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

[Chelly]

I grew so weary of the pitiful parade of blurry witnesses yesterday and today, I was delighted when Dr Ryan finally took the stand. I thought: Finally...we'll hear some logic. However, In light of the State's factual evidence, little of what Ryan said made much sense to me. moo

The Defense managed to put time and distance, and maybe some confusion in the minds of the jury, between their case and the State's case in chief. Maybe that long string of witnesses was helpful to the defense, maybe not. I hope State has a rebuttal planned to sweeten its own case. Congrats to everyone here who sat through these two days of testimony without screaming at the screen like I did. imo

 

[RaspberryMama]

I have given up watching the last two days because this defense is not good for my blood pressure. But I’m keeping track of what’s been happening. Can anyone tell me what’s on the schedule for tomorrow? Is TH’s brother testifying? Please tell me they are drawing to a close soon!

 

[Morequestionsthananswers]

oh the trauma poor wee Tanner suffered.

It’s a walk in the park compared to what poor little Athena endured .

 

[Morequestionsthananswers]

The witness is testifying for TH.

Unverified but she said it fits with what else she had come to know.

Including hemorrhoids at 19.

I’m not watching it’s too boring, only reading. Thanks for the updates.

Are you joking about haemorrhoids at 19?

 

[Chelly]

I have given up watching the last two days because this defense is not good for my blood pressure. But I’m keeping track of what’s been happening. Can anyone tell me what’s on the schedule for tomorrow? Is TH’s brother testifying? Please tell me they are drawing to a close soon!

I read in a Cathy Russon X post that TH's brother and grandfather are expected to testify. Guessing it will be tomorrow. moo

 

[Niner]

Wednesday, April 29th:
*Trial continues/Penalty Phase (Day 14) (@ 9am CT) - TX - Athena Presley Monroe Strand (7) – (last seen near the 200 block of County 3573 on Nov. 30, 2022 in Paradise. Reported missing by stepmom @ 6:40pm on 11/30/22; found deceased along the water’s edge of the Trinity River southeast of Boyd on the evening of Dec. 2, 2022 about 9 miles from her home). *Tanner Lynn Horner (31/now 34) arrested (12/3/22), indicted (2/16/23), charged & arraigned (3/6/23) with capital murder (under the age of 10) & 1st degree felon aggravated kidnapping. Bond $1M (murder) $500K (kidnapping). Surety Bond total $1,545,000. Plead not guilty (3/6/23). DA will seek DP (2/18/23). Wise County/Now in 297th District Court-Tarrant County on 3/16/24.
TX - *Tanner Lynn Horner (31/now 34) charged (12/21/22) with 3 counts of sexual assault (from 2013) in Fort Worth. Bond @ $45K. Surety Bond Total $135K. Tarrant County
Admitted kidnapping & killing Athena.
Jury selection began on 1/30/26 & ended on 2/11/26. Final jury selection began on 4/1/26 & ended. 12 jurors & 2 alternates.
Trial began on 4/7/26. Horner plead GUILTY. Punishment phase (sentencing) started on 4/7/26. State rested their case on 4/16/26. Defense began their case on 4/22/26.
Judge George Gallagher presiding. Wise County DA James Stainton. DA Allenna Banks. Defense: Public defenders Susan Anderson & Steven Goble. For Aggravated kidnapping defense attorney Pamela Fernandez.
Case & court info from 11/30/22 thru 12/21/22 [Tarrant County] & thru 1/21/26 [murder] & Jury Selection Day 1-4 (1/29-1/30, 2/11 & 4/1/26) & Trial/Sentencing Phase Days 1-12 (4/7-4/27/26) & thru 4/21/26 reference post #2487 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...ctor-tanner-horner-paradise-2.649712/page-125
4/28/26 Tuesday, Trial/Penalty Phase Day 13: Defense witnesses: Blurry Michelle [lived in the same neighborhood in 2001. Her son played with TH-5th grade. Last saw TH in 2011]. Blurry Jay [knew TH in 2014-2017/18]. Felon Norm [childhood friend]. Dr. Eileen Ryan [professor of psychiatry & behavioral health at The Ohio State University College of Medicine ; she did meet with TH over 18 hours].
Closing arguments remain scheduled for 5/5/26, meaning jurors are still at least just 1 more day from deliberations. Trial continues on Wednesday, 4/29/26. There will be no testimony on Friday, 5/1/26. Prosecutors will be doing rebuttal.

