GUILTY TX - Athena Strand, 8, Abducted & Murdered by FedEx Contract Driver, Tanner Horner, Paradise, 30 November 2022 #2

[Megnut]

Enough already. TH knew it was wrong. Hence the cover up and clean up. Knew it was wrong before he even did it when he turned the forward dashcam off.

He didn't do it because he didn't know what he was doing (dementia), he didn't even do it during a black out. He didn't do it when confronted with a confusing situation.

Poor impulse control? Having impulse control problems doesn't mean he's incapable of impulse control.

We know he's capable.

He drove away from two little girls. Because he didn't want the consequences, getting caught.

Is this witness still talking?

 

[tlcya]

sigh.....
This dude's presentation reminds me of work. Forced to attend many presentations by Dr's who loved to hear themselves talk. Usually accompanied by a free lunch however, so it made it somewhat more tolerable. I often times zoned out, while presenting my "I'm captivated" face to the public.

Poor jury. They are getting hungry, and are so over this. Forced to sit through it, and not zone out.

I laugh around my chicken salad sammich

 

[seasideForest]

A note for Athena's family. Listening to all of these people, trying to justify why TH does not merit the DP. None of it even seems relevant to me. He was not part of a group who took him along, he was engaged in normal activities of daily living, and appeared to manage competitive employment. There is absolutely no indication of organic disabling condition.

His action was premeditated.
He attempted to cover up his crime.

No evidence of brain damage in any of the actions he participated in.

As a professional, I would have never put my credentials on the line here for TH. Which really makes me wonder about the professionals that are testifying.

So no subponae for experts? They get to decide whether to be a witness or not? Genuine question.

Otherwise I agree with your post.

 

[tlcya]

According to Lewine, the volumetrics from Horner's volumetric scans show that "things are mostly within normal [range], but there is one particular area that is abnormally low."

Lewine said that Horner's left orbitofrontal area was 20% lower than the average person's, meaning that he had approximately 50 million fewer neurons.

"The left orbitofrontal cortex is one of these key brain regions involved in the emotional regulation of behavior and social cognition," Lewine said. "It is often disrupted in autism spectrum disorders. And again, that's based on the scientific literature. It can be disrupted and traumatic brain injury. It can also be disrupted in depression.

Lewine also said that Horner had low FA values in the right and left fornix, a fiber tract involved in short-term memory. Horner's values were in the lowest fifth percentile, Lewine said.
MRI images of Horner's brain shown in court

Now ask if anybody cares

ETA his brain scan could be explained as depression. You know what quite a few people find depressing? getting caught after brutally murdering a child and being in jail awaiting trial. I hope in cross the state asks when the scan was taken and whether being imprisoned for murder and facing the death penalty can cause depression.

 

[Megnut]

So no subponae for experts? They get to decide whether to be a witness or not? Genuine question.

Otherwise I agree with your post.

Forgive my snark, but (Defense)expert witnesses get paid and get a platform.

We get what we get IMO because of the experts who said "no, thank you. Good day."

JMO

 

[seasideForest]

"No gross abnormalities in his brain."

Just in his SOUL.

JMO

No gross abnormalities in his brain? Good. No "medical excuse" for him then.
Guilty.

 

[Walela]

TH wasnt upset about his route change because it was disruptive to his routine. He was upset because it interrupted his routine. 100% IMO he knew where all the little girls lived.

JMO

Good point. We'll never know if whomever was in charge of his route had an inkling that something was a miss with him and changed the route to one with fewer children (little girls in particular). I would like to know why the route was changed but I feel that if asked, Big Topspin, Inc would just respond with a standard answer related to the economics of deliveries. I also would like to know if his route(s) had been changed before; how many times, and how he reacted each time (if indeed there were more than one change).

 

[Ontario Mom]

According to Lewine, the volumetrics from Horner's volumetric scans show that "things are mostly within normal [range], but there is one particular area that is abnormally low."

Lewine said that Horner's left orbitofrontal area was 20% lower than the average person's, meaning that he had approximately 50 million fewer neurons.

"The left orbitofrontal cortex is one of these key brain regions involved in the emotional regulation of behavior and social cognition," Lewine said. "It is often disrupted in autism spectrum disorders. And again, that's based on the scientific literature. It can be disrupted and traumatic brain injury. It can also be disrupted in depression.

Lewine also said that Horner had low FA values in the right and left fornix, a fiber tract involved in short-term memory. Horner's values were in the lowest fifth percentile, Lewine said.
MRI images of Horner's brain shown in court

Now ask if anybody cares

My hope is, the members of the jury are as disgusted as everyone here, watching the defense perform this circus.
None of what these people say can ever remove the audio they heard of this sweet child being murdered.

This monster 100% earned the death penalty, no two ways about it.

jmo

 

[Megnut]

TH is less autistic than he is sociopathic. And this witness is making the point for me. He has no giveadamn for anyone but himself.

What did we expect to find in his brain scans? Genius?

 

[tlcya]

we are at lunch break now, back at 1:15. I predict we have to listen to this pompous a$$ for the rest of the afternoon.

 

[Megnut]

May I ask a question?

Did TH understand NO?

I think that he did.

