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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
After a dry spell that lasted 15 days, Mets broadcasters were thrilled to finally call a victory. Gary Cohen from SNY and radio announcer Howie Rose celebrated as the Mets ended their 12-game losing streak with a win.
The veteran commentators captured the relief and excitement of Mets fans on Wednesday night. This emotional moment came when Luke Weaver struck out the Twins’ Byron Buxton, securing a 3-2 triumph at Citi Field.
This victory was notably the Mets’ first since April 7, marking only their eighth win of the season so far.
Gary Cohen’s jubilant announcement on SNY echoed the sentiments of many: “He struck him out and the ball game is over! And for the first time in more than two weeks, the Mets can shake hands. That insidious 12-game losing streak has finally come to an end. Mets win it 3-2.”
Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien hug after the Mets beat the Twins on April 22, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Howie Rose’s sense of relief was equally evident, capturing the essence of a long-awaited victory.
Rose broke out his signature phrase after Weaver ended the ballgame.
“Swung on and missed, strike three! Put it in the books!” he said. “For the first time in 15 days, the New York Mets have won a baseball game. They have ended their 12-game losing streak, and if this crowd is not exactly jubilant, they are more than simply relieved.”
Wednesday’s win was not without drama for the Metropolitans.
The Mets lost shortstop Francisco Lindor in the middle of the game due to left calf tightness on the same day they got Juan Soto back from a strained right calf.
The Amazin’s let one-run leads slip away in the fourth and sixth innings before driving home the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth.
New York Mets pitcher Luke Weaver (30) reacts to saving the game on Wednesday night. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Mark Vientos blooped a single to right field that scored Brett Baty to put the Mets up 3-2.
With the Phillies’ eighth straight loss on Wednesday, the two 8-16 teams share the National League East basement.
Charlize Theron recently shared her candid experiences of raising teenagers, and she’s not holding back any punches.
The star joined the New Heights podcast, hosted by Jason Kelce, to discuss how her parenting journey has evolved as her daughters grow older.
Theron, who adopted Jackson in 2012 and August in 2015, now faces the teenage years with her daughters, aged 14 and 11, respectively. She jokingly referred to them as “hormonal nightmares,” adding with a laugh, “From the moment I step through the door, it’s like I’m under siege. These challenges will serve them well in life, but surviving it is the real test for me.”
Jason Kelce, who currently has four young children, listened intently as Theron described the challenges ahead, suggesting he savor the current phase while it lasts.
Jason, who is currently raising four young children, listened as Theron laid out what’s coming down the line and made it clear he might want to enjoy this stage while it lasts.
“Nature does this beautiful thing where you think you’re in your worst place right now, so that you can cope with what you have,” she said. “But from where I am, I can tell you that you’re in a lovely place and they’re still lovely and sweet.”
“And then one day, you’re gonna walk into their room around eleven, and they’re gonna just be like, ‘Why did you turn the lights on?!’” she added.
The Oscar winner also spoke about the dynamic between her daughters, admitting their arguments once made her question herself.
“When they fight, I actually got worried,” she said. “I was like, am I not doing the right thing? Like, they’re gonna kill each other because they’re both very, very strong.”
“They’re not wallflowers, and they’re stubborn, and they’re just firecrackers,” she continued. “When they love, they love very hard. But when they fight, I’m like, oh my god. Like, am I gonna go to jail? They won’t stop.”
The family of a young man who lost his life in a police-involved shooting last December has initiated legal proceedings against the city of Chicago, their attorneys revealed on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, authorities made public the body camera footage that captured the fatal incident.
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The tragic event unfolded on December 9.
The released video depicts Chicago police officers responding to a call on the 5700 block of North Washtenaw in the West Ridge neighborhood, following reports of a stolen car.
According to investigators, when the officers arrived, they encountered two individuals attempting to access the vehicle. The footage shows that as the officers instructed them to halt, one individual fled the scene while the other attempted to enter the vehicle.
A struggle then took place. That’s when one shot was fired before the officer was briefly dragged by the car, which then crashed.
Roberto Calvario Jr., 20, of Albany Park died at the scene, officials said.
Lawyers for his family said Wednesday that officers were responding to a call that had nothing to do with Calvario, but he was in a vehicle nearby. They say the officer attacked Calvario and shot him.
