FORT WORTH, Texas (Court TV) — A man faces a potential death sentence in Texas after pleading guilty to killing a 7-year-old girl moments before his trial was supposed to begin.
Tanner Horner appears in court on April 7, 2026. (Court TV)
Tanner Lynn Horner, 35, had been charged with aggravated kidnapping and capital murder of a person under 10 years old in the death of Athena Strand, who disappeared from her home on Nov. 30, 2022.
On Tuesday, as the trial began, Horner pleaded guilty to the charges, meaning the jury seated will now only be tasked with determining whether he will face the death penalty.
Athena, 7, lived at home with her father and stepmother and had been sorting laundry in a converted storage shed that served as her and her sister’s bedroom when she disappeared. Athena’s stepmother, Elizabeth Strand, called 911 at 6:41 pm after she was unable to find the little girl.
This photo provided by the Texas Dept. of Public Safety shows 7-year-old Athena Strand. 31-year-old Tanner Lynn Horner has been arrested on kidnapping and murder charges in the Strand’s death. (Texas Dept. of Public Safey)
Detectives on the case determined that FedEx had delivered a package to the Strand home during the time frame when Athena disappeared. They further found that the package was delivered by a company contracted by FedEx called Big Topspin. Working with the companies, investigators were able to obtain video from the van that delivered the package that showed a young girl in the van talking to the driver, later identified as Horner.
When he was approached by police, Horner allegedly admitted to taking Athena and confessed that the child was dead. He said that he had accidentally hit her with the van, and while she wasn’t seriously hurt, he was worried that she would tell her father. Police said Horner said he panicked and decided to kill the child. “When he attempted to break Athena’s neck, it did not work, so he strangled her with his bare hands in the back of the FedEx van,” detectives wrote in an arrest affidavit reviewed by Court TV.
Horner allegedly led police to an area approximately 15 miles away, where Athena’s body was found in the water.
DAILY TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS
DAY 11 – 4/24/26
DAY 10 – 4/23/26
- LIVESTREAM: TX v. Tanner Lynn Horner – Day 10 | Murder of Athena Strand Trial
- Horner’s father’s sister testified
- Terry Horner (Tanner’s father) left home at 13 and started doing drugs.
- Terry Horner spent most of his adult life in prison.
- He molested her when she was younger and beat their mother and stole from her.
- Tanner Horner’s cousin testified
- Talked about babysitting Tanner, described him as different from other kids.
- Tanner would frequently eat coins.
- Dr. Aaron Specht, Metals exposure expert
- Tanner Horner had significant lead exposure.
- Dustin Weeks, licensed therapist
- Provided services to both Melissa and Tanner Horner.
- Mary, Retired school specialist
- Evaluated Tanner when he was at school for autism.
- Seemed like he was in a stable home.
- Believed that he had sensory issues and had difficulty forming friendships.
- He lacked empathy and had difficulty getting along with others.
DAY 9 – 4/22/26
- LIVESTREAM: TX v. Tanner Lynn Horner – Day 9 | Murder of Athena Strand Trial
- Dr. John Edens, Psychologist & professor of psychology
- Tanner Horner’s mother testified.
- She described her difficult upbringing; she was abused as a child by her stepfather, dropped out of school at a young age and was smoking and stripping by 14.
- She struggled with alcohol and drug abuse throughout her son’s childhood.
- Recalled an incident when Tanner discovered her unresponsive and believed she had died from an overdose.
- Detailed a history of domestic abuse at the hands of the defendant’s father and noted his early behavioral struggles with other children that eventually led to an Asperger’s Syndrome diagnosis.
- Said she was angry at him for what happened to Athena.
- WATCH: Child Killer’s Mom Details Her Troubled, Heartbreaking Childhood
- Tanner Horner’s great-aunt testified.
- Revealed more about the defendant’s late father’s tragic upbringing and struggles with homelessness, prison and drugs.
