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

[Megnut]

He really violated every law of civilized society.

Our implicit trust in delivery personnel.

Our inherent sense of security at our own homes, in our own yards.

The lasting trauma and endless triggers, learning you can't choose the perfect Christmas gift for your child, order it online, anticipate delivery in a few days, and trust that it'll be left at your door, and the delivery personnel will drive away. Your children won't be stolen.

Spoiler: extreme caution

Tortured, SAed, strangled (repeatedly) and stomped to death.

How does a family ever come back from that? Family. The parents. The littles. The teacher. The classmates. The neighbors. The jury. Us. Civilized society.

How do you ever let a child out of your sight? Order a package? See a delivery truck and not react? Trust anyone? Enjoy Christmas?

He violated everything.

JMO

 

[su5ie]

He really violated every law of civilized society.

Our implicit trust in delivery personnel.

Our inherent sense of security at our own homes, in our own yards.

The lasting trauma and endless triggers, learning you can't choose the perfect Christmas gift for your child, order it online, anticipate delivery in a few days, and trust that it'll be left at your door, and the delivery personnel will drive away. Your children won't be stolen.

Spoiler: extreme caution

Tortured, SAed, strangled (repeatedly) and stomped to death.

How does a family ever come back from that? Family. The parents. The littles. The teacher. The classmates. The neighbors. The jury. Us. Civilized society.

How do you ever let a child out of your sight? Order a package? See a delivery truck and not react? Trust anyone? Enjoy Christmas?

He violated everything.

JMO

We live in an age where many parents prefer to have their children enrolled in clubs and sat in their bedrooms on devices rather than roaming the streets and playing outside in friendly neighbourhoods as was done in times gone by

Now I'm sure their are many who will further limit children's freedom when cases like this highlight children aren't even safe in their own front yard

Everytime these monsters commit these horrendous crimes it further ebbs away at children's freedom to do what many of us took for granted growing up .

His mother's comment, " I know how you get " highlights that these monsters aren't operating in the dark but are being kept hidden by those who should be speaking out in order to prevent them escalating to the crime we see before us

I know I will no longer feel comfortable allowing my child open the door to retrieve a package from a delivery driver when I'm otherwise occupied

 

[Morequestionsthananswers]

I think it's cruel to make the jury listen to that and disgusting to allow him to listen to it and probably enjoy it. The whole thing is grotesque. How about a transcript to read, with an expert testifying about what is depicted? The jury system shouldn't be designed to traumatize jurors, and yes, I have served on two juries. I would have left and excused myself from serving.

He’s a disgusting pervert and probably would’ve enjoyed listening to it.

 

[Spectrix]

I think it's cruel to make the jury listen to that and disgusting to allow him to listen to it and probably enjoy it. The whole thing is grotesque. How about a transcript to read, with an expert testifying about what is depicted? The jury system shouldn't be designed to traumatize jurors, and yes, I have served on two juries. I would have left and excused myself from serving.

I'm trying to put myself in a position of a juror, having served myself in the past.
The way I see it, being put in a position to listen to this crime, as awful as it would be, it's nothing compared to what Athena endured herself. I'm pretty confident that I would be traumatised and sobbing after listening, just like anyone else. But my concern is for Athena, and justice for her, rather than concern for myself.

You're right that Tanner is most probably enjoying reliving the moment, and that is perhaps the most sickening part.
So it stands to reason that he shouldn't have the chance to relive anymore.
I can't speak for the jurors in this case, but I trust that the prosecutors have achieved their goal.
This vile creature needs to wiped from the face of the earth.

 

[Spectrix]

You know, I have SO much respect for the detectives in this case. They sat in a tiny room with this creature.
I like think of myself as calm and controlled. But listening to his whiney voice and self-pity after what he did to that child fills me with so much rage that I'm ready to climb through the screen.

It's incredibly discombobulating.

 

[Dotta]

This perp doesn't seem right in the head.

Watching the video provided by a link on this thread,
where he was chuckling
while being interviewed by the detective,
made me wonder.

How come he was even employed
when the job entailed contacts with general public, including children??



JMO

 

[gucci2times]

I'm trying to put myself in a position of a juror, having served myself in the past.
The way I see it, being put in a position to listen to this crime, as awful as it would be, it's nothing compared to what Athena endured herself. I'm pretty confident that I would be traumatised and sobbing after listening, just like anyone else. But my concern is for Athena, and justice for her, rather than concern for myself.

You're right that Tanner is most probably enjoying reliving the moment, and that is perhaps the most sickening part.
So it stands to reason that he shouldn't have the chance to relive anymore.
I can't speak for the jurors in this case, but I trust that the prosecutors have achieved their goal.
This vile creature needs to wiped from the face of the earth.

It’s why I don’t avoid paying attention to these type of horrendous events. I know some people can’t handle it but I feel like I am more able to and so for me baring witness is the right thing to do. What a privilege it is to just tune it out if it upsets you.

 

[mickey2942]

This perp doesn't seem right in the head.

Watching the video provided by a link on this thread,
where he was chuckling
while being interviewed by the detective,
made me wonder.

How come he was even employed
when the job entailed contacts with general public, including children??



JMO

He did not have a criminal record. It is that simple. He presents as maybe "odd", but competent enough to drive a truck, and deliver packages.

I am not sure how long he worked for this contract company, but based on his petty attitude, I am guessing his days were numbered. It would be interesting to see his full vocational history, probably let go from several jobs.

I wonder if this will change FedEx trucks, keeping the tapes longer than 40 hours. I guess it is impossible to have a way to prevent the camera from being covered up, but at least there was audio.

