Tanner Lynn Horner pleaded guilty to murdering 7-year-old Athena Strand in the opening moments of his capital murder trial April 7 in Fort Worth.
Horner was charged with kidnapping and killing Strand, who attended Paradise Elementary. She was reported missing Nov. 30, 2022. Authorities found her body on Dec. 2, 2022.
Now the trial shifts to the punishment phase.
The defense is seeking a life sentence without parole. Wise County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Defendant Tanner Horner reacts as he watches Maitlyn Gandy, mother of Strand testify on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center. Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder in the November 2022 strangulation killing of 7-year-old Athena Strand. Pool photo via DMN
Tanner Horner’s capital murder trial coverage is updated below.
Content warning: Information in this story may be disturbing or offensive to some readers.
Day 8 (Thursday, April 16)
State rests its case
Wise County District Attorney James Stainton holds a photo of Athena Strand during the capital murder trial of Tanner Horner on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Pool photo via Dallas Morning News
2:15 p.m.
The jury has finished watching the video of Athena’s kidnapping and murder. In the last part of the video from Nov. 30, 2022, Horner can be seen removing a sticker from the camera, which shows the interior of the van and Horner driving. He pulls into the Love’s Truck Stop in Rhome. He’s seen going in and coming back with paper towels and cleaning supplies. He then goes halfway back into the cargo area and begins scrubbing areas of the floor and part of the van just off camera.
He’s also heard talking to what appears to be his employer saying he threw up in the back of the van and it smells, blaming it on eating a bad hamburger from a gas station earlier in the day. The end of the video shows Horner pulling into the FedEx facility and removing a sticker from the forward-facing camera. He also appears to put clothing items, possibly Athena’s clothing that is later found at Horner’s home, into his backpack to take with him.
Following that video, Wise County District Attorney James Stainton announced the state has rested its case.
The next few days are expected to be filled with hearings related to defense witnesses, and testimony is expected to resume next Wednesday, April 22, as the defense will begin its case in hopes of sparing Horner from the death penalty.
Videos from Horner’s delivery van shown to jurors
Horner is shown driving in front of the Strand home the day after Athena went missing. PHOTO FROM VIDEO SHOWN IN TRIAL
12:20 p.m.
The jury has taken a break for lunch after hearing about 40-minute’s worth of the video which shows the abduction of Athena Strand. Witnesses in the courtroom said the video does not show Horner backing into Athena, and she is not hurt when he lifts her into the van.
At one point, Athena is heard asking, “Why are you doing this?” He replies, “Because you’re pretty — you know that?”
While Horner covered the camera, the feed captured audio of him continuously torturing the child as she clung to life.
Rebecca Lopez, the senior crime and justice reporter at WFAA, recounted what the jury heard from inside the courtroom. Below is an excerpt towards the end of the summary.
“Then you hear ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ come on the radio. As Athena continues screaming and moaning in pain, Horner begins to sing along to the song,” Lopez said in her summary of the audio presented Thursday, adding that Horner told the child, “’Shut up. If you don’t shut up, I will hurt you worse.’”
According to the observers, many of the jurors were not only crying but sobbing and glaring at Horner.
Lopez’s full account from the footage presented Thursday is available here. (Warning: The summary is disturbing.)
About 30 more minutes of the video was expected to be played following the lunch break.
10:30 a.m.
Videos taken from cameras inside Tanner Horner’s delivery van is being shown to jurors. The videos are from the day of Athena’s kidnapping, Nov. 30, as well as clips from Nov. 26, Nov. 29, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2.
Short video clips from Nov. 26 and Nov. 29 show Horner apparently covering up the forward-facing camera while on his route, including about an hour before delivering packages to another residence with young children on the same road as the Strand home about 24 hours before Athena disappeared.
On the video from Dec. 1, the day after Athena’s abduction and murder, Horner can be see driving down County Road 3573, where the Strand home is located, while the search for Athena is underway. He can be seen passing numerous law enforcement vehicles as well as private vehicles, presumably from people involved in the search for the child. Some people can be seen on horse back. He nods at people as he passes them and smokes a cigarette.
At one point, Horner appears to become impatient with not being able to drive down the road, honking several times for people to get out of the way. A woman can be seen coming up to the van and saying, “There’s been a kidnapping,” and Horner responds, “Are you serious?”
The jury is now watching the video from Athena’s abduction and murder on Nov. 30.
Jacob Strand, father of Athena Strand, testifies during the capital murder trial of Tanner Horner on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in Fort Worth. Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder in the November 2022 strangulation killing of 7-year-old Athena Strand. POOL PHOTO
The first witness this morning was Athena’s father, Jacob Strand. He testified that he last saw Athena just before it got dark on Nov. 30 as he hugged his daughter and told her “bye” as he left with his father on a hunting trip. Later after finding out Athena was missing, Jacob Strand said he initially thought she might have been playing hide-and-seek, which she was “really good at.”
