Day 10 recap: Tanner Horner’s defense case in Athena Strand murder trial
Defense attorneys continued presenting their case Thursday in the trial of Tanner Horner, who has pleaded guilty to killing 7-year-old Athena Strand. Witnesses Thursday focused on Horner’s childhood, including discussion of autism and lead exposure.
Horner’s mother was one of the first witnesses to testify as the defense tries to convince the jury that Horner should be sentenced to life in prison without parole instead of the death penalty. The defense case also includes testimony from psychology experts.
At the start of the prosecution’s case on April 7, Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder in the course of kidnapping. The jury will decide his punishment.
The former FedEx driver abducted and killed Athena on Nov. 30, 2022, after 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 murder Athena.
Last week, the prosecution showed the jurors chilling video and audio evidence that included Athena’s last moments after Horner lured her inside the FedEx van.
In interviews with investigators, Horner blamed an alter ego called “Zero” for the girl’s death.
The trial is being held at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in Fort Worth and is expected to continue into early May.
Watch Thursday’s video of the trial here with analysis from WFAA-TV, and follow Star-Telegram.com for updates.
1:45 p.m. School psychologist speaks about autism
A retired licensed specialist in school psychology who evaluated Tanner Horner when he was a student at Azle Elementary School is testifying about his autism diagnosis and the special education services the school provided for him. Horner is now 34 years old.
The psychologist, referred to by her first name Mary, said she conducted a standard re-evaluation of Horner after his initial diagnosis. Her evaluation involved meeting with him one-one-one, observing his behavior in social settings, and speaking with his teachers and grandmother to determine what services he needed.
Her report at the time concluded that Horner continued to show signs of mild Asperger’s disorder, which is not a term that is used currently but is a form of autism spectrum disorder. It likely would now be called level 1 out of 3, with level 1 being the least severe on the autism spectrum, she said.
Her report noted Horner lacked empathy, had emotional deficits, was rigid about change, and had difficulty with forming relationships and making friends. He had poor personal hygiene, possibly due to sensory issues, she said.
Horner would spend about half the school day in a behavior improvement class, which provided structure and support, and the other half in regular general education classes, she said. He also worked with an occupational therapist and received in-home training with a speech and language therapist, who took him out into the community to experience different social settings, she said.
On cross-examination the prosecutor mentioned that the school’s notes said Horner’s family and teachers reported as far back as 2002 that he was quick to anger.
After some more questioning by the prosecution and defense, court ended for today about 3:15 p.m.
11 a.m. Expert testifies about lead exposure
Dr. Aaron Specht, a metals exposure expert, is testifying about Tanner Horner’s exposure to high levels of lead and the toxic effects of lead.
Specht is an assistant professor in the Purdue University School of Health Sciences. He is speaking about how lead levels are measured in a person’s blood and bones.
Specht said that he examined Tanner Horner last year and found lead levels in his bones about 24 times higher than usual for someone his age. That exposure could have been caused by eating paint and coins as a child, he said.
The accumulation of lead in Horner’s bones suggests the presence of lead in his brain, Specht said. He said he is not a medical doctor but his opinion is that the lead would have affected Horner’s neurological health.
Court is on a lunch break until about 1 p.m.
9:15 a.m. Horner family members testify
Additional members of Tanner Horner’s family testified about his childhood before the court took a morning break.
Horner’s aunt, who is his father’s sister, said she only met Tanner a few times. She cut most ties with her family after a traumatic upbringing that she testified included sexual abuse by Tanner’s father, Terry.
“He threatened to kill me three different times,” she said of Terry, who is deceased. “He was not a very nice person.”
Tanner’s father spent much of his life in prison on drug and theft charges, she said.
In response to a prosecutor’s question, the aunt said that despite her difficult childhood and family relationships, she never did drugs or committed a crime.
Tanner’s second cousin testified that she was responsible for baby-sitting Tanner when she was only 10 years old. Tanner’s mother sometimes paid her with marijuana, she testified.
Tanner frequently ate coins when he was a toddler, the cousin said. “I thought it was odd, but I also thought it was funny,” she said. “I was a kid.”
She said his behavior was unusual. At times he would throw fits and show aggression, and other times he would sit silently in a corner. “He would have real high highs and real low lows,” she said.
This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 8:30 AM.
