A Tarrant County jury on Tuesday sentenced Tanner Horner to death for the 2022 kidnapping and killing of 7-year-old Athena Strand, concluding a case that drew emotional testimony from the child’s family.
Horner, 34, pleaded guilty to the crime just before trial proceedings began last month, prompting the case to move directly into the punishment phase, as reported previously by The Dallas Express. Jurors spent weeks hearing testimony, including accounts from Athena’s parents, as well as reviewing graphic audio and video evidence presented by prosecutors.
During closing arguments, Wise County District Attorney James Stainton told jurors that the death penalty was the only appropriate outcome. Defense attorneys argued for a sentence of life in prison without parole, presenting expert testimony about Horner’s mental health and background, along with statements from family members.
After more than two hours of deliberation, the jury returned a death sentence. The judge ordered Horner to remain in the Tarrant County jail until he is transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville.
The courtroom heard a victim impact statement from Athena’s uncle, Elijah Strand, who described the lasting toll on the family.
“There are no words that truly capture the devastation that Tanner Horner caused us,” he said, CBS News Texas reported.
He told jurors that Athena’s death robbed the family of milestones she would never reach.
“She had dreams she will never get to chase, she’ll have birthdays that she will never celebrate, a life she will never get to live, because of his actions,” Elijah Strand said, pointing to the defendant.
He also described how the crime altered the family’s sense of safety.
“He’s robbed of us safety, peace and our trust in the world and forever changed who we are as a family,” he said.
Addressing Horner directly, he added, “You did not just take a life; you destroyed a family. You took a little girl who trusted the world and repaid that innocence with violence. You chose to cause pain that will last generations. You say you found God, but what you did to Athena stands in direct opposition of everything you claim to believe.”
Athena’s uncle concluded with a final message: “You will face the wrath of God,” and said, “I want you to know you are a footnote in Athena’s story. Her name will forever be remembered. Her name will be forever celebrated, and everyone will forget you.”
According to investigators, Horner was working as a delivery driver on November 30, 2022, when he went to Athena’s home with a package. Authorities said he accidentally struck the child with his vehicle, then placed her in his van and later killed her out of fear she would report what happened.
Athena’s body was found two days later, about 9 miles from her home.
The case was moved from Wise County to Fort Worth. Jurors ultimately determined that Horner posed a continuing threat and that the circumstances did not warrant a lesser sentence.
In Texas, a guilty verdict with a death penalty automatically triggers an appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeals.