- MORE: Athena Strand’s killer suffered difficult childhood, witnesses say
DAY 8 – 4/16/26
- LIVESTREAM: TX v. Tanner Lynn Horner – Day 8 | Murder of Athena Strand Trial
- Jacob Strand, Athena’s father
- Testified to the Barbie dolls delivered by Horner that were intended for Athena’s Christmas gift.
- Spent time with the kids before he left for a hunting trip with his father.
- Felt like he wasn’t there to protect Athena and feels guilty.
- Hopes the jury and justice system make the right decision.
- WATCH: Father of Murdered Girl Feels Like He Didn’t Protect Her
- Texas Ranger Job Espinoza was recalled to the stand.
- Testified to video dash cam from Nov. 30, 2022. The video shows the defendant using sticky notes to cover up cameras in the van.
- On Nov. 29 at 5:45, he was at the Huffman house.
- At 4:09 p.m. on Nov. 30, he covered the front-facing camera. At 5:30 p.m., he arrived at Athena’s residence.
- Some of Athena’s clothes went into a bag. He put her underwear and pants into his backpack, and they were later found at his home.
- He was seen cleaning the van at a Love’s gas station.
- On Dec. 1, Horner is seen driving to the area where Athena was found.
- Horner received a call on the radio asking about a delivery he had the day before.
- The audio capturing Athena’s final moments was played for the jury.
- MORE: Killer sang ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ as Athena Strand screamed: Reports
- WATCH: ‘I Have More Packages’: Killer Passed Searchers Looking for Missing Girl
- Video showed Horner cleaning up the van after killing Athena.
- The prosecution rested its case.
DAY 7 – 4/15/26
- LIVESTREAM: TX v. Tanner Lynn Horner – Day 7 | Murder of Athena Strand Trial
- Erica Renaga, Forensics scientist
- Processed evidence in the case, analyzing DNA samples from both the victim and the defendant as well as evidentiary samples.
- Amber Moss, DNA supervisor at Texas Dept. of Public Safety lab
- Testified to the department’s DNA testing procedures in the case.
- Completed additional testing, including Y-STR testing, which specifically targets male DNA.
- Elizabeth Seastrunk, Forensic scientist
- Did not conduct DNA analysis, but cut and prepared evidence samples so they could be processed by DNA analysts.
- Ruby Kelly, Forensic DNA analyst
- Performed DNA testing on multiple items using both autosomal STR testing and Y-STR testing.
- James Becker, VP of product at tech company
- Testified to how dash cameras and GPS tracking technology work in commercial vehicles.
- Helped retrieve and analyze video in the defendant’s vehicle.
- Kristen Cossota, DNA expert
- Analyzed and interpreted DNA in the case, comparing evidence to known samples.
- Initial testing on a vaginal swab showed a DNA mixture that weakly excluded the suspect, but the result wasn’t strong due to the victim’s DNA overpowering any male DNA present.
- Additional male-specific Y-STR testing was done on multiple swabs to get clearer results. The defendant could not be excluded from those results.
- Testing on Y-STR testing on vaginal, anal and oral swabs showed Horner could not be excluded as a contributor, meaning his DNA profile was consistent with the evidence, though not labeled a definitive “match.”
- WATCH: DNA Fails to Rule Out Suspect in 7-Year-Old’s Case: Expert
- Maitlyn Gandy, Victim’s mother
- Delivered emotional testimony describing her daughter and losing her suddenly.
- Images shown in court captured a joyful Athena before her death.
- Athena was playful, happy and deeply loved.
- WATCH: ‘I Felt Like I Was Dying’: Mother Recalls Learning About Missing Child
- MORE: Mother of murdered 7-year-old Athena Strand has 1 question for her killer
- WATCH: Emotional Child Killer Fights Back Tears During Victim’s Mom’s Testimony
DAY 6 – 4/14/26
- LIVESTREAM: TX v. Tanner Lynn Horner – Day 6 | Murder of Athena Strand Trial
- Scott Morris, Digital forensic examiner
- Received and analyzed the defendant’s phone, including internet searches and activity tied to specific dates.
