Tanner Horner Trial Day 4: Law enforcement details investigation into Athena Strand's death
FORT WORTH, Texas - The punishment phase in the trial of Tanner Horner will continue on Friday.
Horner, a former delivery driver, took 7-year-old Athena Strand into his van and strangled her while delivering a package to her home on Nov. 30, 2022.
On the first day of the trial, Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping. In the punishment phase, the jury will decide if Horner will receive the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
FOX 4 will have gavel-to-gavel coverage of the trial on FOX LOCAL.
Investigators break down key evidence in Tanner Horner trial
Day 4 of the Tanner Horner trial investigators break down key evidence in the case against Athena Strand's confessed killer. FOX 4's Dionne Anglin has more.
Live Updates
2:07 p.m. Done for the day
Testimony has ended for Friday. The trial will resume at 9 a.m. on Monday.
Yaro will return to the stand on Monday, and will testify on letters Horner wrote before he attempted suicide in 2023.
12:50 p.m. Court resumes
Following the lunch recess, Sgt. Brett Yaro of the Wise County Sheriff’s Office took the stand. Prosecutors are currently questioning Yaro regarding drug evidence recovered from Tanner Horner’s backpack.
11:45 a.m. Court in recess
The judge called for a recess until 12:45 p.m.
11 a.m. Markings on the victim's face matched the FedEx van floor
Alise Amey
"There were markings on the victim's face that were consistent with the floor," Amey testified, clarifying that she was referring to the floor of Tanner Horner’s delivery van.
10:30 a.m. Package delivered by Tanner Horner
Alise Amey, a crime scene investigator with the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, took the stand Friday morning. Prosecutors questioned Amey about the Barbie dolls intended for Athena Strand, which the investigator collected as evidence after the 7-year-old’s disappearance.
10:05 a.m. Court in recess
The judge called for a recess until 10:20 a.m.
9:50 a.m. More van images
Prosecutors continued presenting photos of the FedEx vehicle they have labeled the "abduction van," which Tanner Horner used the day of the kidnapping. Jurors were shown images of bungee cords and bands found inside the truck, along with photos of investigators testing the vehicle for biological substances.
9:40 a.m. Graphic images
Prosecutors presented graphic images from the case Friday, requiring the court's video feed to be blurred.
9:30 a.m. ‘Abduction van’
Prosecutors described the FedEx van used to kidnap Athena Strand as the "abduction van."
9:20 a.m. FedEx van photos
The trial began Friday morning with further testimony from FBI Special Agent Kurt Duross. Prosecutors presented photos of SD cards, cameras and a FedEx van.
Tanner Horner Trial Daily Recap
Police interview, photo evidence shown in Athena Strand trial
Jurors in the Athena Strand murder trial were shown photo evidence and police interviews with confessed killer Tanner Horner on Thursday, the third day of the trial. FOX 4's Peyton Yager has more.
On Thursday, jurors watched more body camera video of investigators questioning Horner about what happened to Athena. The 7-year-old's nude body was found not far from her home. Speaking as his alter ego named Zero, Horner said he dumped the clothes along the highway because he thought it was funny.
Later in the day, the jury was shown photos of where Horner was living, where Athena's clothes were eventually discovered.
The jury was also shown video of an interview with Horner where he asked the investigator to let him out of jail for a month so that he could spend Christmas with his family. He promised to tell the investigators everything if they agreed.
- Day 1 - Tanner Horner pleads guilty
- Day 2 - Tanner Horner discusses alter ego ‘Zero’
- Day 3 - Tanner Horner interrogation shown to jury
Jury watches Tanner Horner interrogation video
Jurors in the Athena Strand murder trial watch Tanner Horner's interrogation video with investigators today, one where he switched to an alternate personality named 'Zero'. FOX 4's Peyton Yager has more.
Athena Strand’s Death
Horner lied about hitting Athena Strand with his truck, prosecutor says
Prosecutors tell jurors that the only thing Tanner Horner actually told the truth about was that he killed 7-year-old Athena Strand. The story about him hitting her with his delivery truck was a lie, according to the state.
The backstory:
Horner was charged with capital murder for the death of 7-year-old Athena Strand outside her family’s Wise County home on Nov. 30, 2022.
A contract delivery driver working for FedEx at the time, Horner was delivering what was meant to be a Christmas present for the young girl.
Package meant for Athena Strand
Horner told investigators he accidentally hit Athena with his van while delivering a package to her home. She reportedly survived, but Horner told authorities he panicked and kidnapped her, later strangling her to death.
Athena was reported missing, and eventually an Amber Alert was issued, leading to 72 hours of searching. She was found dead in Boyd, Texas, not far from her family's home.
Featured
Athena Strand: Tanner Horner strangled 7-year-old after hitting her with his van, arrest affidavit says
The disturbing details of 7-year-old Wise County girl Athena Strand death came to light Thursday in a newly filed arrest affidavit for contracted FedEx delivery driver Tanner Horner.
Athena Alert
Athena Strand (Courtesy: Maitlyn Gandy)
The Impact:
After Athena Strand's case, Texas Legislators passed a new bill that created a version of an Amber Alert known as the ‘Athena Alert.’
The new law allows authorities to issue an Amber Alert for a missing child that doesn’t have to meet all of the initial criteria.
Under the Athena Alert law, an Amber Alert can still go out even though authorities haven’t confirmed a missing child was kidnapped.
The alert would be able to be sent out to a 100-mile area around the disappearance and adjacent counties.
DPS emphasizes that this is not a new type of alert. All alert messages will still be referenced as an Amber Alert.