On Wednesday, the Chicago Police Department said it had not received the lawsuit and does not comment on pending litigation.
The officer involved in the incident has recovered from his injuries.
Two weapons were found at the scene, police said at the time.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is still investigating the police-involved shooting.
Background: Selmer Elementary School in Selmer, Tennessee (Google Maps). Inset: Meg Day (McNairy County Sheriff”s Office).
A teacher in Tennessee is facing allegations of dragging a nonverbal student across a carpet, resulting in injuries described as “carpet burn” and a noticeable “blood red mark.”
According to records from the McNairy County Sheriff’s Office, 49-year-old Meg Day has been charged with assault and was taken into custody at the county jail on Thursday, as reported by Law&Crime.
On March 19, a deputy from the McNairy County Sheriff’s Office responded to an incident at Selmer Elementary School in Selmer, Tennessee, a town situated roughly 100 miles east of Memphis. Two witnesses had reported an employee’s alleged attack on a child, according to NBC affiliate WMC.
The accused teacher, identified as Day, reportedly seized a nonverbal 9-year-old boy by his lower body and dragged him across a carpet. Another staff member allegedly observed the child reaching towards his back, later noticing a “blood red mark.”
The school nurse diagnosed the student with “carpet burn,” according to CBS affiliate WREG. The incident was subsequently reported to the school’s principal and assistant principal.
Day was later arrested and jailed, though records show she was subsequently released.
Just days earlier, an employee at Selmer Middle School — which, like Selmer Elementary, is within the McNairy County School District — allegedly hit a student on the back of the head. Authorities say 65-year-old Sequoia Ann Hively was captured on video slapping a 15-year-old student.
The student was reportedly checked by the nurse and found to not have any injuries. The superintendent told the teen’s father that Hively — who was a lunch worker — would not be back at the school until the situation was resolved, per WREG.
A man from Florida is set to face execution next month following his conviction for the murder of his cousin’s girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter. This decision comes after Governor Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant on Wednesday.
Richard Knight, aged 47, is slated for execution by lethal injection on May 21 at Florida State Prison in Starke. His death warrant is one among several recently authorized by the governor.
The tragic events date back to the year 2000, when Knight was found guilty of murdering Odessia Stephens and her young daughter, Hanessia Mullings. According to WFLA, prosecutors revealed that the fatal incident followed a dispute between Knight and Stephens on the night of the crime.
Court records have depicted the murders as “heinous, atrocious, and cruel,” which paints a grim picture of the crime’s severity.
Richard Knight’s execution is scheduled for May 21 at the Florida State Prison in Starke, as confirmed by the Florida Department of Corrections.
Stephens and her daughter had gone to bed when Knight grabbed knives from the kitchen, walked into their bedroom and attacked the woman as her daughter lay next to her.
Investigators said Knight stabbed Stephens 21 times, with most of the injuries to her neck. She also sustained stab wounds to her chin, back and chest.
Stephens also suffered injuries indicating she had been strangled and attempted to fight back, and investigators said images from the crime showed a “bloody struggle.”
Knight then strangled and stabbed the child multiple times, causing stab wounds to her upper chest, neck and hand.
The details were presented by prosecutors during trial proceedings, according to court records.
Richard Knight was convicted in the 2000 murders of Odessia Stephens and her daughter, Hanessia Mullings.(AP)
A judge sentenced Knight to death in 2007 after a jury unanimously recommended the death sentence for his first-degree murder convictions.
Efforts by Knight’s attorneys to appeal the case have so far been unsuccessful. Court records show his legal team has challenged the conviction and sentence in multiple appeals, which have been denied to date.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Knight’s legal team for comment.
DeSantis continues to accelerate the number of death warrants signed since the start of last year.
In 2025, 19 people were put to death in Florida, setting a record for the most executions in one year in the Sunshine State. Before last year, Florida’s record for executions in a year since the death penalty was restored in 1976 was eight in 1984 and 2014.
Florida has already executed five people in 2026.(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
Advocacy groups, including the Equal Justice Initiative, have raised concerns about fairness and due process in death penalty cases.