- Horner searched for the case before his arrest.
- Kevin Huffman, Received package delivered by Horner
- Huffman received a package delivered by Horner on Nov. 29.
- Video from inside the FedEx van showed Horner pulling up to the property, where Huffman’s two children, ages 7 and 10, were playing. Horner asked them if an adult was home and then spoke to Huffman when he came outside.
- Sexual assault survivors
- Two women testified to alleged sexual assault at the hands of Horner.
- The first woman said she and Horner met through mutual friends; she said Horner sexually abused her after she said she didn’t want a relationship with him.
- The second woman said she met Horner when she was 16 and he was 21. She said that he pursued a relationship with her, knowing she was underage, and told her to lie about her age to others. She alleged that in December 2014, after a night of drinking, she woke up to Horner raping her.
- Jacqueline Ferrara, Forensics analyst (testified remotely)
- Received and processed items like DNA swabs from both the defendant and the victim, as well as evidence from a sexual assault kit.
- Male DNA was detected on the victim’s vaginal and anal swabs, while results from oral swabs were inconclusive.
- Examined clothing items, some of which tested positive for blood and/or semen.
DAY 5 – 4/13/26
- LIVESTREAM: TX v. Tanner Lynn Horner – Day 5 | Murder of Athena Strand Trial
- Sgt. Brett Yarrow returned to the witness stand.
- Yarrow testified to an incident where Horner tried to kill himself in the jail. When that happened, officers searched his cell and found handwritten letters, which were read to the jury.
- One letter was addressed to the Strand family and offered apologies and explanations for his behavior.
- One letter was addressed to detectives and claimed another person was involved with Strand’s abduction.
- There was a long hair collected from Horner’s underwear.
- MORE: Tanner Horner confesses to Athena Strand’s murder in jail letters
- David Rogers II, FBI
- Coordinated and planned at the scene of the abduction site.
- Found a bag and cell phone inside the FedEx van Horner was driving when he was arrested (not the abduction van).
- Photos of the river show where Athena’s body was found; one photo shows her hand beneath the water.
- Dr. Jessica Dwyer, Chief Medical Examiner
- Performed the autopsy on Athena’s body.
- Athena was naked and her hands were covered with brown bags; she had dirt and silt on her as well as vegetation.
- Blood had collected beneath the skin of Athena’s upper chest and face, indicating something had happened in her head/neck area.
- Athena’s head and face showed trauma; there were multiple blunt force injuries from her chest to the top of her head.
- There was a zig-zag tread pattern visible on Athena’s face.
- The cause of death was determined to be blunt force injuries with smothering and strangulation.
- There was no evidence of sexual trauma.
- WATCH: Medical Examiner Details Signs of Trauma to Murdered Athena Strand
- Joseph Thomas, Jail administrator
- Confirmed copies of recordings of calls from the Wise Detention Center related to Tanner Horner.
- Calls made Dec. 3, Dec. 14, Dec. 15, March 15, and April 23.
- In the first call, to his mother, Horner said that he hit a girl with his truck and she cried and he freaked out and panicked because he thought he would lose his job.
- In a second call, Horner talks about his attorneys and laughs on the phone. He comments, “I always wanted to be famous, but not like this.”
DAY 4 – 4/10/26
- LIVESTREAM: TX v. Tanner Lynn Horner – Day 4 | Murder of Athena Strand Trial
- FBI Special Agent Kurt DeRoss returned to the witness stand
- Explained that investigators processed two vans: the “arrest van,” which was only partially searched and had items like an SD card and scanner collected, and the “abduction van,” which was fully processed for forensic evidence.
- The abduction van was searched for DNA, fingerprints, and other trace evidence after being emptied and photographed.
