Heartbreaking final image shows 7-year-old girl inside FedEx truck before she was murdered

With Horner admitting to the crime, the proceedings have now moved to the sentencing phase. The jury is no longer tasked with determining guilt, but the ultimate punishment. They need to decide whether Horner will be sentenced to death or to a life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Elizabeth “Ashley” Strand, Athena’s stepmother who first reported her missing, became emotional on the witness stand, saying her now 14-year-old daughter still runs and hides at the sight of a delivery driver and continues to suffer from nightmares.

According to Court TV, Horner’s defense attorney urged the court to show mercy, arguing that his client was born to an exotic dancer who consumed alcohol during pregnancy, had struggled with mental illness his entire life, and was exposed to lead as a child.

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