JMO

 

[seasideForest]

Forgive my snark, but (Defense)expert witnesses get paid and get a platform.

We get what we get IMO because of the experts who said "no, thank you. Good day."

JMO

I know they get paid. I didn't know if they could turn down, but now I know they can. Thanks.

____________
Neuroscience is actually interesting I think, but this court case isn't the place for it. Less activity in the prefrontal cortex and fewer neurons occurs in the brains of those with clinical depression, as the expert himself says, and also in people with cptsd. How many millions of people have either of those diagnoses but don't commit any crimes, far less anything this horrific.

Let the jury get on with it.

 

[Walela]

Even if TH had a historical diagnosis of ASD, the jury still has to apply the law. Iiuc ASD is not a protected class, unless it is in this state.

Iirc the jury will also be instructed that 'feeling sorry' for a defendant cannot be a consideration.

JMO

IMO, TH does not have, nor has he ever had, an intellectual disability defined under current Texas law that would prevent him from being sentenced to death. IF he did, his attorneys would have requested a hearing prior to the start of this trial and at that hearing, all evidence of any significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning would have been presented by actual professionals. What's been presented so far by the defense doesn't even come anywhere close to the scrutiny that would have been afforded to a defendant with a true intellectual disability.

 

[Megnut]

This jury was seated with the understanding that it was a death penalty case. They aren't here to debate the rightness or wrongness of the DP. Just whether TH's crimes warrant it.

If any of us had brain scans, there would be incidental findings. A million factors go into brain health. IMO TH's is anecdotally remarkable for those who want to remark on it, but not even minimally uncommon. A lot of criminals have his same abnormalities as do many people not in custody.

TH worked with the brain he had. And made the choices he made.

I'm happy to argue the death penalty for all the reasons, but that's not the task of this jury. They accept it as fair consequence and only need to apply it to TH, not to all people everywhere with various brain abnormalities.

As the law of the land in TX, TH is the poster boy man for the DP.

5th grade TH is not on the cutting block here. Adult TH is. The one that planned to steal a little girl and did and then commit gruesome and fatal injuries to a child to play out his own deviant sexual frustrations and pleasures.

JMO

 

[gucci2times]

IMO, TH does not have, nor has he ever had, an intellectual disability defined under current Texas law that would prevent him from being sentenced to death. IF he did, his attorneys would have requested a hearing prior to the start of this trial and at that hearing, all evidence of any significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning would have been presented by actual professionals. What's been presented so far by the defense doesn't even come anywhere close to the scrutiny that would have been afforded to a defendant with a true intellectual disability.

Very well said! That really sums it up.

 

[Walela]

According to Lewine, the volumetrics from Horner's volumetric scans show that "things are mostly within normal [range], but there is one particular area that is abnormally low."

Lewine said that Horner's left orbitofrontal area was 20% lower than the average person's, meaning that he had approximately 50 million fewer neurons.

"The left orbitofrontal cortex is one of these key brain regions involved in the emotional regulation of behavior and social cognition," Lewine said. "It is often disrupted in autism spectrum disorders. And again, that's based on the scientific literature. It can be disrupted and traumatic brain injury. It can also be disrupted in depression.

Lewine also said that Horner had low FA values in the right and left fornix, a fiber tract involved in short-term memory. Horner's values were in the lowest fifth percentile, Lewine said.
MRI images of Horner's brain shown in court

Now ask if anybody cares

ETA his brain scan could be explained as depression. You know what quite a few people find depressing? getting caught after brutally murdering a child and being in jail awaiting trial. I hope in cross the state asks when the scan was taken and whether being imprisoned for murder and facing the death penalty can cause depression.

This guy isn't mentioning anything about TH's cocaine use reducing oxygen to the brain resulting in the 20% less in his grey matter. He's only talking about things doing damage that TH would possibly have no control over. Intentionally skipping over voluntary brain damage....GMAB.

 

[scottishgal]

So the left temporal lobe dysfunction caused him to sing JIngle bell rock while torture and murder of an innocent random 7 year old???

Surely every single action and word by a human IS caused by some brain synapse. We would have no jails and no 'crimes' only Brain MRIs telling us why it isnt safe outside at all, if we allowed these sort of defences even if for penalty phase?

MY husband is on the spectrum too and had eplilepsy due to temporal lobe dysfunction as a child. AM i safe in my own home?

 

[Megnut]

Did the Defense finish direct examination with this witness before lunch? I honestly thought he would drone all afternoon.

But we're back, and the State is doing cross.

I can't wait to watch this.

 

[Megnut]

His payment for this case = $40,000

 

[tlcya]

Back on the stand. This expert has testified in 7 or 8 trials on behalf of defendants. cross by the state.

Q: How many times have you done that spiel with the PowerPoint? (LMAO)
A. just a couple of times.
Q. how many times have you worked with these defense attorneys in the past?
A. About 4 times maybe. I haven't worked with her (names one of the defense attorneys) before.
Q. but she's a part of the same organization (firm) right? Objection from defense. granted jury wil disregard.
Q. What is your bill for this service.
A. including costs for the actual scans about $40,000.00 (holy shnarkies! all at taxpayer expense)