- WATCH: Disturbing Videos of Van in 7-Year-Old’s Abduction Revealed to Jury
- Alise Amey, crime scene investigator
- Documented search areas and photographed items found during the investigation; assisted the FBI in processing evidence from a FedEx van.
- Was present during the recovery of Athena’s body, where FBI agents physically removed her from the water to preserve potential evidence.
- Sgt. Brett Yarrow, crime scene investigator
- Participated in the investigation by executing search warrants to collect DNA from the defendant.
- Photographed and documented items recovered from the suspect’s van.
- Investigators examined the tread patterns on Horner’s shoes and photographed them in detail, looking to compare them with markings on Athena’s face.
DAY 3 – 4/9/26
- LIVESTREAM: TX v. Tanner Lynn Horner – Day 3 | Murder of Athena Strand Trial
- Texas Ranger Job Espinoza returned to the stand.
- The jury saw another interview with Tanner Horner while he was in custody.
- Horner assumed different personas, both acting as himself and as “Zero” throughout the questioning. The detectives played along with his stories.
- Horner gave multiple inconsistent versions of what happened, including the state of Athena’s clothing and the location of her body.
- Horner tried to negotiate a deal with detectives, including asking to be released on house arrest with an ankle monitor so he could have one last Christmas with his son. Horner claimed that if detectives would allow that, he would share all the information they wanted.
- Horner avoids taking responsibility and offers no clear answers, repeatedly deflecting when asked about why he committed the crime.
- Talked about the “Zero” persona; he said the name was inspired by Christian rock music.
- Special Agent Taylor Page, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Testified to how investigators use geofencing and phone records to track devices, and how they did that near the scene where Athena Strand disappeared.
- Tanner Horner’s phone and another device identified in the area showed the same movement patterns, traveling and stopping together, suggesting his movements can be precisely tracked to key locations in the case.
- Lt. Bruce Sherman, Texas Dept. of Public Safety
- Called in during the search for Athena Strand, helped preserve evidence tied to Tanner Horner.
- Assisted with surveillance of Horner’s home while a SWAT team conducted an emergency search, believing Athena could be inside. She was not found.
- Kurt DeRoss, FBI Special Agent
- Led the FBI’s evidence response team in the case.
- Confirmed they were called to Horner’s home after it had been secured by law enforcement.
- Children’s clothing, including a sock, jeans and underwear, were found and photographed.
- WATCH: Graphic Evidence Presented by FBI in Murdered 7-Year-Old’s Case
DAY 2 – 4/8/26
- LIVESTREAM: TX v. Tanner Lynn Horner – Day 2 | Murder of Athena Strand Trial
- Joshua Espinoza, Texas Game Warden
- Assisted in the urgent search for Athena Strand after she was reported missing.
- Directed to locate and stop a FedEx driver suspected in the abduction; he found Horner and detained him without resistance.
- Job Espinoza, Texas Ranger
- Lead investigator in the abduction and murder of Athena Strand.
- Coordinated resources from multiple agencies, including the FBI and special operations units.
- Traced a package delivered to the Strand residence by FedEx and identified the driver of the delivery van as Tanner Horner.
- Horner told detectives that he left Athena in a bamboo forest, but nothing was found there.
- The jury saw bodycamera video showing Horner’s transport in Espinoza’s vehicle. During the drive they stop to search areas like trash cans.
- After hours, it became clear Horner was lying.
- During a jail interview, Horner continued to give inconsistent stories about what happened, eventually admitting to killing her but blaming an alter ego named “Zero.”
- Horner claimed he went to a Love’s truck stop to clean up his own vomit and Athena’s feces from the trunk.
- Horner said after hitting Athena with the van, he tried to break her neck but was unsuccessful before he then used two hands to manually strangle her.
- Horner eventually led officers to Bobo’s Crossing, where Athena was found face-down and nude in the water.
- Horner claimed that “Zero” came to him about six months prior, and the little girl was going to put “us” away for a long time for vehicular assault, so Zero took initiative.
