Defendant Tanner Horner looks up at his defense team before pleading guilty to capital murder in the November 2022 strangulation killing of 7-year-old Athena Strand on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in Fort Worth. AMANDA MCCOY/POOL PHOTOGRAPHER VIA FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
“Guilty.”
The first word uttered by Tanner Horner on Day 1 of his capital murder trial brought the first phase of the proceedings to an unexpected end, even before the jury had entered the courtroom.
But his fight to avoid the death penalty had just begun.
On Tuesday, Horner admitted that he kidnapped 7-year-old Athena Strand from her family’s Cottondale home and killed her Nov. 30, 2022.
After Judge George Gallagher questioned Horner if he was freely entering his guilty plea without being promised any deal, the judge accepted the plea of guilt.
Prosecutors with the Wise County District Attorney’s Office are seeking the death penalty. Horner’s attorneys with the Regional Public Defenders Office are seeking the only other option: a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
With dozens of Strand’s family members and supporters wearing pink — Athena’s favorite color — looking on, prosecutors began arguments to the Tarrant County jury on why Horner should die for his crime.
In opening statements, District Attorney James Stainton quoted scripture from 2 Corinthians saying, “Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
Stainton continued by saying when Horner was delivering packages for FedEx, he was not bringing happiness, but rather violence, fear and death.
“Don’t scream, or I’ll hurt you,” Stainton said Horner told Athena when he kidnapped her in the delivery truck. He said Athena was a “warrior” and “fought with the strength of 100 men” when Horner abducted her.
He also told jurors they’d hear evidence of Horner’s DNA found on Strand “where it shouldn’t be,” suggesting the child was sexually assaulted.
Wise County District Attorney James Stainton gives his opening statement in the capital murder trial of Tanner Horner in the November 2022 strangulation killing of 7-year-old Athena Strand on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in Fort Worth. AMANDA MCCOY/POOL PHOTOGRAPHER VIA FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
Horner’s defense opened by saying that brain injuries are not obvious and cannot be diagnosed like sports injuries, a suggestion to the jurors that Horner had some sort of disability.
Defense attorney Steve Goble said that Horner had longstanding mental injuries, stemming from his mother’s substance abuse issues when she was pregnant with him. He also said Horner was exposed to lead poisoning in his youth.
He added that Horner was diagnosed with Asperger’s as a student in school, which is now considered part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder, further suggesting he had disabilities.
Athena’s stepmom, Ashley Strand, testified she noticed the child missing around supper time on Nov. 30, 2022, and began a search of the 10-acre rural property, then called police when she wasn’t found.
Ashley Strand said Athena’s death impacted her entire life, and testified that her divorce from Athena’s dad, Jacob, had stemmed from the incident. She added that her other children were impacted as well, and were scared when any delivery driver dropped off packages at their home.
“I’m not the same,” she told jurors. “I don’t trust anybody.”
In perhaps the most striking image from the first day, the jury saw a photo taken from a video camera inside Horner’s delivery truck showing Horner in the driver’s seat and Strand kneeling next to him.
A still image from the interior of a FedEx truck driven by Horner, showing Athena Strand in the back of the truck. DASH CAM FOOTAGE SHOWN AT TRIAL
Former Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin testified about the search for Athena, which involved multiple law enforcement agencies and volunteer fire departments in addition to at least 300 community volunteers.
“I’ll never forget the morning of Dec. 1. Citizens came from all parts of Wise County to find that child,” Akin said. “…It was shoulder-to-shoulder.”
The next day, after Athena’s body was found, Akin delivered the news to the child’s family who had gathered at the First Baptist Church of Cottondale.
“It was heartbreaking,” Akin said. “They were just devastated.”
Strand’s first grade teacher at Paradise Elementary, Lindsey Thompson, testified about the emotional impact the child’s disappearance and murder had on classmates and herself.
After learning of Athena’s death, Thompson looked at the last entry in the child’s class journal.
It was on the topic of stranger danger.
FBI Agent Patrick McGuire testified about tracking down a potential lead about the FedEx package delivery to the home around the time Athena went missing, determining that Horner was the driver.
McGuire said he located Horner along his delivery route.
“He was getting out of vehicle when I approached,” McGuire said. “It scared him and he dropped his package.”
While previously telling the officer over the phone that he had no specific memory of delivering a package to the Strand home, Horner said driving near the crime scene — and seeing the law enforcement presence — refreshed his memory, according to the FBI agent’s testimony. At that point, he told McGuire that he saw a green Chevrolet Astrovan leaving the scene around the time of the delivery.
“During the majority of the interview, [Horner] was articulate, he answered properly, it was a good back and forth conversation,” McGuire said. “Towards the end, he became emotional, to the point of tears, stating he couldn’t believe something like this would happen.”
On Tuesday morning, Game Warden Josh Espinoza testified about locating Horner — who by this time was a suspect in the disappearance of Athena — on Dec. 2, 2022. Body camera video of the officer detaining Horner was shown to the jury.
Supporters gather outside the 297th District Courtroom in Fort Worth prior to the start of the trial. Many were wearing Athena Strand’s favorite color of pink. AUSTIN JACKSON/WCMESSENGER
Espinoza’s brother, Texas Ranger Job Espinoza, said he learned about possible video from Horner’s delivery truck and requested the footage from the company that contracted with FedEx to provide that service. Two short videos were provided to the Ranger around the time Horner was detained, he testified.
“I saw Athena still alive, and she was placed in the FedEx van by Tanner Horner. I felt possibly Athena was still alive and we needed to bring her home,” Ranger Espinoza said of one of the videos.
Almost the same time Horner was detained, officers went into Horner’s Lake Worth home to search for Athena. They did not find the child.
Shortly after Horner was detained along his delivery route, the Ranger went to the location and questioned Horner about Athena’s disappearance. The Ranger said when asked where the child was, Horner answered, “I can show you.” When asked if Athena was alive, Horner said, “She wasn’t alive when I put her in the back of the truck,” according to the Ranger’s testimony.
Ranger Espinoza said he knew that was a lie because he had seen Athena alive on the video when she was placed in the truck. He said Horner also told him Athena died when he backed into her with his delivery van.
Horner then led investigators to a location where he said he dumped the body: a place with 10-foot-tall bamboo. Investigators searched the area but did not find her, so Horner was brought back to the sheriff’s office for a custodial interview.
As of press time Tuesday, jurors were watching video evidence of investigators’ initial interviews of Horner.
The trial is taking place in Fort Worth after it was moved from Wise County.
Austin Jackson and Brendan Marchand contributed to this story.
For our live coverage of the ongoing trial, which includes a minute-by-minute breakdown of the proceedings, visit wcmess.com/athena.
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