FORT WORTH, Texas (Court TV) — The man who admitted to murdering a 7-year-old girl while delivering packages for FedEx watched his family testify about his difficult childhood marked by odd behaviors as his defense began presenting its case.
Tanner Horner walks into court on April 23, 2026. (Court TV)
Tanner Horner, 35, pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping and capital murder of a person under 10 years old in the death of Athena Strand. Horner’s guilty plea came on the first day of his trial, which continued as prosecutors seek the death penalty in his case.
After two weeks of disturbing testimony and evidence against the defendant, including a recording from inside the van during Athena’s final moments, the prosecution rested its case. On Wednesday, Horner’s defense began to present its case to the jury.
Members of Horner’s family testified in open court to his parents’ difficult childhoods and how that impacted his own, but none of the witnesses wanted to be shown on camera. While they testified, their identities were obscured from the media.
Horner’s mother said that she was abused by her stepfather beginning when she was just 4 years old. She dropped out of school at a young age and began smoking marijuana and stripping for money when she was 14. Horner’s mother said she was raped by the defendant’s father, but she continued to see him and eventually married him. Horner’s defense had previously noted that his mother drank while pregnant, and she admitted to struggling with alcohol and drug addiction throughout her son’s childhood. She recounted an incident in which Horner found her passed out on the toilet and thought she had died from an overdose. “He was just a little guy, and he thought I was dead. He went in there and he told [his grandmother], ‘Mama’s dead.'”
When asked about Athena’s kidnapping and murder, Horner’s mother responded, “I’m so mad at him. I want to just tear his a— out. She was just a baby.”
Prosecutors say Horner grabbed 7-year-old Athena from her father’s home while he was delivering a package to the property. Her body was found naked at a river crossing approximately 15 miles away.
Relatives of Horner’s father described him as a violent man who spent most of his adult life in prison.
Horner’s cousin, who babysat him as a child, told the jury that he had an odd habit of collecting coins and then eating them. She described him as being different from other kids, very quiet, and said he would often stand in the corner by himself. She said he had a tendency to get “so hyper it would almost be aggressive” and tried to hit her on occasion.
The jury will be tasked with recommending whether Horner be sentenced to life in prison or the death penalty. The case is expected to continue into next week.