DAY 1 – 4/7/26
- LIVESTREAM: TX v. Tanner Lynn Horner – Day 1 | Murder of Athena Strand Trial
- Tanner Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder moments before his trial began. The trial moved forward with only a penalty phase.
- The prosecution delivered opening statements
- Athena went to school, had a rough day, and came home on the last day of her life. She was strong-willed and precocious.
- Video and audio recorded Athena’s death.
- Tanner Horner admitted to killing Athena, but repeatedly lied to police about how it happened.
- Horner’s DNA was under the victim’s fingernails and on areas where his DNA shouldn’t have been found on a 7-year-old girl.
- Horner prepared for this crime and was there 24 hours before the incident.
- WATCH: Young Child ‘Fought For Her Life’ When Kidnapped, Raped, Killed
- Horner’s defense delivered opening statements.
- Horner is unable to pick up on social cues or put himself in someone else’s shoes.
- His mother was an exotic dancer and drank alcohol while she was pregnant, causing permanent damage to the defendant.
- Suffered from mental illness his entire life.
- Horner was exposed to a massive amount of lead as a child, which had terrible effects on his brain.
- Life without parole is a terrible thing.
- Horner has a good personality for rules and protocol and that’s probably always what he needed.
- WATCH: Defense Claims 7-Year-Old’s Killer Had Mental Issues Before Murder
- Lindsay Thompson, first-grade teacher
- Taught Athena in her class; described her as a free spirit who loved to draw, write and color. She was full of life.
- Athena was in school that day. She was having a rough day and talking a little too much.
- Athena went home at the end of the day, approximately 3:25 pm.
- Found out on Friday evening that she had been murdered.
- The six and seven-year-olds in her class knew that Athena had been taken against her will. Some of the children are now in fourth grade and continuing to talk to counselors, won’t sleep in their own beds and don’t like to play in their front yards.
- Elizabeth Strand, the victim’s stepmother
- Lived with her husband and two other children.
- Nothing out of the ordinary happened before Athena was taken.
- Athena went to school on Nov. 30, 2022, wearing jeans with red flowers on the pockets. After school, she was supposed to be sorting laundry while Elizabeth Strand was cooking dinner.
- When dinner was ready, she noticed Athena wasn’t where she was supposed to be. She began looking for her, and initially thought she was playing hide and seek.
- Search went on for three days.
- Noticed a Walmart box on her property containing Barbies she had purchased for Christmas that was delivered by FedEx.
- Had never seen Tanner Horner before that day.
- Saw a photo of Athena in the back of Horner’s truck and said she did not give her permission to be there.
- WATCH: Heartbreaking Testimony: Stepmom Sees Murdered Stepdaughter in Killer’s Van
- Former Sheriff Lane Akin, Wise County Sheriff’s Office (Ret.)
- First heard about the case on Nov. 30 at approximately 7 pm; he thought it would be a normal missing child case and she would be found hiding with friends.
- Recalled the morning of Dec. 1, when about 300 people came out with dogs, horses and four-wheelers to help search.
- Showed the jury the flyer made to show Athena was missing.
- Determined that the FedEx driver pulled into the driveway at the same time Athena went missing.
- Identified Tanner Horner as the driver of the vehicle.
- Athena’s body was found 12-13 miles from Athena’s house in the Trinity River.
- Patrick McGuire, FBI Special Agent
- Assisted with the case and was asked to determine who delivered the FedEx box.
- Determined the package was delivered through a contracted company; the manager of that company called Horner while the FBI was in the room and Horner denied any memory of the package or dropping it off.
- Located Horner at a delivery location and had a brief interview, at the close of which Horner became emotional.
- Asked Horner about discrepancies in his timeline; he claimed that he had gotten sick and thrown up several times. He also told detectives about a green van that had been in the area.
- Obtained video from the van, which showed Horner placing a small child into the van.
- MORE: Photo shows 7-year-old Athena Strand in FedEx van before her murder
