Defense attorneys have requested a new trial for Tanner Horner, the former FedEx driver who was sentenced to death in May for the capital murder of 7-year-old Wise County girl Athena Strand.
The motion was filed in Tarrant County on June 4, according to court records. Attorney Thea Posel argues in the document that the widespread media coverage surrounding the case intimidated some key witnesses who later refused to testify and made it impossible for the 34-year-old defendant to get a fair trial.
“The precautions of the trial court were insufficient to guard against the prevailing hostility and intense scrutiny surrounding the trial and defense presentation,” the motion states…