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

[tlcya]

Jury breaks down over video of Athena Strand questioning FedEx killer

Distressing new evidence was shown Thursday as part of Tanner Horner's death penalty sentencing.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I have been strenuously avoiding this thread. It is simply too painful. As a mom and grandma I cannot look at that poor baby’s face standing terrified in that truck.

However, I just saw this in the DM where Athena asks him “are you a kidnapper?” and that caused jurors to cry.

How unbearably wrenching.

I guess I’ll try to read through the thread, I don’t know, but forgive me if this article has been posted 100 times already. I have sincerely not yet read any of this thread at all.

caution, you may not want to. We have tried to put some of the worst of the details under spoilers but what is not is bad enough. Use your own best judgment friend.

 

[iamshadow21]

It is the only thing we have if a predator larger than us attacks, our voice, Athena was taught stranger danger, and she obviously listened, and she did use her voice, it wasn't enough to save her, but she did all she could

never be meek is my motto, we must teach all girls that if a man approaches you anywhere and he makes you uncomfortable then make a scene, do not be concerned about being embarrassed, it is his shame not yours if he is bothering you, I am 5ft nothing but I have the mouth of a giantess, and I will happily and loudly tell men to F off if they are bothering me, we had this dirty creepy man in our town who would walk up to women and teenage girls and whisper filthy sexual comments at them, he did it to me only once, as I screamed you filthy f*cker at him, and proceeded to follow him till he ran away inviting everybody in the vicinity to take a good look and if you see him call him a dirty old man, and tell him to F off,

for too long we have been silenced to our disadvantage, our first response to any man that makes our Spidey senses tingle is to ;loudly let him know you picked the wrong person to mess with,

Athena did everything right, she used her voice, she fought him, he was much bigger and stronger than her, but she was as fierce and feral and wild as she could be, and it was only going to end one way that day because TH made that choice, but she didn't give up she fought with every ounce of her 7 year old body and mind, and we should teach all girls to be like Athena because not all predators are the same, and some predators get scared off by screaming and fighting and kicking

At risk of veering too far off topic, I will say this.

People who freeze, dissociate, or are compliant are often judged or marginalised for not fighting. Even if that reaction meant they survived.

We don't get to choose how we're going to react to an assault. Our brain chooses for us. Whether we're naturally timid or assertive, have had martial arts training or never thrown a punch, or have or haven't been assaulted before. Our brain will choose an approach that it thinks will save us. It may even cycle through fight, flight, freeze and fawn until the situation ends, or we die.

MOO

 

[PrairieWind]

Do we know anything about the make up of the jury?

 

[joe jones]

At risk of veering too far off topic, I will say this.

People who freeze, dissociate, or are compliant are often judged or marginalised for not fighting. Even if that reaction meant they survived.

We don't get to choose how we're going to react to an assault. Our brain chooses for us. Whether we're naturally timid or assertive, have had martial arts training or never thrown a punch, or have or haven't been assaulted before. Our brain will choose an approach that it thinks will save us. It may even cycle through fight, flight, freeze and fawn until the situation ends, or we die.

MOO

I agree, which is why we need to be taught to fight, and be loud, and I will slide back on topic, as this should be about Athena, and what a treasure she was to everybody who loved her

 

[MollyHarps]

This case is just harrowing can’t begin to imagine the hurt and pain her family are going through

My thoughts are with those jury members having to sit and listen / watch all of this.

 

[gregjrichards]

What's absolutely horrifying is that not a single soul could have protected her from that monster . He took her from the place she should have been most safe , her home .

I'm just sick for her parents living with that unimaginable grief . For the jurors who forever will be traumatised by his despicable acts

My heart breaks for Athena’s loved ones. Her mum and dad are incredibly strong for being able to take the stand and look the monster who killed their little girl in the eyes. It isn’t surprising that the jurors have been in tears. Hearing the evidence of what happened to Athena must be taking a toll on everyone in the courtroom except him.

Maybe martial arts should be taught as PE in elementary schools.

The problem is it is impossible for a child Athena’s age to physically prevent a grown adult who is much stronger than them from kidnapping them if the predator, like him, is determined to take them. Kids should be taught stranger danger and to kick and scream and make as much noise as possible to draw attention to what is happening to try and scare their kidnappers off if possible. These kidnappings happen so fast that people barely have any time to react before the victim has been taken away in a vehicle.

