In Greek mythology, Athena was the goddess of wisdom, practical reason and intelligence. She represented the calculated, strategic side of war, rather than brute violence. She was even known as a heroic helper, coming to the aid of Odysseus and Achilles.
But to North Texans, Athena was a 7-year-old girl, full of life; a precious, innocent, beautiful child who “never knew a stranger,” according to her mother.
Now, a large pink cross and makeshift memorial stands at Bobo Crossing north of Azle to mark the spot where — according to Tanner Horner, who has pleaded guilty to murdering her after delivering a package to her home near Cottondale — Athena’s lifeless body was “tossed” into the Trinity River near where it enters Eagle Mountain Lake. In the final hours of Athena’s life, there was no wisdom, no practical reason, no intelligence. There was only brute violence, and no one came to her aid.