When asked if he still talked to his daughter, he said he does, at a fruitless pear tree on his property which was a favorite spot of Athena’s.
Responding to a question about how his daughter’s death made him feel, Jacob Strand said, “It made me feel horrible, like I should have done something or been there. I wasn’t there to protect her.”
He testified that he “self-destructed” after his daughter’s death, including issues with alcohol and a marriage that ended.
Jacob Strand said the thing he misses most about his daughter is “her laugh, her spirit — she loved everybody.”
Day 7 (Wednesday, April 15)
Software company representative testifies about pulling video from Horner’s van
11:45 a.m.
James Becker, a vice president at Velocitor Solutions, testified about the video footage captured by their software in the camera from the delivery van Tanner Horner was driving at the time of Athena’s disappearance. Becker said he had never had a situation like this come up, so when the FBI reached out to him about getting video clips on Dec. 1, 2022, he asked them to send him an email so he could verify they were who they said they were.
JAMES BECKER
When he pulled up the video, he said he saw, “the driver of the FedEx truck and there was a small child in the truck as well.”
Knowing investigators were looking for the missing child, Becker said he felt panic.
“It’s why I was having trouble downloading the video and the urgency of the FBI agent to see what I was seeing,” Becker said.
He testified that he was also able to see GPS data about where the van stopped that day, including a gas station, a bridge and on the side of the road, and he passed that information along to law enforcement.
Becker said he was later able to pull longer video clips from the van for law enforcement.
“I want to truly thank you for what you did in this case,” Assistant District Attorney Patrick Berry said.
Earlier in the morning, four forensic scientists from the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab in Garland testified about the testing and chain of custody process when handling DNA evidence. The testimony did not include any more results of that testing.
DNA analyst: Tanner Horner, Athena Strand can’t be ruled out as contributors to DNA profiles found in tested evidence
2:45 p.m.
In very technical testimony, Kristen Cossota with the Texas DPS Crime Lab, went over her report interpreting the results of the DNA testing done in the case. She testified that in Y-STR testing which examines the DNA on the Y, or male, chromosome, Horner could not be excluded as a contributor to DNA profiles found on vaginal, anal and oral swabs taken from Athena Strand. She also testified that there was “strong support” that Athena and Horner were contributors to DNA profiles found on a number of other items including clothing collected from Horner’s home.
Athena’s mother testifies
Maitlyn Gandy, mother of Athena Strand, looks up as she testifies during the capital murder trial of Tanner Horner on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center. Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder in the November 2022 strangulation killing of 7-year-old Athena Strand. Pool photo via Dallas Morning News
3:30 p.m.
In the most emotional moment of the trial so far, Athena’s mother, Maitlyn Gandy took the stand. Clutching a large red bow that belonged to Athena in her hand, she talked about finding out that her daughter was missing and then later that she had been murdered.
Maitlyn Gandy, mother of Athena Strand, shows a bow belonging to her daughter to the jury while testifying during the capital murder trial of Tanner Horner on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 in Fort Worth. Pool photo via Dallas Morning News
She said she last saw her daughter on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022, when she met her ex-husband Jacob Strand in Bowie for a custody exchange.
“I told her I loved her and I’d see her on Friday,” Gandy said of the last thing she said to Athena.
She also recalled getting the news of Athena’s disappearance and speeding down to Wise County.
Maitlyn Gandy, mother of Athena Strand, testifies during the capital murder trial of Tanner Horner on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center. Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder in the November 2022 strangulation killing of 7-year-old Athena Strand. Pool photo via Dallas Morning News
“It felt like I was dying,” she said of how she felt driving down. “I couldn’t breathe. But I knew I had to keep going. I almost tapped the brakes, because I thought I was having a heart attack. But I just told myself that if I kept going, it would be OK and I would find her.”
It was Friday night that she received the news that her daughter’s body had been found. She said at first she was in disbelief that it was true.
She said she first saw her daughter’s body the following Tuesday. Through tears, she talked about putting makeup on her daughter to cover up the discoloration so Athena’s father wouldn’t have to see her like that.
Gandy said she wants people to know her daughter is more than just a photo in a news story.
“She is loved, and she is missed, and she was real, and she had a life, and she wanted a life, and no one can take that from her,” Gandy said, turning to look at Horner before continuing. “Not a single person can take that from her. And I will be her face and will be her voice and make sure every person in this world knows she was loved and that she wanted to live and we want her in our lives.”
She noted that it was especially hard finding out her daughter had no personal belongings on her when her body was found, including the fact she was naked. When asked if there was anything she’d like to know in terms of the case, she said, “He’ll never tell the truth, but I want to know where my daughter’s shirt is at.”
Gandy talked about being there for when her daughter took her first breath and her first steps, but she wasn’t there for her when Athena took her final breath. She said she still talks to her daughter every day.
