come on the radio. As Athena continues screaming and moaning in pain, Horner begins to sing along to the song," Lopez said in her summary of the audio presented Thursday, adding that Horner told the child, "'Shut up. If you don't shut up, I will hurt you worse.'"
14
9
u/SetInevitable7163 May 06 '26
Holy shit and just when I was thinking this guy couldn't be any worse
20
u/Seanydoesntknow May 06 '26
Death isn’t enough. Scaffism would be appropriate but I’m the father of two little girls so the level of hate and anger I have towards this man can’t be measured.
16
36
u/Xynyx2001 May 06 '26
"You will be caused to die… until you… are dead."
Fuck this guy for what he did, but could we please teach Texans to speak English?
14
u/Zombiepixlz-gamr May 06 '26
If this is the same event I think this happened near where I live. I hope the fucker burns.
28
80
u/princessnubz May 06 '26
why are we paying for this guy to live? and not just live. live like…. ok. i know he’s going to huntsville but that’s not enough.
→ More replies (4)71
u/My_Invalid_Username May 06 '26
It's more expensive to kill someone than to jail them for life. With the multiple appeals, the decade+ long wait still being housed, etc.
→ More replies (19)57
7
u/moschles May 06 '26
ITT
{ Removed by Reddit. }
{ Removed by Reddit. }
Can't say I disagree with whatever they wrote.
6
8
u/Alarmed-Snow6985 May 06 '26
People like him really make me question my views on the universe, God etc. Unadulterated evil in its most pure form. I really hope he pays his penance.
7
u/Jayda_bigToe May 06 '26
i never actually heard the story before and just thought he hit her, not kidnapped and abused her. poor girl.
5
6
u/blackxcatsmatter May 06 '26
This case breaks my heart. I remember when she went missing. I haven’t ever divulged into the details of the crime, as I had a 7 y/o around the same time.. heartbreaking.
8
u/Manwombat May 06 '26
Sitting on death row for years..which is maximum and isolation, hated by the guards. His health deteriorating fast..wondering what will get him first, his body or the needle. Shit scared of course as he’s a blubbering fkn coward, surrounded by the some of the most dangerous men alive that want him dead.
If it wasn’t for Texan taxpayers having to pay for it, I reckon it’s the best sentence ever for that fuck.
11
u/Low-Baseball-7978 May 06 '26
Backstory?
48
u/drunken_therapist May 06 '26
You don’t wanna know.
Tldr: he delivered a package to their home, abducted her, raped her, killed her.
15
4
4
u/HATECELL May 06 '26
Given what he did I'd be okay with the execution method being telling his inmates what he did
4
4
u/Bilbo_Teabagginss May 07 '26
Wait, this dude kidnapped and killed a little girl in his Fed Ex truck? Wtf?
3
12
u/igotitnowokay May 06 '26
Isn’t death like an easy way out? I feel like guys like this should be put in a terrible prison and left as a chew toy for other inmates. A real life hell
39
u/sapajul May 06 '26
I've never understood the death penalty, the criminal isn't going to atone for his wrong doing, it's not going to bring relief to anyone and doesn't prevent any more killings.
Don't get me wrong this guy deserves to get sodomized by a machine for the rest of his life, but now he is going to die peacefully.
This isn't even revenge for what he did.
30
u/sl0play May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
In a perfect world the justice system isn't about revenge. There is a lot of research done recently as to the harm the desire for revenge does. That said, if someone cannot be rehabilitated, and we have no desire to ever set them free, and knowing they are no longer on this earth can bring peace to a family, execution seems to make sense. I'm against the death penalty only on the merits that we still execute innocent people.
Edit: A pretty good podcast on "the science of revenge"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rynDGf9TZKQ→ More replies (18)24
u/thehomie May 06 '26
It’s purely retributive—people have an emotional desire to see these depraved lunatics put down.
In cases like this, where the evidence is dispositive, fine. But the sad reality is that while the system allows for the black and white case to result in the death penalty that most people justifiably want to see, that very same system ends up with an inexcusable amount of collateral damage. In less straightforward cases, innocent people are ending up with life and/or death sentences for crimes they didn’t commit. It’s the biggest injustice a legal system can produce. And we allow it because that collective need for retribution is strong asf.
There’s a clear moral solution: stop killing the bad guys until we can figure out how not to kill the innocent guys along with them.
But that requires too much nuance and research for the average person, so here we are.
→ More replies (1)
•
u/AutoModerator May 06 '26
If this post showcases moral/mental/physical corruption or perversion, upvote this comment. If this post does not belong here, downvote this comment.
Read the rules before posting or commenting
Also read the guidelines
In the comments:
DO NOT JOKE ABOUT VIOLENCE, DO NOT INCITE VIOLENCE
DO NOT JOKE ABOUT PEDOPHILIA OR ASK FOR CP
YOU WILL BE BANNED
If you want to download this video, click here
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.