I mean he just brutally murdered a little girl and is driving back like its just another day.
We rarely get to see a murderer just after he murdered. Its chilling to see.
He has no remorse today and didn't then.

Are you a kidnapper?
Im going to tell my Daddy .
Why are you doing this?
NO! (to removing her clothes.)
Jingle bell Rock. (Through screams)

Its all to horrendous to think about.
Yet he sat there and had the nerve to even look at Athenas Mom at all!

I’ve followed too many horrific cases like Athena’s over the years, all the years I have been a member here, and it is still inconceivable and chilling that anyone could be capable of harming an innocent, defenceless child like Athena. I will never ever be able to understand it. It is terrifying to think these monsters walk among us. I don’t know how he can look at Athena’s loved ones either. Child killers often don’t show any sign of distress or shame over what they have done because I don’t think they have the ability to feel these emotions. Instead, they are more likely to show signs of defiance and arrogance.

One of the WFAA commentators noted that if he were truly remorseful, he would ask the defense to now rest too.

I don’t think he does feel any remorse, and the fact he flippantly told law enforcement that he had tossed Athena’s body into the woods confirms this for me.

Thank you to all of you for your updates and posts about the trial. They are all much appreciated.

 

[shotgun09]

A really big part of me wishes that TH would take a page out of Epsteins' finale and finish this now. Let the healing begin.

( Sayin my penance now )

Peace

 

[TMich6811]

 

[Melisende10]

I have not followed this case super closely as it is too disturbing to get too deep into all the details. I have seen some of the trial parts here and there and watched the part of him driving after the murder.

He is so calm. Is there any believe or discussion as to whether he may have done something like this before?

 

[Seni]

Athena learned the hard truth about child protection.

The only way to safeguard a child from a predator is for that predator to be removed from the equation before they meet the child.

That's it.

Athena had been educated about strangers. If she'd resisted any harder, he just would have been more violent in the initial abduction phase.

Do I think child protection is important? Absolutely. But it's absolutely no use against this kind of violent abduction by a stranger with a vehicle. This wasn't a person enticing her with candy, or looking for a lost dog, or pretending to be her friend. He saw her, forced her in the van, and that was it.

I can only imagine her despair and selfblame and inevitably deep feelings of betrayal when none of the things she was told to do and say worked to save herself.

No, we shouldn't make kids feel any less safe than they already do in the world, but there is absolutely nothing they could do in the face of a predator like this, and it feels cruel for those children who meet one that they die realising the uselessness of the stuff they were taught to feel safe.

MOO

Absolutely agree with you. There is no way our children can tackle such a predator.

Luckily, this kind of extreme stranger danger is rare.

Our children are more at risk from family members or those that can get access to them.

We had a code with my kids, no matter who comes to pick you up or invite you to something you are not expecting, ask them for the code. It was "askipekaputch".

 

[mickey2942]

I have not followed this case super closely as it is too disturbing to get too deep into all the details. I have seen some of the trial parts here and there and watched the part of him driving after the murder.

He is so calm. Is there any believe or discussion as to whether he may have done something like this before?

I don't know. It was disturbing that his own Mother, asked TH, whether or not he SA Athena.

Mom of killer FedEx driver Tanner Horner’s haunting reaction in jailhouse call after she asked about Athena Strand

The mother of killer FedEx driver Tanner Horner hauntingly told her son, “I know how you get,” after asking him whether he had sexually abused his 7-year-old murder victim, Athena Stran…

nypost.com

"Tanner, I just hope you didn’t do nothing weird to that little girl,” she said, after asking whether her son had sexually abused his victim, FOX 4 reported.

When Horner insisted he hadn’t, his mother responded, “I just know how you get.”

So, the question is, why did TH mother say those things? What dark things does she know about?

 

[su5ie]

I don't know. It was disturbing that his own Mother, asked TH, whether or not he SA Athena.

Mom of killer FedEx driver Tanner Horner’s haunting reaction in jailhouse call after she asked about Athena Strand

The mother of killer FedEx driver Tanner Horner hauntingly told her son, “I know how you get,” after asking him whether he had sexually abused his 7-year-old murder victim, Athena Stran…

nypost.com

"Tanner, I just hope you didn’t do nothing weird to that little girl,” she said, after asking whether her son had sexually abused his victim, FOX 4 reported.