“I tell her that I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to protect her and to stop him,” she said. “I tell her that I love her and I talk to her about [her sister] Rilyn and what she’s doing in life and how much she loves and misses her.”
Court has ended for the day and will resume on Thursday morning.
Day 6 (Tuesday, April 14)
Horner’s phone data reveals searches about Athena, sexual topics
10 a.m.
SCOTT MORRIS
FBI digital forensic analyst Scott Morris who performed the digital extraction of Tanner Horner’s phone testified about the results of that search. It showed that in the hours and two days after Athena’s disappearance, Horner had performed a number of searches including “my fiance’s family makes me out to be a demon,” “do FedEx cameras constantly record,” and “Paradise missing girl.” The data also included a number of posts about the search for Athena and more than a dozen photos of the child.
Other items pulled from the phone include an image of a three-circle Venn diagram of “Catholicism, autism and nerd shit” with “BDSM” in the center. BDSM is an apparent reference to a sexual practice that includes bondage, dominance, submission and sadism. Another image was of a book about sex.
10:25 a.m.
Kevin Huffman, who lives on the same road as the Strand home, testified about his interaction with Horner delivering a package to his home 24 hours before Athena’s kidnapping and murder. Huffman testified that his two daughters, ages 7 and 10 at the time, were in the front yard when Horner arrived. He testified that he and his wife came outside when Horner delivered a large package to his door, and Huffman and Horner “chit chatted.”
Horner’s defense attorney Susan Anderson showed the in-van video of the entire delivery showing that Horner asked the children about speaking to an adult as a “Christmas time precaution,” referring to the delivery of a possible present. Huffman testified that Horner was polite during their interaction.
Witnesses testify about being raped by Horner when they were 16
12:25 p.m.
The jury is hearing from two women who say they were raped by Tanner Horner when they were 16 years old — below the age of consent — and Tanner Horner was in his early 20s. In both cases, the girls were drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana just prior to the assaults, they testified. These two witnesses appear to be the complainants in Horner’s pending sexual assault cases in Tarrant County.
The first woman testified that two years after the alleged assault, Horner saw her and tried to kiss her and she said, “no.” He responded by saying, “You were more fun when you were younger.”
The other woman said Horner raped her just after she turned 16 and Horner was 23. She testified that she had talked about her age with Horner prior to the assault and had told him she did not want a physical relationship with him due to her young age. When asked why she didn’t go to law enforcement after the assault, the woman said she didn’t think she would be believed.
She also testified that Horner had told her he was into BDSM, rougher sex and fantasized about rape.
DNA analyst: Male DNA found in swabs of Athena’s body
3:10 p.m.
Jacqueline Ferrara, the forensic analyst who performed DNA testing at the DPS crime lab in Garland, testified that male DNA was detected in swabs taken from vaginal and anal swabs from Athena. There has not yet been evidence presented as to whose DNA that could belong to.
Blood and semen were detected in presumptive tests of a number of items of evidence collected in the case, Ferrara testified. Items such as Tanner Horner’s shirt and jeans tested positive for semen. A pair of his blue jeans also tested positive for blood. Fingernail clippings from Athena’s right hand also tested positive for blood.
The judge has ended the day early, and testimony will resume in the morning.
Day 5 (Monday, April 13)
Horner’s jail letters include apology to family, claims that a second person was involved
10:30 a.m.
Jurors saw two very different letters Tanner Horner wrote at the time of his attempted suicide at the Wise County jail in May of 2023, according to investigators.
One letter was addressed to “Athena’s family,” and began by saying, “I want to start by saying how sorry I am about Athena. The entire time I’ve known by legal council (sic), they’ve continued to tell me how I don’t need to apologize/shouldn’t apologize until the trial and frankly I can’t hold it in any longer. I’ve done a terrible thing to your family and I’m sorry.”
A letter found in Tanner Horner’s Wise County Jail cell was addressed to the family of Athena Strand. PHOTO SHOWN AT TRIAL
He goes on to say how much it has also affected him and his family and then seems to explain why he did what he did, mentioning that he has Asperger’s Syndrome, on the autism spectrum, and seemed to blame FedEx for changing his route, saying he doesn’t deal well with change. He also talked about previous thoughts of suicide.
In a very different letter addressed to detectives, Horner claimed when he arrived at the Strand household on Nov. 30, 2022, another man was there and pointed a rifle at him and told him to take Athena to him at the bamboo area, which he did. Horner said he was afraid this man could try to kill him on his way to court or kill his family.
The jury also heard from the FBI agent David Rogers who oversaw the search of the delivery van Horner was arrested in and who also oversaw the recovery of Athena’s body from the Trinity River at Bobo Crossing on Dec. 2, 2022. Jurors saw photos, including those of Athena’s body just after she was removed from the water.
When asked about Athena’s condition when he recovered the body, Rogers said, “I remember her body being very cold to the touch, firm, the skin appeared to be glistening, almost angel like,” he said, adding that he could see also see physical trauma on the body.
