Live updates: Athena Strand’s father testifies in Day 8 of Tanner Horner trial
After powerful testimony by Athena Strand’s mom on Wednesday, the prosecution is expected to wrap up its case in the capital murder trial of Tanner Horner on Thursday.
Athena’s dad, Jacob Strand, was the first witness who testified this morning. Next, the case’s lead investigator introduced video evidence from FedEx vans driven by Horner on the day of the murder and four other dates before and after the killing. The jury is watching excerpts from those videos, which show Horner covered up the camera lens multiple times.
Also today, audio from inside the van that Horner was driving when he abducted 7-year-old Athena will be played for the jury — that part will not be shown on the livestream.
At the start of evidence presentation in the trial on April 7, Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder in the course of kidnapping. The jury will decide his punishment. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, and the defense is asking for a sentence of life in prison without parole.
The former FedEx driver abducted and killed Athena on Nov. 30, 2022, while delivering a package to her rural Wise County home. Horner told a false story about hitting the little girl with his van and then strangling her in a panic, according to testimony of the case’s lead investigator, Texas Ranger Job Espinoza. Investigators believe Horner planned to kidnap and kill Athena.
In interviews, Horner blamed an alter ego called “Zero” for the girl’s death, and he pretended to be Zero when he led Espinoza to Athena’s body, the ranger said.
The trial is being held at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in Fort Worth. With the defense case and jury deliberations still to come, the trial could last into early May.
Watch live video of the trial here with analysis from WFAA-TV, and follow Star-Telegram.com for updates.
9:10 a.m. Jury watches videos from FedEx vans
Texas Ranger Job Espinoza testified to introduce video evidence from the FedEx vans. In total, there is more than 30 hours of video and audio from Nov. 26, 29 and 30 and Dec. 1 and 2. The jury will watch about three and a half hours of the video.
Espinoza said the videos show Horner covering the camera lenses multiple times. Prosecutor James Stainton seemed to suggest that this indicated Horner planned the crime. Judge George Gallagher sustained the defense’s objections to questions asking Espinoza to speculate about what that meant.
9 a.m. Athena’s dad, Jacob Strand, testifies
Athena’s father, Jacob Strand, talked about his daughter’s personality and how her death devastated his family.
Sharing a favorite memory, he said, “It was springtime, so the water was still a bit chilly, and I walked outside, and she was filling up the water trough and brought out a bunch of her Barbies and toys and filled up the water trough with them and was sitting in it with her dress and cowgirl boots.”
The last time he saw his daughter alive was on Nov. 30, 2022, when he left to go on a hunting trip. “I gave her a hug and told her I love her,” Jacob Strand said.
Just hours later, he learned Athena was missing and he returned to search his property for the child. At first, he thought she might be playing hide and seek.
He said Athena’s death broke him and he initially held the pain in. He and his family are now in therapy.
This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 8:26 AM.
