A Texas jury has sentenced Tanner Horner, 35, to death for the aggravated kidnapping and capital murder of seven-year-old Athena Strand. The verdict was delivered on Tuesday, May 5, following a trial that brought to light the details of the child's abduction and death. Horner, who was working as a FedEx delivery driver at the time of the incident, showed no visible reaction as Judge George Gallagher read the sentence aloud, which stipulates his execution "before the hour of sunrise" at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville on a date yet to be determined.
"I want you to know you are nothing. You are a footnote in Athena’s story. Her name will forever be remembered. Her name will forever be celebrated, and everyone will forget you." — Elijah Strand, Athena Strand's uncle
Athena Strand vanished from her home on November 30, 2022, in Paradise, Texas. An arrest affidavit indicated that Horner had been at the Strand residence to deliver a package containing a Christmas gift—a box of "You Can Be Anything" Barbies intended for Athena. The child was playing outside when she was abducted. Surveillance footage captured Horner lifting Athena into his delivery van and driving away, allegedly telling her not to scream or he would hurt her.
Investigators revealed that Horner then covered the van's camera, but a microphone inside continued to record. On the audio, Horner reportedly engaged Athena in conversation, asking her age and school. The recording also captured him stopping the van, telling the child they were going to "hang out," and then ordering her to remove her shirt. Athena began to cry, questioning his actions, asking if he was a kidnapper, and pleading to return home to her mother.
Horner later told investigators that he accidentally backed into the girl and, in a panic, strangled her. However, prosecutors vehemently rejected this account. Prosecutor James Stainton told jurors that Horner had told "lie upon lie upon lie upon lie" throughout the case, suggesting that the defense's claim of Athena catching Horner snorting cocaine in the truck was also false. A medical examiner's testimony concluded that Athena died of blunt force injuries with smothering and strangulation, and prosecutors presented DNA evidence confirming Horner's presence in the child's underwear.
During interviews with police, Texas Ranger Sgt. Job Espinoza testified that Horner referenced an alternate identity he called "Zero." Espinoza described Horner's behavior, stating, "His head goes into a sideways motion. His eyes roll into the back of the head, and he pretends to turn it to ‘Zero.'"
Horner's defense attorneys acknowledged the "overwhelming" and "terrible" evidence against their client in opening statements. They argued that Horner's mother drank during pregnancy, that he has autism, suffered from various mental illnesses, and was exposed to a significant amount of lead. However, the jury ultimately rejected these arguments. After less than three hours of deliberation, jurors unanimously found a probability that Horner would commit further acts of violence, constituting a continuing threat to society, and unanimously determined there were no mitigating circumstances that would spare his life.
The emotional toll of Athena's death was evident in the testimony of her family. Her father, Jacob Strand, recounted the last evening he saw his daughter, when she ran up and hugged him as he was leaving for a hunting trip. "I gave her a hug and told her I love her," he testified, noting he never saw her alive again. Jacob Strand shared the devastating aftermath of his daughter's death, describing how he ate only once a week, lost 50 pounds, began drinking to cope, and eventually saw his marriage end.
Following the verdict, Athena's uncle, Elijah Strand, delivered a powerful impact statement directly to Horner. "You will face the wrath of God," he declared, adding, "I want you to know you are nothing. You are a footnote in Athena’s story. Her name will forever be remembered. Her name will forever be celebrated, and everyone will forget you." Elijah Strand further emphasized the profound loss, stating, "Athena was more than a headline. She was laughter, curiosity, kindness. And she had dreams that she will never get to chase. Birthdays that she will never celebrate in a life she’ll never get to live because of his actions. Our family has been left with an emptiness that can never be filled."
Wise County District Attorney James Stainton, during closing arguments, dramatically dropped Horner's shoes onto a table in front of the jury, telling them those were the shoes used to beat the life out of the seven-year-old girl. Stainton asserted that Horner represented the very reason Texas maintains the death penalty. Horner's sentence will automatically be sent to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, and he will be appointed a lawyer to represent him on direct appeal. No execution date has been set.