12:05 p.m.
DR. JESSICA DWYER
The Dallas County Medical Examiner Dr. Jessica Dwyer who performed the autopsy of Athena Strand testified about the injuries she observed on the child. Prosecutors noted the multiple blunt force injuries found on numerous parts of her body, but primarily on her chest, neck and face. Much of the face and neck had what was described as “zig-zag” patterns. The examiner ruled the cause of death as blunt force injuries with smothering and strangulation.
Prosecutors with the Wise County District Attorney’s Office also noted that there was a number of “post-mortem” injuries apparently sustained after death on her back which could indicate the body being dragged.
2:30 p.m.
Just after lunch, the jury got to see a photo of the “zig zag” pattern injuries on the face of Athena from the autopsy compared to a photo of a similar “zig zag” pattern on the bottom of Tanner Horner’s shoes.
The next witness was the Wise County Jail administrator, who identified five recorded phone calls or visitations between Horner and family members. In the recording of a visitation, Horner can be heard talking about being a “high profile” client for his defense attorney and how much national attention the case is getting. He jokes at one point about selling his story for $1 million.
Day 4 (Friday, April 10)
Investigators testify about processing delivery truck for evidence
10:15 a.m.
Investigators searched the delivery van Tanner Horner was driving the day Athena Strand was abducted and killed. PHOTO SHOWN AT TRIAL
Prosecutors have spent the early part of Friday entering a number of pieces of evidence regarding the FedEx delivery van Tanner Horner was driving the day Athena Strand was abducted and killed. FBI Special Agent Kurt Duross, who oversaw the processing of the van, continued his testimony from Thursday. He was able to identify a number of photos of the van, including the surveillance system and SD card.
Duross testified that investigators looked for a number of items in the van, including latent fingerprints, and took a number of DNA swabs in an attempt to identify touch evidence or bodily fluids.
After doing an initial processing of the vehicle on Dec. 5, the team was brought back out to process the van again on Jan. 6 using what he called a “stronger forensic flashlight” to illuminate possible bodily fluids.
Photos were shown to the jury showing a swab being taken on the step going into the cargo area of the delivery van. Tie down straps and bungee cords Duross said were located in the van were also admitted into evidence.
11:50 a.m.
Former Wise County Sheriff’s Office crime scene investigator Alise Amey testified about collecting evidence in the case and helping with the recovery of Athena Strand’s body.
Most of the testimony revolved around the chain of custody and handling of evidence. Amey testified that she bagged Athena’s hands to preserve potential evidence right after he body was recovered from the Trinity River. She said she also processed Horner for evidence at the Wise County Jail. She also took the evidence collected by the FBI’s search of the delivery vans and placed it in the property room at the sheriff’s office.
Horner’s defense attorney Susan Anderson focused part of her cross examination on the package Horner apparently delivered to the Strand home that Amey photographed at the scene but did not collect. Anderson argued that box was brought to the sheriff’s office approximately two weeks later by Athena’s mother and her attorney after it had been opened and then taken into evidence.
Anderson also showed photos of what appeared to be tie down straps from the van being photographed while sitting on a table at the sheriff’s office without something like butcher paper being placed between them. The attorney argued that could lead to contamination of evidence.
2:30 p.m.
Wise County Sgt. Brett Yaro testified Friday afternoon about collecting evidence from Tanner Horner at the jail after his arrest. That included a Dragonball Z backpack and lunchbox that contained two prescription medications (Fluoxetine and Atomoxetine), ibuprofen, a vape pen, toothbrush and toothpaste and a baggie containing what he described as “a green, leafy substance.”
He also testified about collecting Horner’s clothing, which included mud-covered shoes. When photos of the shoes were shown to the jury, Yaro pointed out that the bottom of one of the shoes appeared to have a reddish substance which could have indicated blood.
Wise County Assistant District Attorney Patrick Berry asked about the tread pattern on the shoes and why it was something investigators looked at.
“We were looking for a pattern to match the pattern on the little girl’s face,” Yaro said.
Yaro also testified about examining the floor of the van, looking for textures/patterns that matched Athena’s injuries.
He also collected cheek swabs from Horner for DNA evidence.
A box and package containing Barbie dolls — shown here at a press conference in December of 2022 — was shown to jurors Friday in the capital murder trial of Tanner Horner. MESSENGER ARCHIVE PHOTO
Jurors also got to see the box talked about earlier in the day: a package that had been delivered by Horner to the Strand family home around the time Athena went missing. Berry opened the box and showed Yaro and the jury the box of Barbies inside.
Yaro testified that Horner attempted suicide in the Wise County Jail May 16, 2023, and that Horner left several letters to various people, including to law enforcement, his family, Athena’s family and a pastor. Berry seemed to indicate the jury would see those letters, possibly as early as Monday.
Horner’s defense attorney Susan Anderson continued to question Yaro about proper evidence handling, returning to some of the same issues she had raised earlier in the day with another witness about possible contamination of evidence.