 

[Megnut]

I’m not watching it’s too boring, only reading. Thanks for the updates.

Are you joking about haemorrhoids at 19?

Not lying, she testified to it.

It's entirely possible that young TH was a victim, and for that, we can all feel genuinely bad for that.

But that doesn't mean anyone needs to feel sympathetic for his adult choices.

Given his DNA where it was, it's appalling to me (but sadly expected from a paid talking head) that she extrapolate that TH was likely molested as a child but concluded that his crimes against Athena weren't sexual. When the evidence absolutely says otherwise.

Not catastrophizing. It was a deliberate, plotted abduction for SA, culminating in murder, riddled with violence for 60 minutes.

JMO

 

[Megnut]

Something just hit me.

This garbage about the Fed Ex schedule being the change in routine that stressed TH so badly, he had to abduct a little girl and do what he did --

Fed Ex installed cameras record only 40 hours before being overwritten.

We will never know how many times TH turned that forward camera off. For however long he was employed by Fed Ex and/or its subsidiaries he might have been stalking littles.

He may have been irate when his schedule was changed because it interrupted his predation.

If anything, IMO it  motivated him, to pounce before they changed his route again. But make no mistake, he was searching for a young girl and it didn't start in those two days. Those are just the only days with preserved video.

JMO

 

[helpfulcharlie]

Something just hit me.

This garbage about the Fed Ex schedule being the change in routine that stressed TH so badly, he had to abduct a little girl and do what he did --

Fed Ex installed cameras record only 40 hours before being overwritten.

We will never know how many times TH turned that forward camera off. For however long he was employed by Fed Ex and/or its subsidiaries he might have been stalking littles.

He may have been irate when his schedule was changed because it interrupted his predation.

If anything, IMO it  motivated him, to pounce before they changed his route again. But make no mistake, he was searching for a young girl and it didn't start in those two days. Those are just the only days with preserved video.

JMO

Good point. I wonder how many other times his schedule was changed. I hope someone is cross-checking his entire work history. Despite how haphazard and unplanned this seems, it's possible he's done something similar in the past.

 

[Morequestionsthananswers]

Not lying, she testified to it.

It's entirely possible that young TH was a victim, and for that, we can all feel genuinely bad for that.

But that doesn't mean anyone needs to feel sympathetic for his adult choices.

Given his DNA where it was, it's appalling to me (but sadly expected from a paid talking head) that she extrapolate that TH was likely molested as a child but concluded that his crimes against Athena weren't sexual. When the evidence absolutely says otherwise.

Not catastrophizing. It was a deliberate, plotted abduction for SA, culminating in murder, riddled with violence for 60 minutes.

JMO

Who would’ve predicted blurry witnesses talking about him eating coins, pooping coins and having haemorrhoids. How embarrassing.

Not sure how the talking head concluded TH didn’t abduct Athena for SA when there’s evidence he did. ( Maybe she’s a few peas and carrots short of a casserole).
What he did to Athena was horrific and premeditated. He deserves the DP. That’s what it’s for - the worst of the worst .

Those poor jurors having to listen to 60 minutes of violence. I couldn’t do that, seeing her little scared face kneeling next to him in the truck was enough for me.

ETA: fix typo

 

[TMich6811]

Something just hit me.

This garbage about the Fed Ex schedule being the change in routine that stressed TH so badly, he had to abduct a little girl and do what he did --

Fed Ex installed cameras record only 40 hours before being overwritten.

