Tanner Horner pleaded guilty to killing 7-year-old Athena Strand, moving the case from a capital murder trial directly into the sentencing phase where a jury will decide if he receives the death penalty.

He admitted to killing the girl in Wise County in November 2022 after allegedly striking her with a FedEx delivery truck, panicking, and then strangling her.

Authorities say digital evidence helped track him down, and her body was later found miles from her home.

Horner had originally pleaded not guilty but later entered guilty pleas to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping, CBS News has reported.

During sentencing, prosecutors and the defense presented arguments about the crime and Horner’s background, with the prosecution seeking the death penalty and the defense arguing for life without parole.