A surprise witness in Texas murder trial, cousin testifies former FedEx driver Tanner Horner sexually abused him

Harriet Ramos and Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram on May 4, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

FORT WORTH, Texas — Tanner Horner’s defense attorneys called their final witness Monday in the trial of the former FedEx driver who has pleaded guilty to killing 7-year-old Athena Strand. The state presented rebuttal witnesses today in response to the defense case, including a surprise witness who alleges Horner sexually assaulted him and a psychiatric expert.

Closings arguments in the trial will take place Tuesday morning, and then the jury will begin to deliberate.

Horner’s lawyers are trying to convince the jury that the 34-year-old should be sentenced to life in prison without parole instead of the death penalty. Defense witnesses have focused on Horner’s childhood and mental conditions, including discussion of autism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, bullying, sexual abuse, and lead exposure after he ate coins as a toddler.

At the start of the prosecution’s case on April 7, Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder in the course of kidnapping. The jury will decide his punishment.

The former FedEx driver abducted and killed Athena on Nov. 30, 2022, after delivering a package to her rural Wise County home. Horner told a false story about hitting the little girl with his van and then strangling her in a panic, according to testimony of the case’s lead investigator, Texas Ranger Job Espinoza. Investigators believe Horner planned to kidnap and murder Athena.

The prosecution showed the jurors chilling video and audio evidence that included Athena’s last moments after Horner lured her inside the FedEx van. She died from blunt force trauma, smothering and strangulation, and Horner dumped her naked body in the water along the Trinity River.

The prosecution told the jury that Horner sexually assaulted Athena before killing her, and a DNA analyst testified that Horner could not be excluded as the source of male DNA found on swabs in the victim’s sexual assault kit.

In interviews with investigators, Horner blamed an alter ego called “Zero” for the girl’s death.

The trial is being held at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in Fort Worth.

_____