FORT WORTH, Texas (Court TV) — Shocking and disturbing evidence played out in a Texas courtroom on Thursday as jurors were forced to hear a 7-year-old girl’s final moments.
Tanner Horner sits in court during his trial on April 16, 2026. (Court TV)
Tanner Lynn Horner, 35, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and killing Athena Strand in the moments before his jury trial began. The trial moved forward, however, because prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. The jury will be tasked with recommending whether Horner lives or dies at the close of evidence.
Athena was abducted from outside her family’s home on Nov. 30, 2022; Horner had been working for a contractor to deliver packages for FedEx and snatched the little girl after delivering a box of Barbies intended to be the child’s Christmas gift…