Anderson also argued that the clothes/shoes Horner was wearing the day of his arrest may not have been the same clothes he was wearing two days earlier.
Testimony wrapped up early Friday afternoon and will resume Monday, so no more updates for today.
Day 3 (Thursday, April 9)
Ranger testifies about Horner “seeking a deal” for a house-arrest situation, blaming murder on “Zero”
10 a.m.
Ranger Job Espinoza has continued his testimony from yesterday about the events of Dec. 2, 2022 — the night Athena Strand’s body was found after Tanner Horner, through his alter ego “Zero,” led investigators to the Trinity River at County Road 4668 (Bobo Crossing).
When asked by District Attorney James Stainton why he “played along” with speaking to “Zero,” the Ranger said it was all about finding Athena.
RANGER JOB ESPINOZA
“If getting the truth is playing the game, I’m willing to play it,” he said.
Stainton also asked the Ranger about the many inconsistencies or lies Horner has told investigators, including if Athena was clothed when he got rid of her body. Horner initially said she was clothed when he put her in the river, but after being presented with evidence that she was not clothed, “Zero” said he threw the clothes on the highway.
When Ranger Espinoza asked why he would do that, Horner/Zero said because it would be funny. He later admitted that he took the clothes to his Lake Worth house in a backpack.
The jury is about to watch another interview with Horner from Dec. 7, 2022, a week after the murder. Ranger Espinoza said Horner requested this interview, in which he is looking to “make a deal,” which includes being able to go home wearing an ankle monitor in order to fully admit his guilt and go to prison for life.
Tanner Horner smokes a cigarette while talking to investigators in a jailhouse interview from Dec. 7, 2022. PHOTO FROM VIDEO FOOTAGE SHOWN AT TRIAL
12:30
In a video from the Dec. 7, 2022, jailhouse interview, Horner asked Ranger Espinoza about working out a deal for temporary freedom.
“I just want to spend one last Christmas with my son, and I’ll tell you everything,” Horner said on the video.
The Ranger told him he doesn’t have the ability to do that, and it’s not going to happen. Horner is then asked about why he killed Athena, but he kept returning to wanting to talk about a deal return home, even asking if video cameras could be put up around his house so they could keep an eye on him.
“That’s basically my price,” Horner said.
When pressed, he eventually said that he didn’t kill Athena, but Zero did after Horner said he backed into the child with his delivery truck.
“It wasn’t my decision. I wanted to let her go. There’s other jobs out there. He didn’t want to let her go,” Horner said on the video.
After a lengthy discussion about his life and background, Horner and the Ranger returned to talking about Zero. Horner said he’d been there for about four months, saying he’s “coming out more, taking over more.” He described it in terms of a car: sometimes Tanner is driving, sometimes Zero is driving and Tanner Horner is looking on from the back seat, and other times Zero is driving and Tanner Horner is in the trunk.
When asked more about the murder, Horner said, “That night, I thought it was a nightmare until I found the pants in my backpack,” he said, referring to the pair of Athena’s pants investigators recovered from his home. He went on to say that “Zero strangled her.”
3 p.m.
Horner’s attorney Susan Anderson cross-examined Ranger Espinoza and pointed out that her client had asked questions about an attorney numerous times during the interviews, and she pointed out that investigators talked to Horner prior to reading him his rights. The Ranger responded that Horner was just detained at first as they were looking for information about Athena and her possible safety if she was still alive.
Anderson also argued that Horner had been polite to officers, didn’t threaten any officer, did not resist arrest and did not try to escape custody when they were out in the field searching for Athena’s body. She also pointed out Horner’s comments to investigators about his mental health issues and medications he had been taking.
FBI Special Agent Taylor Page then took the stand and began testifying about obtaining cellular records of Horner’s phone and vehicle, which would show the movement the day Athena was kidnapped and killed.
3:45
Bruce Sherman with the Texas Department of Public Safety testified about conducting surveillance at the Lake Worth home where Horner and his family lived. Sherman talked about watching the home the day Horner was detained until a Special Response Team (SRT) could arrive and conduct an “exigent search,” which can be done in cases of a person’s imminent threat of physical injury of death. Athena Strand was not located at the home.
5 p.m.
Investigators found what appears to be a child’s sock among garbage behind the Lake Worth home of Tanner Horner. PHOTO SHOWN AT TRIAL
Prosecutors were able to get in several pieces of evidence through FBI Special Agent Kurt Duross, who assisted with processing the scene at Horner’s home. That evidence included what appears to be children’s clothing found behind the shed where Horner was living at his family’s Lake Worth home. Those items, shown in crime scene photos, appear to be a child’s green sock, white pair of underwear and a pair of jeans. Those items fit the description of what Athena was wearing the day she went missing, according to prosecutors.
Other items of evidence collected inside the shed included an extra large size FedEx shirt and a large hoodie.
