New judge to oversee trial in killing of 7-year-old Athena Strand. Here’s when it’s scheduled
A trial date has been scheduled next year for Tanner Horner, the FedEx driver accused of kidnapping and killing 7-year-old Athena Strand in North Texas in 2022.
Horner was indicted in Wise County on a charge of capital murder of a person under 10 years old. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
The trial was moved to Tarrant County after defense attorneys asked for a change of venue, citing pre-trial publicity as a barrier to Horner receiving a fair trial in Wise County. The case was assigned to the 297th District Court. Its presiding judge, David Hagerman, retired earlier this year.
Former state district court Judge George Gallagher has been appointed to preside over the case. At a hearing on Tuesday, March 4, Gallagher ordered that opening statements and testimony will begin on April 7, 2026. Jury selection is scheduled to take place in February and March 2026.
Horner, who was arrested on Dec. 2, 2022, was a FedEx contract driver and delivered a Christmas gift of Barbies intended for Athena to her father’s home near the Wise County town of Paradise on Nov. 30, 2022. The girl went missing at the time of the delivery, and her body was found two days later at a site along the Trinity River, about 10 miles from the house.
According to a warrant affidavit supporting his arrest, Horner confessed to authorities and said that he backed into Athena with his FedEx truck. The child wasn’t seriously hurt, but he kidnapped her, strangled her and killed her so she could not tell her father about the accident, he said.
The defense had asked for a trial date in October 2026.
Defense attorney Susan Anderson said at Tuesday’s hearing that she knew that prosecutors wanted to expedite the trial for the victim’s family. “However, you can’t expedite justice,” she said, emphasizing that this is a death penalty case.
“Death is different,” she said. She argued that if forced to go to trial before October 2026, the defense “will be wholly ineffective.”
Gallagher wanted a quicker timeline than the defense. When announcing the scheduling order, he said, “I think you’ll have enough time to get prepared.”
This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 2:49 PM.