We will never know how many times TH turned that forward camera off. For however long he was employed by Fed Ex and/or its subsidiaries he might have been stalking littles.

He may have been irate when his schedule was changed because it interrupted his predation.

If anything, IMO it  motivated him, to pounce before they changed his route again. But make no mistake, he was searching for a young girl and it didn't start in those two days. Those are just the only days with preserved video.

JMO

Plus the access he had to other children. I really doubt he’s never done anything else.

 

[Megnut]

Plus the access he had to other children. I really doubt he’s never done anything else.

Girls as young as Athena, we can only speculate*. But there were two victim witnesses who testified. Both of whom were underage. TH is opportunistic, in the sickest of ways.

*Based on the video from the prior day, we do now little girls were on his sick radar. If he hadn't been caught, it's a foregone conclusion he'd do it again.

JMO

 

[TMich6811]

Girls as young as Athena, we can only speculate. But there were two victim witnesses who testified. Both of whom were underage. TH is opportunistic, in the sickest of ways.

I’m thinking beyond that. The child he babysat for. The other children in the home. He had access.

 

[Megnut]

I’m thinking beyond that. The child he babysat for. The other children in the home. He had access.

Opportunistic. I agree. No child was safe, and any little too young to talk, we'll never know.

JMO

 

[shonyakay]

Not lying, she testified to it.

It's entirely possible that young TH was a victim, and for that, we can all feel genuinely bad for that.

But that doesn't mean anyone needs to feel sympathetic for his adult choices.

Given his DNA where it was, it's appalling to me (but sadly expected from a paid talking head) that she extrapolate that TH was likely molested as a child but concluded that his crimes against Athena weren't sexual. When the evidence absolutely says otherwise.

Not catastrophizing. It was a deliberate, plotted abduction for SA, culminating in murder, riddled with violence for 60 minutes.

JMO

Wow. Really? There's only one reason a grown ass perverted man would tell a little girl to take her shirt off - and it wasn't to check her for injuries.

Athena immediately knew that this was wrong and told TH that her Mama told her that you can't do this to me.

 

[TMich6811]

Opportunistic. I agree. No child was safe, and any little too young to talk, we'll never know.

JMO

Exactly

 

[Prancy]

I am weary of the testimony to help show something towards mitigation…..I get it. I get why such enormous attempts were made with such detail. The defense team has a job and bar ethics require you do it zealously. However, I don’t feel it really goes toward mitigation in this particular case. It’s almost too much and perhaps has become annoying. I can’t help but think perhaps 1/3 of the mitigation testimonies might have been more appropriate.

 

[Leilei]

I have given up watching the last two days because this defense is not good for my blood pressure. But I’m keeping track of what’s been happening. Can anyone tell me what’s on the schedule for tomorrow? Is TH’s brother testifying? Please tell me they are drawing to a close soon!

I took yesterday off and just checked here for updates.
The blurry "woe is Tanner" witnesses were just too much.
I do want to watch his brothers testimony, though.
I understand that the defense has to pull everything (true or not) they can out of TH's history in an attempt to save his life, but the so-called experts are wearing on my nerves. I feel like Athena is being lost during this whole thing much of the time. Thank goodness the State brings the focus back to where it should be during cross - on that precious little girl.
Are we there yet?
IMO.

 

[Megnut]

I'm actually fearful of the DP here as it would start the tidal swell of appeals which will never end until he does.

LWOP iiuc won't invite appeal. Because he confessed and the sentence for that is LWOP, again iiuc.

Whatever comes of sentencing, he needs to remain behind iron walls until hell calls him home.

JMO

 

[RaspberryMama]

Good point. I wonder how many other times his schedule was changed. I hope someone is cross-checking his entire work history. Despite how haphazard and unplanned this seems, it's possible he's done something similar in the past.

Can I ask why you think this seems haphazard and unplanned?