Tanner Horner pleads guilty in death of 7-year-old Athena Strand

UPDATE - Tanner Horner has pled guilty to the murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand. They will soon proceed to sentencing where jurors where decide if he'll spend life in prison or be sentenced to death.

The capital murder trial of former FedEx driver Tanner Horner opened Tuesday in Fort Worth for the death of 7-year-old Athena Strand.

Horner, 34, faces charges of capital murder of a person under 10 and aggravated kidnapping. Prosecutors allege the incident happened on November 30, 2022, outside Strand’s family home in Paradise in Wise County.

Horner struck the girl with his delivery van while backing up, then abducted her from the driveway out of fear she would tell her parents, according to authorities. He confessed to police shortly after his arrest, led investigators to her body, and she was found two days later. An autopsy confirmed she died from strangulation.

Horner pleaded not guilty. The case was moved from Wise County to Tarrant County in 2024 because of concerns about pretrial publicity and finding an impartial jury. Jury selection wrapped up earlier this year, and opening statements begin today in the 297th District Court at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center. If convicted, Horner could face the death penalty.

The disappearance and killing of Athena Strand, a Paradise ISD elementary student, shocked North Texas families and sparked an intense multi-day search in late 2022.

The high-profile case has remained a painful reminder for the community about child safety and the long road to justice in rural Texas towns.

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