Former FedEx driver sang Jingle Bell Rock during murder of Athena Strand

Disturbing footage presented in a Fort Worth courtroom has revealed that Tanner Horner sang a Christmas song while murdering seven-year-old Athena Strand in late 2022.

On Thursday, prosecutors played surveillance video from Horner’s FedEx truck, which captured the former delivery driver singing "Jingle Bell Rock" as the young victim screamed in pain.

The harrowing recording, dated 30 November 2022, documented the moments following Strand's abduction from her driveway in Paradise, Texas.

The video showed Horner lifting the child into the back of his vehicle before covering the camera lens.

According to reports from the trial, Strand was heard asking, "Where are you taking me?" and questioning if her captor was a kidnapper.

Approximately thirty minutes into the recording, Horner began singing along to the radio while simultaneously threatening the child, stating, "Shut up. If you don't shut up, I will hurt you worse."

Strand’s parents reportedly left the courtroom before the most graphic audio, which included the girl's cries for her mother, was played for the jury.

Horner, who pleaded guilty on 7 April to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping, initially claimed he accidentally struck the girl with his van and strangled her in a state of panic.

However, further evidence showed him casually discussing the kidnapping with a volunteer the following day. Jurors are currently deliberating his sentence, with the prosecution seeking the death penalty.

This case has drawn significant national attention due to the premeditated nature of the crime and the breach of trust involving a commercial delivery driver.