Day 2 (Wednesday, April 8)
Law enforcement testifies about search for suspect in Athena’s disappearance
10:30 a.m.
Game Warden Josh Espinoza testified about locating Tanner Horner — who was now a suspect in the disappearance of Athena Strand — on Dec. 2, 2022. Body camera video of the officer detaining Horner was shown to the jury. The video shows a traffic stop of Horner’s FedEx vehicle and Horner being detained and identified. The officer could be heard on the video remarking that the truck, “smelled like weed, strong.”
Espinoza’s brother, Texas Ranger Job Espinoza was the next to testify. He described getting involved in the search for Athena on Nov. 30, 2022, and requesting additional resources such as a helicopter and man power. He said he learned from the family that a package had been delivered around the time Athena went missing, so a search began for the driver of that delivery van.
The Ranger leaned about possible video from the 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.
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. His first two questions and answers: “Where is she at? – I can show you.” and “Is she alive? – She wasn’t alive when I put her in the back of the truck.”
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 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.
12 p.m.
Jurors have been watching a body camera video showing that initial interview between investigators and Horner and the search for Athena’s body at the bamboo location. They’ve taken a break for lunch and will continue watching the video after the break.
3 p.m.
The jury got to hear Tanner Horner’s version of events in a video of an in-custody interview at the sheriff’s office from Dec. 2, 2022. Prosecutors are showing how Horner’s version of events changed. Earlier, Horner had said Athena was dead when he placed her in the back of his truck, but in this interview, he tells investigators about talking to the child.
Horner is shown in the interrogation room at the Wise County Sheriff’s Office. PHOTO FROM VIDEO FOOTAGE PRESENTED IN TRIAL
“She asked if I was a kidnapper. I told her ‘no,'” Horner said on the video.
Horner said that a voice in his head was telling him to kill Athena because he didn’t want her telling anybody what happened.
After putting her in the truck, Horner eventually told her to turn around and he attempted to take her life.
“I tried to break her neck – make it quick and painless as possible, but it didn’t work. She started crying,” Horner could be heard saying.
When asked how long it took to kill the child, he said about a minute, although he said it felt like longer. He told investigators he did not sexually assault Athena.
After killing the child, Horner said he wanted to leave her somewhere she could be found easily.
“I’m not a psychopath. At least I don’t think that I am,” he told investigators.
At one point in the interview, Horner said to the Texas Rangers interviewing him, “I hurt a child. Can y’all just shoot me in the head, please?”
During a break in the interview, Horner can be seen writing something on a white board. Ranger Espinoza said Horner wrote, “He’s going to hurt me. Please help.” Horner later said that it was “Zero” who was going to hurt him, apparently referring to the voice in his head or an alter ego.
5 p.m.
In the final video of the day, jurors saw Tanner Horner lead investigators to the Trinity River at County Road 4668, also known as Bobo Crossing, where they located Athena’s body.
The discovery came after going back to the bamboo area on County Road 4599 where Horner initially said he put her body. Finally, Ranger Espinoza asks to talk to “Zero,” and almost immediately, “Zero” tells the officer where to go.
On the witness stand, Ranger Espinoza said when he went to the location on the river where Horner said he put Athena in the water, he shined his flashlight over the water and located the nude body of the child in about three feet of water.
The Ranger then took Horner back to the sheriff’s office to continue questioning him for more details, but for the entire ride back, the investigator talks more to “Zero,” who said, “Tanner couldn’t handle this reality, so I took over.”
Day 1 (Tuesday, April 7)
Horner pleads guilty to killing 7-year-old Athena Strand
9 a.m.
In a shocking development, Tanner Horner pleaded guilty to murdering 7-year-old Athena Strand at the start of his capital murder trial in Fort Worth.
When the proceedings began at 9 a.m., 297th District Judge George Gallagher could be overheard talking to the defense team, and Horner, apparently about his decision to plead guilty to capital murder.
His plea means the guilt-innocence phase of the trial is over, fast-tracking arguments over whether Horner should receive the death penalty. This all occurred before jurors had entered the courtroom.
Jurors were scheduled to be seated at 9:20 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
Judge Gallagher formally accepted Horner’s guilty plea after the jury was sworn in and seated.
District Attorney James Stainton delivered his opening statement to the jury. He quoted scripture from 2 Corinthians saying, “Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
Stainton continued by saying when Horner was delivering packages, he was not bringing happiness, but rather violence, fear and death.
“Don’t scream, or I’ll hurt you,” Stainton told jurors Horner said to 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.
Stainton said that crime scene investigators found DNA on Athena’s body and suggested that sexual assault had happened. He continued by saying Horner made it as difficult as possible for investigators to locate her body after she was killed.
Stainton told the jurors that experts would testify over the course of the punishment phase about Horner’s medical, cognitive and emotional issues, calling them a “long line of excuses.”
10 a.m.
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.
The defense 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.