Florida also executed more people last year than any other state, with Alabama, Texas and South Carolina tied for the second-most with five each. Across the U.S., 47 people were executed in 2025.
This year, Florida has already executed five people, and another is scheduled for April 30, when James Hitchcock, 70, is scheduled to be put to death for the rape and murder of his 13-year-old step-niece.
The last execution was carried out on Tuesday, when Chadwick Willacy, 58, was put to death for murdering his elderly neighbor in Palm Bay by setting the victim on fire.
World leaders have called for peace talks to take place between the countries.
Experts say Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon and the future of Hezbollah will be sticking points in negotiations.
The 10-day truce between Lebanon and Israel is nearing its end with no definitive agreement in sight to permanently halt their hostilities.
As the ceasefire reaches its midpoint, analysts note that tensions persist, with both nations frequently blaming each other for breaches of the ceasefire.
This ongoing conflict is having wider implications for regional stability, affecting oil supplies and impacting Australia’s fuel and food security.
There have been calls from international leaders for peace negotiations between the two countries, emphasizing the need for the disarmament of Hezbollah, the Iran-aligned Lebanese militant group.
Additionally, some voices are advocating for Israel to pull its troops from southern Lebanon, where they currently occupy a strip of land extending five to 10 kilometers deep along the border.
Israel has said it aims to create a “buffer zone” to shield northern Israel from attacks by Hezbollah.
Iran said on Tuesday it had yet to decide whether to attend peace talks with the US in Pakistan.
Jessica Genauer, an expert in international conflict at the University of New South Wales, told SBS News the multiple conflicts and mediation attempts reflect a broader pattern of interconnected challenges across the Middle East.
The dynamics between Israel, Hezbollah, and Iran blur the boundaries of any single dispute, she said, making localised agreements “inseparable” from global disputes.
What did Lebanon and Israel agree to?
Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a “cessation of hostilities” for an initial period of 10 days to enable peace negotiations between the two countries. The initial deal ends in five days.
The deal says Lebanon’s government, with international support, would take “meaningful steps” to prevent Hezbollah and other groups from carrying out attacks against Israeli targets.
It also says that Israel and Lebanon recognise the Lebanese security forces “as having exclusive responsibility for Lebanon’s sovereignty and national defence”, a reference to a bid by the government since 2025 to disarm Hezbollah.
Under the agreement, “Israel shall preserve its right to take all necessary measures in self-defence, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.”
Beyond this, “Israel will not carry out any offensive military operations against Lebanese targets, including civilian, military, and other state targets, in the territory of Lebanon by land, air, and sea,” the deal says.
The 10-day period can be extended by mutual agreement as talks progress and depending on whether “Lebanon effectively demonstrates its ability to assert its sovereignty”, it adds, in another reference to Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah.
The deal does not require Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon.
Calls for negotiations
French President Emmanuel Macron and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Tuesday urged negotiations to shore up a ceasefire in Lebanon and called on Israel to respect its neighbour’s territorial integrity after talks in Paris.
Broader regional stability, Macron said, “can only be achieved through an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the disarmament of Hezbollah”.
Salam said Lebanon remains committed to direct negotiations with Israel.
“We are continuing along this path, convinced that diplomacy is not a sign of weakness but a responsible act,” he said, adding that the talks would require sustained international support.
Still, Salam insisted that “there can be no lasting stability without a complete Israeli withdrawal” from Lebanese territory.
Dr Randa Slim is a distinguished fellow and the program lead for the Middle East Program at the Stimson Center, an independent foreign affairs think tank.
She told ABC Radio National that the attempts at conflict resolution in the Middle East can be seen as “two theatres” with the Lebanon–Israel ceasefire on one hand and the US–Iran on the other.
While Trump and Netanyahu have said the two deals are not linked, Slim said they cannot be separated.
Source: SBS News
“The timing of the ceasefire in Lebanon, followed shortly by an Iranian announcement of opening the state of Hormuz, makes this linkage too blaring,” she said on Monday.
“[If] the situation on the US-Iran front escalates, I think there is definitely a danger for the situation in the Lebanese-Israeli front to escalate.”
Iran has repeatedly closed and reopened the Strait of Hormuz in response to what it has described as violations of its ceasefire with the US.
