In a Texas courtroom on Thursday, jurors were presented with unsettling body camera footage of a former FedEx delivery driver who has admitted to the heinous crime of killing a young girl. The footage depicted the man switching between different alter ego personas, as the court deliberates on his fate—whether he should face the death penalty.
Tanner Horner, aged 34, has confessed to the kidnapping and murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand. The proceedings took place in a Fort Worth courtroom where the grim details of the case are being examined to decide if Horner will be sentenced to death or given life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
The jurors were shown this body camera footage, alongside other pieces of evidence, to assist in making their crucial decision. The footage included a confrontation where authorities questioned Horner about what he did with Athena’s clothing after her tragic death on November 30, 2022.
In a harrowing moment captured on the footage, an officer is heard asking Horner, “Are you saying you stripped her naked and threw her clothes out the window on the highway?” This chilling exchange is part of the evidence that the jury must consider.
A poignant photograph of Athena Strand, taken shortly before the incident, has also been released. It shows the young girl who, according to prosecutors, was abducted and killed by Horner while he was delivering her Christmas present.
“Are you saying you stripped her naked and threw her clothes out the window on the highway?” the officer can be heard asking.
“I thought it was funny,” Horner replied.
“Did you take all her clothes off of her? Shirts, pants, panties – everything?” the officer asked.
“Mm-hmm,” Horner said.
The officers then shift to addressing Horner’s alter ego, “Zero.”
“Hey Zero, when you took her, was she wearing a jacket or anything?” the officer said.
“No jacket, no shoes,” Horner, speaking as Zero, replied.
Athena Strand, 7, was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by 30-year-old FedEx delivery driver Tanner Lynn Horner. Strand’s father is suing Horner, FedEx and the contractor that hired him. (Wise County Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities continued to push Horner for more details about Athena’s abduction, asking if the girl told him she did not want to get into his car.
In response, Horner informed them he told Athena, “We’re going on a ride.”
“She was trying to fight you when you told her you were going on a ride?” the officer asked.
“No,” Horner replied as he mumbled details about what Athena had said to him.
The officers then attempted to get more details from Horner, who appeared to be speaking to them as his alter ego.
Jurors were shown an interrogation video of Tanner Horner telling investigators that he “just kind of tossed” 7-year-old Athena Strand after kidnapping her. (KDFW-TV)
“So did you hit her before you dropped the package? I’m sorry, did Tanner hit her before the package was dropped off, or after?” the officer asked, before shifting to address Horner as Zero.
“Do you want to talk to him?” Horner replied, referring to himself.
“No, I want to talk to Zero. I want to talk to you. Because you’re being more honest, you’re more helpful,” the officer said.
While on the stand, Texas Ranger Job Espinoza, the lead investigator who was with Horner when Athena’s body was located and interrogated him after his arrest, testified that Horner told him Athena’s underwear was still on her body, according to FOX 4.
However, Espinoza told the courtroom he knew the claim was untrue because Athena’s body was nude when her remains were discovered by authorities.
Athena’s stepmother, Ashley Strand, testified on Tuesday, April 7 about their family’s home in the small city of Paradise, in Wise County. She said they lived in a rural area that didn’t get much traffic. (POOL via KDFW-TV)
Espinoza then added that Horner allegedly admitted to taking Athena’s pants and placing them inside a backpack thrown in the trash at his house. Investigators later found some articles of Athena’s clothing inside Horner’s home.
Upon being asked if there was any evidence that Athena’s clothes were thrown on the highway, Espinoza denied the claim.
“Based on the course of this investigation, I knew that was a lie,” Espinoza said.
In his earlier testimony on Thursday morning, Espinoza told Wise County District Attorney James Stainton that Horner had been untruthful throughout the investigative process.
“At this point, other than telling you where Athena was located, is there anything else truthful that Tanner Horner has told you?” Stainton asked.
During a press conference at the Wise County Courthouse in Decatur, Texas, on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022, Maitlyn Gandy presented the box that was delivered on the day Athena Strand, 7, was abducted in rural Paradise, Texas. Inside was a Christmas present for Strand. (Amanda McCoy/Star-Telegram/AP)
“No sir,” Espinoza answered.
“Up until this point, how many different versions has Tanner Horner told you of how things went down at Athena’s residence?” Stainton replied.
“He’s given me numerous different versions of how the events of that day transpired,” Espinoza said.
In an interrogation video shown Thursday, Horner asked investigators to release him from jail for about a month so he could spend Christmas with his family, while promising to provide the details of his crime if they agreed.
“Did you know what you did was wrong?” Espinoza asked him, according to FOX 4.
“Of course,” Horner said. “I haven’t been on that medicine for five days, and it’s starting to wear off. I’ve actually been crying. Do you know what it’s like, not being able to cry for months and months and months?”
Espinoza then asked if Horner was remorseful for what he did to the young girl.
“I’m a father,” Horner said as he grew emotional. “All I want is to spend one last Christmas with my son, and I’ll tell you everything.”
Horner initially claimed he accidentally struck Athena with his delivery truck, but later admitted to abducting and strangling her while delivering a package to her father’s home in November 2022 in Paradise, Texas.
He previously said he “kind of tossed” the young girl into the woods after killing her, according to an interrogation video shown to jurors.
Prosecutors have aimed to paint Horner as a violent and calculating killer.
“First thing Tanner Horner says to Athena when he picks her up, puts her in that truck, leans down, and he says, ‘Don’t scream or I’ll hurt you,’” Stainton told jurors in opening statements Tuesday.
“I’m going to tell you right now. One thing you’re going to hear that is something you can’t unhear is the level of fight that a 7-year-old girl has. When she’s facing down a certain death.”
Stainton also revealed Horner may have sexually assaulted the young girl after her abduction.
“We have DNA. Not only do we have initial DNA from Athena that has Tanner Horner’s DNA under her fingernails. We also have Tanner Horner’s DNA in places where you shouldn’t find DNA on a 7-year-old girl,” Stainton said in court.
Prosecutors have pointed to evidence showing Horner covered a camera inside his FedEx truck, threatened Athena and carried out an extensive attack before disposing of her body in a wooded area near Boyd, Texas.
Horner then allegedly returned to work to continue delivering packages as authorities launched a desperate search for the missing child. Her body was discovered three days later.
Defense attorney Lindsay Thompson pointed to Horner suffering from brain damage, mental illness and extreme lead exposure – while mentioning his autism diagnosis.
Thompson added that Horner should be spared from the death penalty because he had accepted responsibility by pleading guilty.
Authorities have revealed Horner was delivering a package of Barbie dolls meant to be a Christmas gift for Athena when he abducted and killed her.
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