There really isn't any sort of obvious "red flag" in some individuals, from an employer POV. In this case, TH saw an opportunity, and took Athena.

Great, keep kids inside, so then they meet weirdos online, like Celeste Hernandez, who met her killer online.

 

[crussell821]

This is going to be a world record for short deliberations. I'm not a fan of the death penalty but I won't weep for this monster. I give them 1/2 hour max to come back with the verdict. They might even take a stand-up poll.

I am staunchly anti-death penalty and even I would vote for it in this trial. He is obviously guilty, we’ve heard the magnitude of the crime, Athena’s parents want it and I don’t think rehabilitation is an option. I’m surprised I’m saying it, but I am pro-death penalty here.

 

[Jsizzle]

I’m sure this was discussed but I can’t find it.

Why did Jacob and Ashley get divorced after Athena went missing? Did Jacob somehow blame her? Just curious.

 

[TMich6811]

I’m sure this was discussed but I can’t find it.

Why did Jacob and Ashley get divorced after Athena went missing? Did Jacob somehow blame her? Just curious.

I don’t know specifically but having any kind of normalcy or relationship after this would basically be impossible. I can’t even imagine trying. He probably blamed her and himself too. Same with her. I don’t know that a human can truly heal from something like this let alone care about a marriage.

 

[Spectrix]

I’m sure this was discussed but I can’t find it.

Why did Jacob and Ashley get divorced after Athena went missing? Did Jacob somehow blame her? Just curious.

I can't speak for the particulars in Jacob and Ashley's relationship but I can tell you that many marriages do not survive the loss of a child.
Parents are both grieving and emotionally broken, it's a lot of strain on a relationship.
I watched my parents go through this

 

[Aycheff]

I’m sure this was discussed but I can’t find it.

Why did Jacob and Ashley get divorced after Athena went missing? Did Jacob somehow blame her? Just curious.

He testified a few days ago that he developed a drinking problem after Athena's abduction and murder, and that and everything fell apart. Poor sweet man. I'm sure they were all doing the very best they could.

 

[iamshadow21]

I can't speak for the particulars in Jacob and Ashley's relationship but I can tell you that many marriages do not survive the loss of a child.
Parents are both grieving and emotionally broken, it's a lot of strain on a relationship.
I watched my parents go through this

Any kind of big trauma can split a marriage; I think Bob and Gay were the only victims from the GSK who participated in the documentary who'd actually stayed together longer than months to a couple of years post-attack.

But the loss of a child, whether through illness, accident, homicide or suicide tends to push a lot of people away from each other, often because individuals grieve in different ways and at different rates. And when it's an unnatural death, there's often a lot of anger that can get displaced onto others nearby.

MOO

 

[CuriousOyster]

I don’t think I have ever felt such emotions about a case as I do about this. I feel bad referring to it all as a ‘case’ so I do hope you understand what I mean. It’s just so unbelievably sad and horrific what happened. Do we know what day we expect the jury to start to consider if he should receive the death penalty?

 

[Spectrix]

I don’t think I have ever felt such emotions about a case as I do about this. I feel bad referring to it all as a ‘case’ so I do hope you understand what I mean. It’s just so unbelievably sad and horrific what happened. Do we know what day we expect the jury to start to consider if he should receive the death penalty?

We have the defence's case still to go and I read that they have A LOT of witnesses.
It might be a while, they seem very thorough.

I can't decide if I'm hopeful that the defendant will give evidence.
On one hand I don't want to listen to him because he disgusts me so much.
On the other hand, I'd love to see him be torn to shreds on cross.

I'm certain his council would advise against him giving evidence, but some defendants insist on getting on the stand and this one just loves to talk about himself

 

[Walela]

This perp doesn't seem right in the head.

Watching the video provided by a link on this thread,
where he was chuckling
while being interviewed by the detective,
made me wonder.

How come he was even employed
when the job entailed contacts with general public, including children??



JMO

He was masquerading as an honest, trustworthy, family man when he applied. He most likely has been cultivating that masquerade for quite some time to use whenever he needs to blend in with employers and/or potential employers. But he couldn't maintain that mask around his mother. A mother knows the heart of her child. I feel certain that there are people who have had contact with him in the past and their hinky meter topped out and they safely backed away.
moo

 

[joe jones]

I am possibly the only poster who is staunchly against the DP, and that includes him, nobody has the right to take a life and that includes him, he did so and is therefore on trial and will be punished,

state sanctioned murder is abhorrent to me

 

[BUF]

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/athena-strand-murder-trial-heads-into-week-three-without-jury/4011840/

Prosecutors rested their case Thursday, but attorneys on both sides returned to court Friday without jurors present. Over the next few days, the focus is expected to be on vetting witnesses and determining which experts will be allowed to testify before the jury next week.

On Friday, the state called a rebuttal witness, psychiatrist Dr. Michael Arambula, who testified about his evaluation of Tanner Horner.
…….
NBC 5 has been livestreaming the trial since it began. Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom Friday through Tuesday, but will be allowed to return with the jury on Wednesday.

 

[TMich6811]

We have the defence's case still to go and I read that they have A LOT of witnesses.
It might be a while, they seem very thorough.

I can't decide if I'm hopeful that the defendant will give evidence.
On one hand I don't want to listen to him because he disgusts me so much.
On the other hand, I'd love to see him be torn to shreds on cross.

I'm certain his council would advise against him giving evidence, but some defendants insist on getting on the stand and this one just loves to talk about himself

Witness for what though I just can’t imagine anything except cut him slack he has mental health stuff but nothing is going to work after what they just watched