Topline: Jurors weighing whether Tanner Horner should be executed or sentenced to life without parole were shown photos from the FedEx truck prosecutors say was used to abduct and kill 7-year-old Athena Strand.
Published: April 11, 2026 11:01 am ET
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Athena Strand
FORT WORTH, TX —Jurors deciding Tanner Horner’s punishment in the killing of 7-year-old Athena Strand were shown photos Friday from the FedEx truck prosecutors say he used to abduct and murder the child.
Fox News reported Horner, 34, pleaded guilty earlier this week to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping, leaving jurors to decide whether he should receive the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
According to authorities, prosecutors presented jurors with images of the van’s interior, including bungee cords and bands, and testimony that markings on Athena’s face were consistent with the pattern of the truck’s floor.
According to authorities, Athena was abducted Nov. 30, 2022, from her father’s property in Paradise, a rural Wise County community northwest of Fort Worth, while Horner was delivering a package containing Barbie dolls meant as her Christmas present.
Investigators said Horner first claimed he accidentally struck the girl with his delivery vehicle, then admitted he put her in the van, threatened her, and strangled her before dumping her body in a rural area near Boyd, less than 10 miles from the family home.
According to authorities, Athena’s body was found Dec. 2, 2022, after a large search involving the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, other law enforcement agencies, volunteers, dogs, horses and off-road vehicles.
Former Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin testified that hundreds of community members joined deputies, investigators and game wardens during the search, while crime scene investigator Alise Amey told jurors evidence recovered from the truck included flooring later examined after investigators noted matching facial markings on the victim.
FBI Special Agent Kurt Duross also testified as prosecutors continued presenting evidence from the investigation, including photos of SD cards, cameras and the FedEx vehicle described in court as the “abduction van.”
Lead prosecutor James Stainton told jurors the evidence would show Horner was calculating and remorseless, while defense attorney Lindsay Thompson argued his mental health and neurological issues should be weighed as mitigating evidence in deciding whether he poses a continuing threat.
The punishment phase is continuing in Tarrant County, where jurors are expected to decide whether Horner will be sentenced to death or to life without parole.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Jurors See Photos from FedEx Truck as Tanner Horner Faces Possible Death Sentence in Athena Strand Killing
Jurors weighing whether Tanner Horner should be executed or sentenced to life without parole were shown photos from the FedEx truck prosecutors say was used to abduct and kill 7-year-old Athena Strand.
By Silvia Torres
Published: April 11, 2026 11:01 am ET
Athena Strand
FORT WORTH, TX —Jurors deciding Tanner Horner’s punishment in the killing of 7-year-old Athena Strand were shown photos Friday from the FedEx truck prosecutors say he used to abduct and murder the child.
Fox News reported Horner, 34, pleaded guilty earlier this week to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping, leaving jurors to decide whether he should receive the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
According to authorities, prosecutors presented jurors with images of the van’s interior, including bungee cords and bands, and testimony that markings on Athena’s face were consistent with the pattern of the truck’s floor.
According to authorities, Athena was abducted Nov. 30, 2022, from her father’s property in Paradise, a rural Wise County community northwest of Fort Worth, while Horner was delivering a package containing Barbie dolls meant as her Christmas present.
Investigators said Horner first claimed he accidentally struck the girl with his delivery vehicle, then admitted he put her in the van, threatened her, and strangled her before dumping her body in a rural area near Boyd, less than 10 miles from the family home.
According to authorities, Athena’s body was found Dec. 2, 2022, after a large search involving the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, other law enforcement agencies, volunteers, dogs, horses and off-road vehicles.
Former Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin testified that hundreds of community members joined deputies, investigators and game wardens during the search, while crime scene investigator Alise Amey told jurors evidence recovered from the truck included flooring later examined after investigators noted matching facial markings on the victim.
FBI Special Agent Kurt Duross also testified as prosecutors continued presenting evidence from the investigation, including photos of SD cards, cameras and the FedEx vehicle described in court as the “abduction van.”
Lead prosecutor James Stainton told jurors the evidence would show Horner was calculating and remorseless, while defense attorney Lindsay Thompson argued his mental health and neurological issues should be weighed as mitigating evidence in deciding whether he poses a continuing threat.
The punishment phase is continuing in Tarrant County, where jurors are expected to decide whether Horner will be sentenced to death or to life without parole.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Jurors See Photos from FedEx Truck as Tanner Horner Faces Possible Death Sentence in Athena Strand Killing
Jurors weighing whether Tanner Horner should be executed or sentenced to life without parole were shown photos from the FedEx truck prosecutors say was used to abduct and kill 7-year-old Athena Strand.
By Silvia Torres
Published: April 11, 2026 11:01 am ET
Athena Strand
FORT WORTH, TX —Jurors deciding Tanner Horner’s punishment in the killing of 7-year-old Athena Strand were shown photos Friday from the FedEx truck prosecutors say he used to abduct and murder the child.
Fox News reported Horner, 34, pleaded guilty earlier this week to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping, leaving jurors to decide whether he should receive the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
According to authorities, prosecutors presented jurors with images of the van’s interior, including bungee cords and bands, and testimony that markings on Athena’s face were consistent with the pattern of the truck’s floor.
According to authorities, Athena was abducted Nov. 30, 2022, from her father’s property in Paradise, a rural Wise County community northwest of Fort Worth, while Horner was delivering a package containing Barbie dolls meant as her Christmas present.
Investigators said Horner first claimed he accidentally struck the girl with his delivery vehicle, then admitted he put her in the van, threatened her, and strangled her before dumping her body in a rural area near Boyd, less than 10 miles from the family home.
According to authorities, Athena’s body was found Dec. 2, 2022, after a large search involving the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, other law enforcement agencies, volunteers, dogs, horses and off-road vehicles.
Former Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin testified that hundreds of community members joined deputies, investigators and game wardens during the search, while crime scene investigator Alise Amey told jurors evidence recovered from the truck included flooring later examined after investigators noted matching facial markings on the victim.
FBI Special Agent Kurt Duross also testified as prosecutors continued presenting evidence from the investigation, including photos of SD cards, cameras and the FedEx vehicle described in court as the “abduction van.”
Lead prosecutor James Stainton told jurors the evidence would show Horner was calculating and remorseless, while defense attorney Lindsay Thompson argued his mental health and neurological issues should be weighed as mitigating evidence in deciding whether he poses a continuing threat.
The punishment phase is continuing in Tarrant County, where jurors are expected to decide whether Horner will be sentenced to death or to life without parole.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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