Israel ‘not willing to compromise’
Slim said that the current Lebanese government has shown consistent interest in negotiating a lasting peace.
“What’s not clear is whether the Israeli political leadership, which sees its political survival contingent on keeping Israel on a war path with its neighbour, is really seriously interested in moving forward on this negotiation path,” she said.
She described the Israeli government as motivated by “expansionism”, pointing to its takeover of Lebanese territory.
“This is very much in line with an Israeli government that works according to an expansionist agenda, occupying territory in Syria, and next thing the West Bank,” she said.
Syria has been seeking to reclaim the Golan Heights, a region captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights and the West Bank is considered illegal under international law.
Israel passed legislation in the 1980s applying its laws and government over the Golan Heights. It considers the West Bank to be “disputed” territory and wants its status to be resolved in the peace negotiations.
Israel says its current military operation in southern Lebanon is intended to expand the security buffer zone until Hezbollah’s threat to Israel is eliminated.
Genauer said that Israel appears to be willing to negotiate, but “has a number of red lines that they’re not willing to compromise on”.
“They’re willing to agree to a cessation of hostilities, but that doesn’t mean that there wouldn’t be violations,” she said.
“And they’ve said as much, saying that if they think that Hezbollah has violated the ceasefire, they will definitely respond, and they will also violate the ceasefire.”
Perhaps the most important figure is Trump, she said, who could pressure Israel into a deal with Lebanon, as a means of reducing US tensions with Iran.
“As long as there’s the headline sort of statement that there’s a ceasefire in place — regardless of Israeli occupation or ceasefire violations — I think Trump will be quite happy to accept that and move on,” she said.
What happens next?
Slim said there is a risk that Israel may look to retain large portions of southern Lebanon as part of a future deal.
“I think this is a danger is that this kind of occupation can, if sustained in the long term … lead to annexation of this territory by Israel. And that will be a disaster for Lebanon,” she said.
Whether or not Hezbollah will agree to a deal between Lebanon and Israel is also a key factor looking ahead.
Genauer said that the Lebanese delegation in previous negotiations had not included an official with strong ties to the group.
She said Hezbollah could become “increasingly dissatisfied” with Lebanon’s negotiations with Israel, further destabilising peace efforts.
“That flows into Lebanese politics and could create further fractures in an already quite volatile, and in some ways, an unstable domestic environment where Lebanon has been facing a lot of challenges in recent years and decades, both politically, economically and security-wise.”
— With additional reporting from the Associated Press and Reuters news agencies.
Queenslanders who burn the Australian flag in public could face jail time under new laws tabled by Katter’s Australian Party (KAP).
Robbie Katter, a member of the Queensland Parliament and son of Senator Bob Katter, has introduced a motion that could alter existing legislation to impose a six-month jail sentence on individuals who publicly burn the Australian flag. This proposed amendment would also extend to the burning of flags like the Union Jack, Commonwealth Star, and Southern Cross.
Katter took to social media to share a photo of himself alongside fellow Katter’s Australian Party MP Shane Knuth, both holding the Australian flag. He asserted that his stance on this matter “should never be controversial.”
Robbie Katter argues the flag is more than a physical object, and that flag burning could incite anger or further unrest. (Luis Enrique Ascui)
“Criticizing the government and expressing disagreement with the country’s direction is part of democracy,” Katter stated. “However, publicly burning the Australian flag oversteps acceptable boundaries.”
He emphasized that the flag is a symbol of the nation’s people, their freedoms, and all Australians who have served under it.
Katter clarified that his intention is not to prohibit protests but to ensure the Australian flag is respected as a unifying emblem for the country.
Robbie Katter, left, and fellow KAP MP Shane Knuth. (Facebook/Robbie Katter MP)
His law tabled would create a specific offence outlawing the burning of the Australian flag in public, with anyone found guilty of the offence being able to receive a maximum penalty of 40 penalty units or six months’ imprisonment.
In justification for the bill, Katter’s submission said the flag is more than a physical object.
“It is a national emblem that represents the Commonwealth, the Australian people, and the country’s shared civic identity,” he said.
“Public acts of burning the flag, particularly where staged to provoke confrontation or intimidate others, may undermine social cohesion and create flashpoints for unrest.”
