Tanner Horner

Did You Know?

• Horner was transferred to death row at the Allan B. Polunsky Unit after sentencing.
• On May 12, 2026, Horner filed a notice of appeal to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Murder

On November 30, 2022, Horner delivered a Christmas package containing Barbie dolls to the Strand residence in Paradise, Texas. According to his account, he accidentally struck Athena with his vehicle while backing up and, panicking, placed her in his truck. Investigators and prosecutors later challenged this version, presenting evidence that suggested the abduction was intentional and that Athena may not have been seriously injured when first taken. After kidnapping her, Horner drove away; evidence indicated she remained alive for some time and resisted. Within about an hour, he killed her. He later admitted to strangling her, claiming he did so after she wanted to tell her father he knocked her down. Prosecutors argued Athena endured prolonged violence and may have been sexually assaulted, citing DNA findings and signs of a struggle. While she found no evidence of sexual trauma, she stated it was still possible some type of sexual contact had occurred. The day after the murder, Horner googled pictures of Athena Strand, missing posters, crime scene photos, and queries including 'Paradise Missing Girl' and 'Do fedex truck cameras constantly record?'

Charges and pre-trial process

On December 5, 2022, Horner was officially charged with aggravated kidnapping and capital murder of Athena Strand. On December 22, 2022, he faced an additional three counts of sexually assaulting a minor related to incidents in June, August, and December 2013. A Wise County grand jury indicted him for kidnapping and capital murder on February 19, 2023. Three days later, District Attorney James Stainton announced he would seek the death penalty. On March 6, 2023, Horner pleaded not guilty. On September 13, 2024, he sought a change of venue; a judge granted the request, moving the trial to Tarrant County. Originally scheduled for March 17, 2025, the trial was postponed to April 7, 2026. A two-week pre-trial hearing was held in December 2025. On January 14, 2026, Horner's lawyers filed a motion to exclude the death penalty on grounds of autism spectrum disorder; Judge George Gallagher denied the motion on January 21, 2026.

Aftermath

On December 14, 2022, Strand's father filed a lawsuit against Horner, FedEx, and its subcontractor Big Topspin, seeking more than $1 million. In December 2022, over 20 school districts across Texas encouraged students to wear pink in Strand's honor; a vigil was held with mourners wearing pink. In January 2023, Mattel donated 2,000 Barbie dolls and other toys to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth. In April 2023, Strand's mother advocated for a new localized missing-child alert; House Bill 3556, or 'Athena's Alert', was passed by the Texas House in May 2023, later passed by the Senate, and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott. On May 23, 2023, Strand's eighth birthday, the community was encouraged to wear pink. On May 5, 2026, the courthouse facade was illuminated in pink; a memorial was set up at Bobo's Crossing in Wise County on May 19, 2026.