When Horner insisted he hadn’t, his mother responded, “I just know how you get.”

So, the question is, why did TH mother say those things? What dark things does she know about?

Yes when a mother says " I know how you get " she has expierenced said behaviour imo

 

[Arkay]

caution, you may not want to. We have tried to put some of the worst of the details under spoilers but what is not is bad enough. Use your own best judgment friend.

Thank you, dear @tlcya

Yours above is the only post I’ve read as of now, since it was in my inbox as a quote.

I think I will take your advice. The little I know is already too much.

Thanks for looking out, and to all of you here who I know must be posting heartbroken and righteously angry messages.

 

[TMich6811]

I don't know. It was disturbing that his own Mother, asked TH, whether or not he SA Athena.

Mom of killer FedEx driver Tanner Horner’s haunting reaction in jailhouse call after she asked about Athena Strand

The mother of killer FedEx driver Tanner Horner hauntingly told her son, “I know how you get,” after asking him whether he had sexually abused his 7-year-old murder victim, Athena Stran…

nypost.com

"Tanner, I just hope you didn’t do nothing weird to that little girl,” she said, after asking whether her son had sexually abused his victim, FOX 4 reported.

When Horner insisted he hadn’t, his mother responded, “I just know how you get.”

So, the question is, why did TH mother say those things? What dark things does she know about?

It’s not his first time is what she meant


Imo

 

[LovesPeace2]

Thank you for keeping us updated I just can't follow the trial it's so much worse then I thought it to be. I hope the family has good therapists now same with the jurors. I hope he gets the death penalty. May Athena be resting knowing there will be justice. I hope he burns jmvho

 

[bajaflash]

His guilty plea should have prevented a jury from being subjected to this. The man is attracted to children, and that alone is enough for the DP in my book. You simply cannot fix that level of monstrosity, whether they act upon it and torture and murder victims, or if they keep quiet and download vicious material online that encourages the further creation of such material. IMO.

 

[scapa]

yes. Lots of therapy after but for now they will have nearly a week to sit at home with all that mess ringing in their ears endlessly. with nobody to vent or unload all that heaviness with.

I do not think I could do it. And I've spent much of my life on hospital wards.

I understand -- legally -- why the case is being put on as it is. But even the sketch we're getting from news reports and our intrepid WSers' trial coverage makes me grateful for all those guilty pleas that include the plea, minimal detail, and the sentence passed.

Horrific also for lawyers, witnesses, court staff, family, friends, classmates and teachers and all the others who were part of wee Athena's life.

There is no defence able to excuse or explain or even mitigate TH.

 

[Leilei]

I don't know. It was disturbing that his own Mother, asked TH, whether or not he SA Athena.

Mom of killer FedEx driver Tanner Horner’s haunting reaction in jailhouse call after she asked about Athena Strand

The mother of killer FedEx driver Tanner Horner hauntingly told her son, “I know how you get,” after asking him whether he had sexually abused his 7-year-old murder victim, Athena Stran…

nypost.com

"Tanner, I just hope you didn’t do nothing weird to that little girl,” she said, after asking whether her son had sexually abused his victim, FOX 4 reported.

When Horner insisted he hadn’t, his mother responded, “I just know how you get.”

So, the question is, why did TH mother say those things? What dark things does she know about?

Mama knows plenty, I'm sure.
I fear for any little ones in the family that he's had access to.
IMO.

 

[kittylala]

I’ve never been an advocate for the Death Penalty - we don’t have it in this country; but my goodness, after today I am fully on board and would have no problem with carrying that sentence out on him myself. The level of depravity he wreaked on this little girl, I have never heard of such a thing. The man is a monster.

 

[mickey2942]

I’ve never been an advocate for the Death Penalty - we don’t have it in this country; but my goodness, after today I am fully on board and would have no problem with carrying that sentence out on him myself. The level of depravity he wreaked on this little girl, I have never heard of such a thing. The man is a monster.

I would be interested to know if there are any people who disagree with the death penalty, have changed their mind with this particular defendant.

Many people think that the "State" could have an innocent person on death row. But, in this case, that is not the issue. TH is definitely guilty of killing Athena, with brutality. There is no doubt.

The only problem here, is the lengthy appeal process. Fast track him. No is going to give TH a pardon. Or reverse the death penalty decision.

I am just wondering how long it will take the jury to determine if TH should merit the death penalty.