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In a tense confrontation with law enforcement, a man was fatally shot by Jacksonville police officers on Wednesday. The incident unfolded just hours after the suspect was allegedly involved in a murder on the city’s Westside, as detailed by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The shooting occurred in the Mandarin neighborhood, specifically on Julington Creek Road near Sand Ridge Drive. Despite the violence of the encounter, officials confirmed that all officers involved were unharmed.
The individual in question had been identified as a person of interest following an early morning shooting at around 5:30 a.m., which resulted in the death of a woman and left another individual injured. Soon after, investigators tracked down the suspect, who also faced an outstanding theft charge. While authorities have refrained from releasing his name publicly, they described him as a man in his 50s.
According to the agency, the suspect had been the person of interest in the shooting that occurred at approximately 5:30 a.m., leaving a woman dead and another person hospitalized.
The suspect was identified by investigators shortly thereafter and it was discovered that he had an active warrant for his arrest on a theft charge. He was not immediately publicly identified, but the sheriff’s office described him as a man in his 50s.
Police planned to arrest him on the warrant, and tracked him to Julington Creek Road at around 1 p.m., where officers attempted to block his vehicle.
JSO said that the man pointed a gun at officers and shot at them at least once. Five officers then opened fire, striking and killing the man.
The sheriff’s office said that the investigation remains active.
WASHINGTON – In a high-stakes overnight session, the Senate is engaged in a tense battle as Republicans push to secure funding for two pivotal immigration enforcement entities amid Democratic resistance, aiming to revive the operations of the Department of Homeland Security.
As part of a complex strategy, Republicans are attempting to circumvent Democratic opposition blocking financial support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. The department remains inoperative for over two months following demands from Democrats for policy reforms, especially after the controversial fatal shootings of protesters by federal agents.
To advance funding for these agencies, Republicans are employing the intricate budget reconciliation process, a tool previously used to enact President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cuts without Democratic backing. Although the Senate has already voted to reactivate other parts of the department, House Republican leaders are withholding their support until the Senate demonstrates movement on funding for ICE and Border Patrol.
This budgetary tactic requires only a simple Senate majority, allowing Republicans to bypass the typical filibuster threshold of 60 votes, despite holding just 53 seats. However, this method invites greater scrutiny from the Senate parliamentarian and involves a prolonged series of amendments that could extend the session through the night.
Meanwhile, Democrats plan to propose amendments aimed at reducing healthcare and living costs, highlighting a stark contrast to the Republicans’ emphasis on Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda.
Republicans are “bending the knee to Donald Trump,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said ahead of the votes.
The Senate is expected to pass the budget framework after the lengthy vote series, likely early Thursday morning, and send it to the House. Once the House approves the framework and the Senate Parliamentarian approves it, the two chambers can then move to pass the measure.
The $70 billion resolution would fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years, through the rest of Trump’s term. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and other GOP leaders say they hope to keep the bill narrowly focused on ICE and Border Patrol and get it to Trump’s desk by the end of the month, along with the rest of Homeland Security Department funding that has already passed the Senate.
But that could prove difficult as many in the party see the budget bill as the last real chance this year to enact their priorities. Republicans in both the Senate and House have pushed to add other items, including money for farmers and Trump’s proof of citizenship voting bill, called the SAVE America Act.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., briefly held up the vote series late Wednesday, frustrated that the bill would not include parts of the SAVE America Act or other issues.
“This is the last train leaving the station,” Kennedy said, predicting they would not be able to pass any other legislation ahead of November’s midterm elections. But he withdrew his objections and allowed the voting to proceed.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
During a court session on Wednesday, the mother of a FedEx driver who confessed to the murder of seven-year-old Athena Strand became emotional as she recounted details of her son’s childhood.
Identified only as ‘Mrs. Horner’ in the courtroom, she revealed to the jury at her son Tanner Horner’s sentencing that she had engaged in substance abuse before realizing she was pregnant and described how Tanner faced bullying during his formative years.
‘He tried to interact with others, but they showed no interest in communicating with him,’ she shared, as reported by NBC DFW.
‘Witnessing it was painful. Truly disheartening. They simply didn’t like him,’ she added.
Defense lawyers are hopeful that her testimony will influence the jury’s decision on whether Tanner should face the death penalty for Strand’s murder.
He pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping in the case on April 7, just hours before his trial was set to start.
But Tanner denied that he raped the young girl before he strangled her to death – something his mother said she no longer believes, Fox 4 reports.
‘I am so mad at him,’ Mrs. Horner said of her son when she was asked by the defense if she was angry with him, given what he had pleaded guilty to.
‘I want to just tear his a** up… She was just a baby,’ she said.
FedEx killer Tanner Horner’s mother testified about his upbringing at his trial on Wednesday. Horner is seen listening to testimony in court
Tanner has admitted to abducting and killing seven-year-old Athena Strand from her home
Much of Mrs. Horner’s testimony on Wednesday dealt with her own upbringing and the effects it had on Tanner when he was growing up.
She told jurors how she was born to a teenage mother, her parents divorced when she was just one year old and her stepfather started sexually abusing her at the age of four.
‘I don’t remember having dreams,’ Mrs. Horner said. ‘I didn’t have a childhood.’
She then went on to describe years of drug abuse and mental health issues – saying she used heroin for 25 years and is now on methadone.
‘I used everything I could get my hands on,’ she said, according to CBS News. ‘It wasn’t a good lifestyle.’
The woman, whose image was blurred in the livestream of the court proceeding to maintain her anonymity, also said she has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder.
She said she first went to rehab at the age of 14, then dropped out of high school – eventually getting a job as a teenager at a strip club in Fort Worth, Texas, where she first met Tanner’s father, Terry.
He raped her on the night they first met, Mrs. Horner said, but she ultimately decided to marry him when she was 19 years old.
‘It wasn’t for love,’ she told the jury.
Mrs. Horner testified in court on Wednesday that her Tanner (pictured) had trouble making friends as a child
Mrs. Horner then went on to claim she did not know she was pregnant with Tanner until she was about eight and a half weeks along.
Until then, she said she continued using drugs and drank ‘pretty heavily, enough to get cirrhosis.’
Even after she found out she was pregnant, though, Mrs. Horner said she continued to smoke cigarettes and marijuana.
She also testified that she kept using drugs throughout Tanner’s childhood – noting that he was just two years old when she relapsed.
‘I nodded out one time, on the toilet,’ she recounted. ‘Tanner came in. He was just a little guy and he thought I was dead.’
At times, Tanner and his younger brother would live with their mother at rehabilitation centers. But when she was arrested on drug and prostitution charges, Tanner and his brother would also live with her mother.
Throughout his childhood, Mrs. Horner said, Tanner said he had a hard time making friends and communicating with other children.
Tanner strangled Strand, abducted her and dumped her body in a creek.. The two are pictured in his FedEx truck following the kidnapping
Horner kidnapped the little girl as he delivered a parcel of Barbies that her father and stepmother bought for her as a Christmas present
At the trial, jurors were also shown letters Horner wrote to Strand’s family
She said he often had meltdowns, which she assumed were just temper tantrums when Tanner was younger.
But when he started getting bullied at school, Mrs. Horner said Tanner would act out violently by hitting himself in the head – though she insisted he never hit her or other people.
Tanner was eventually diagnosed with ADHD and Asperger Syndrome – an autism spectrum disorder whose sufferers may struggle to cope if their usual daily routine is disrupted.
In a letter to Strand’s heartbroken family, Tanner seemed to blame his actions on the diagnosis.
He described in the letter how he was extremely stressed by not being able to drive the exact same route in his FedEx truck every day, when he kidnapped and killed Strand.
‘I’m sorry I allowed my mental state to be unstable. I’m sorry I took your little angel away from you. She didn’t deserve it,’ Tanner wrote, as he moaned about the impact his crime would have on his own family.
He has claimed he accidentally struck Strand with his truck when he was delivering Barbie dolls that would be her Christmas present in November 2022, and that he strangled her out of fear she would tell her parents.
He told the court he initially tried to break Athena’s neck to kill her, but that it didn’t work, so he strangled her with his bare hands instead while singing ‘Jingle Bell Rock.’
Prosecutors, however, have called the claims an ‘absolute lie’ and said Athena was not hurt before he abducted her, with footage showing Athena conscious and seemingly physically unharmed inside the truck.
