The Brief
- Former delivery driver Tanner Horner faces trial next week in Tarrant County for the 2022 kidnapping and murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand.
- Defense attorneys have asked the judge to ban the terms “psychopath” and “sociopath” from the sentencing phase, arguing the labels are scientifically unreliable.
- While the state seeks the death penalty, the defense has tried to block it by citing Horner’s autism and questioning the legality of his initial police confession.
FORT WORTH, Texas – The trial begins next week for Tanner Horner, the former delivery driver charged with murdering 7-year-old Athena Strand in Wise County.
Attorneys are already looking ahead to the sentencing phase with a specific request to the judge.
Pre-Trial Motions
What’s new:
The state is seeking the death penalty in this case. So, Horner’s attorneys are looking ahead to mental health expert testimony during the punishment phase. They’ve asked the judge to ban the terms “psychopath” and “sociopath.”…