A FedEx driver who admitted to killing a 7-year-old girl went home and had sex with his fiancee just hours after the crime, a Texas jury has heard. Tanner Horner, 34, now faces the death penalty for the sexual assault and murder of Athena Strand in November 2022.
Psychiatrist Testifies on Killer's Motive
Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Eileen Ryan testified that Horner had sex with his fiancee to prove to himself that he was not a pedophile. The defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, and the trial is now in the penalty phase to determine whether he will receive life in prison or the death penalty.
"It says here ... that that night, he had sex with his girlfriend — I won't use her name — just to prove that he wasn't into kids. That's what he told you," the prosecutor said, reading from Ryan's notes. "He had sex with his fiancee."
Ryan, who interviewed Horner multiple times while he was awaiting trial, said she did not consider him a pedophile, noting that he had not shown "consistent" sexual arousal in children. She added that Horner was deeply concerned about not being labeled a pedophile.
Killer Claimed He Acted After Girl Saw Him Using Cocaine
During the testimony, Ryan also revealed that Horner claimed he killed Athena after she caught him snorting cocaine. "Once she saw him doing cocaine, that was when he decided he had to do something to stop her from telling anyone," Ryan said, adding that Horner feared losing his job and contact with his son.
Ryan described Horner's reasoning as a "completely unreasonable" leap from "Point A to Point Z." The psychiatrist's statements prompted eye rolls from some jurors when she discussed his seemingly "normal" sex life.
Prosecutors Call Horner a Liar
Prosecutors have branded Horner a liar, noting his multiple conflicting accounts. Initially, he told police he accidentally struck the 67-pound child with his van and then strangled her after delivering a Christmas parcel. Later, he claimed he forced Athena into the van after she saw him using cocaine. He initially denied sexual assault but later admitted it to the psychiatrist. He also tried to blame a violent alter ego he called "Zero."
Surveillance footage showed Athena sitting inside the delivery van while Horner sang "Jingle Bell Rock," appearing unharmed. Her small, naked body was discovered in a creek two days later. The cause of death was blunt force trauma, smothering, and strangulation.
Even his church pastor testified that Horner was nonchalant when asked about the high-profile slaying. The penalty phase is now in its third week, and Horner is expected to learn his fate next week.