Horner’s lawyer 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.
The defense told jurors to sentence Horner to life without parole.
10:15 a.m.
Athena’s first grade teacher at Paradise ISD, Lindsey Thompson, was the first witness to testify. She described Athena as a “free spirit.”
Thompson told the jurors how difficult the loss of Athena was for her and her students. She said counselors and volunteers visited the school to provide grief support to deal with the death of Athena.
Thompson also said she has undergone therapy since the loss of Strand.
“I adored Athena,” Thompson said.
10:50 a.m.
Elizabeth Ashley Strand (who goes by Ashley), Athena’s stepmother, took the stand to testify.
She told jurors that Athena began living with her in May 2022 after Athena had moved from her mother’s home in Oklahoma. Athena enrolled in school in Paradise in August 2022. Ashley said she had known Athena since 2017.
Ashley described the day, Nov. 30, 2022, when Athena went missing, saying that Athena arrived home from school around 4:20 p.m., and was supposed to be sorting her laundry, but went to play outside instead. Athena was not on the Cottondale property when the family was preparing to eat dinner at 6 or 6:30 p.m.. Athena’s dad had previously left for a hunting trip.
Ashley said she and other family members searched the 10-acre property, then called police after the entire property had been searched and Athena was not found.
“We were all over the property looking for her,” Ashley said. She testified that Athena loved being in the country and thought she was maybe just playing hide-and-seek.
Ashley testified that she realized something was wrong when a search party of as many as 50 people, including law enforcement officers, showed up to the property and she observed helicopters flying overhead.
She testified that she found a blue Walmart box that FedEx had delivered to her property near an abandoned trailer. Ashley said it was a Christmas gift for Athena — a set of Barbie dolls. It was near a driveway where several law enforcement vehicles were parked.
Ashley also described the pants Athena was wearing the day of Athena’s disappearance.
Ashley told jurors she was at a church in Cottondale when she was notified of Athena’s death on a Friday, two days after she went missing when law enforcement found her body.
“I lost it,” Ashley said. “…[It] affected me, my marriage, my children.”
Ashley 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,” Ashley told jurors. “I don’t trust anybody.”
Jurors were shown a still image from the FedEx delivery truck’s interior camera showing Horner driving and Athena behind him in the back of the truck. Athena did not appear to have any bruises or injuries. Ashley had earlier testified that Athena did not did not have any injuries Nov. 30, the day she went missing.
When first questioned, Horner told law enforcement officers that he had accidentally backed into and hit Athena with his FedEx truck, and abducted her because he was scared of what Athena’s dad would do.
11:55 a.m.
Former Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin, who was sheriff at the time of Athena’s abduction and death, took the stand.
Akin led the investigation into Athena’s death. He was sworn in as a peace officer in 1974, testifying he had previous experience in missing persons cases.
Akin told jurors that the first time he heard Athena’s name was around 7 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2022. He was on his way back from Austin and planned to stay in Llano, but when significant time had passed, he left Llano and drove to the scene in Cottondale.
He said that the search party included several law enforcement agencies, including the Texas Rangers, Texas Game Wardens, DPS Troopers, Fort Worth Police Department helicopters, drones from Denton County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and local volunteer fire departments — any first responding agency that could aid in the search.
In addition to sworn personnel, Akin said a large group of local citizens became part of the search party. He testified that approximately 300 people registered to aid law enforcement in the search for Athena.
“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.”
Akin added that a missing person bulletin was produced by the sheriff’s office and dispersed electronically to agencies across the state. He said it was delivered to all state agencies and some neighboring states.
Akin told jurors that as the sun was setting Dec. 1, 2022, law enforcement began looking at nearby waterways. He said that as more time passed, the criminal investigation began to scale up.
Akin testified that law enforcement began to focus on Horner, determining his FedEx delivery truck was in the area at the time Athena went missing and identified him as the driver. Horner was located by the FBI, Texas Rangers and WCSO and taken into custody.
Around 7:30 or 8 p.m., Akin testified, he learned that Athena’s body was located Dec. 2, 2022 in the Trinity River near Bobo Crossing, about 12 miles driving distance from her Cottondale home. Crime scene investigators, the WCSO and FBI worked to recover her body.
Akin testified that his focus was on Athena’s family, and he was the one to notify them that Athena’s body had been found.
After observing Athena’s recovered body, he told her family of the discovery.
“It was heartbreaking,” Akin said. “They were just devastated.”
1:49 p.m.
Patrick McGuire, FBI agent in Fort Worth, was called to testify by Patrick Berry of the prosecution.
McGuire detailed his involvement in the case between Nov. 30 and Dec. 2 — the period of time between Athena Strand’s disappearance and Horner’s eventual arrest in her murder.
McGuire began working a potential lead about recent FedEx package deliveries. He determined that deliveries in the area came from the FedEx facility at Alliance Airport, with several trucks operated by Big Topspin.
After determining a package delivered to the Strand household did originate from the location, and that Horner was the driver assigned to the route, he testified about a series of interactions with Horner, which included phone and in-person interviews.
Horner initially told McGuire over the phone that he had no specific memories of the delivery.
McGuire met with Horner the next day while Horner was delivering additional packages to ask additional questions.
“He was getting out of vehicle when I approached,” McGuire said. “It scared him and he dropped his package.”
Horner informed him that 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.”
McGuire then relayed that information about the possible suspect vehicle to the search command post, where he and another agent were tasked with interviewing family members, he said.
“If that information were true, [the person in the green van] would’ve been someone we’d want to talk to,” McGuire said.
Berry noted that this delayed the investigation, and occupied law enforcement resources.
While being diverted to conduct additional interviews with family members, McGuire continued to follow the lead, noting discrepancy in Horner’s delivery that night after gathering additional information about his route, including that he failed to deliver the rest of his packages on the that night and did not log his final delivery of the evening in the system.
Horner eventually told McGuire that the discrepancy was a result of him becoming sick, throwing up multiple times — first on the side of the road and then at a Love’s Truck stop, before returning back to the airport.
McGuire said this interview took place as Horner was finishing up his route, delivering the packages that he failed to complete on the night of Athena Strand’s disappearance. While McGuire noted that Horner was performing his job duties as normal, McGuire did say he noted that Horner showed additional signs of suspicion.
“He backed out of the driveway and struck a tree on the other side of the road. He exited the driver’s seat, looked at the read, got back in the vehicle and left,” McGuire said. “I thought it was odd.”
The FBI began surveilling Horner’s location after these first two interviews, while seeking out dashcam footage from the delivery truck that Horner was operating on Nov. 30 as well as additional information about the deliveries in the area that night.
McGuire testified that investigators were eventually provided a partial video of the dash cam footage which showed a young girl in Horner’s vehicle.
“It was a phone recording of the video that showed Horner placing a small girl in the back of his FedEx van,” McGuire said.
Shortly after receiving the video, McGuire said that Horner was arrested Dec. 2, ending his involvement with the case.
Following the testimony, the court adjourned, with the proceedings to continue 9 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Supporters gather outside the 297th District Courtroom in Fort Worth moments after Tanner Horner entered his guilty plea. AUSTIN JACKSON | WCMESSENGER
Brian Knox, Brendan Marchand and Austin Jackson contributed to this story.
Background
Nearly 3 1/2 years after the death of 7-year-old Athena Strand, the man accused of her murder will place his fate in the hands of a jury Tuesday, April 7.
Tanner Lynn Horner, 34, is charged with capital murder, and prosecutors will seek the death penalty if he is found guilty.
Jury selection, which began at the end of January, has been completed, and opening statements in the case are set to begin this week in Tarrant County.
The trial will be held in the 297th District Court in Fort Worth after the case was moved from Wise County in 2024 at the request of Horner’s attorneys, who argued their client could not receive a fair trial locally due to “inflammatory pre-trial publicity.” Judge George Gallagher was appointed last year to preside over the case.
An autopsy report found Strand suffered blunt force injuries to her head and neck along with evidence of asphyxia. The report lists the cause of death as “blunt force injuries with smothering and strangulation” and the manner of death as “homicide.”
Horner was indicted for capital murder and aggravated kidnapping of Strand in February of 2023, 2 1/2 months after his arrest. Following that indictment, prosecutors with the Wise County District Attorney’s Office announced they intended to seek the death penalty upon conviction.
District Attorney James Stainton told the Messenger in February of 2023 that the decision to seek the death penalty was made due to the age of Strand and evidence of a high level of violence that contributed to her death.
“You look at that little girl’s face and you just ask yourself, ‘why?’ It’s just the brutal nature of what went on, the level of violence that the guy brought to this. It’s just unspeakable. I do not comprehend how an individual can do this with that level of violence to a child,” Stainton said in 2023.
Horner was driving a FedEx truck and made a delivery to Strand’s Cottondale home on Nov. 30, 2022, about the time the 7-year-old went missing, according to investigators. Two days later, investigators tracked down Horner while he was on a delivery route in the Cottondale area for questioning about the child’s disappearance. He told investigators he accidentally struck Strand with his delivery vehicle at the home and later strangled her so she wouldn’t tell her father what happened, according to an arrest affidavit in the case.
He then led investigators to County Road 4668 (Bobo Crossing) near Boyd where investigators found Strand’s body in the water at the Trinity River crossing, the affidavit states.
Horner is being represented by attorneys with the Regional Public Defenders Office.
Previous Messenger coverage:
Analyst: male DNA evidence found in victim
Horner pleads guilty to murder of Athena Strand
Mother of Athena Strand calls for stricter driver screenings
Affidavit: Horner says he hit Athena Strand with truck, then killed her to silence her
Lake Worth man arrested for kidnapping and murder in missing child case
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