For the man suspected of abducting and murdering 7-year-old Athena Strand in 2022, jury selection has begun. Police said Tanner Horner confessed to the crimes, despite his not guilty plea. What we know about the trial is as follows.
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Jury selection begins on Monday for Tanner Horner, the man accused of kidnapping and killing 7-year-old Athena Strand in Wise County in 2022.
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The trial is being held in Tarrant County because Horner requested a change of venue.
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Testimony is expected to begin on March 17.
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Jury selection begins on Monday for Tanner Horner, the man accused of kidnapping and killing 7-year-old Athena Strand in Wise County in 2022.
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The trial is being held in Tarrant County because Horner requested a change of venue.
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Testimony is expected to begin on March 17.
Texas’s Fort WorthOn Monday, the jury selection process for the capital murder trial of the man who is suspected of killing a young child in Wise County will start.
Athena Strand Murder Trial
The backstory
Tanner Horner is charged with the 2022 abduction and murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand.
Arrest documents state that Horner acknowledged kidnapping Strand and strangling her after striking her with his delivery truck.
He just dropped off a package at Strand’s Wise County house. He was a former FedEx contract delivery driver.
He informed authorities that he committed the offenses because he was worried the 7-year-old would tell her parents he had hit her.
He has, however, entered a not guilty plea to the accusations of kidnapping and murder.
New law creates ‘Athena Alert,’ named after Wise County 7-year-old
When a child disappears, the new rule permits law enforcement to send out an alert for a region before it is established that the youngster was abducted.
Next steps:
Last September, a judge allowed Horner’s plea to move the event outside of Wise County. The trial is being held in Tarrant County for this reason.
Individual jury candidates will be questioned on Monday.
It is anticipated that the trial will begin on March 17.
The Source: Court documents and earlier news reports provided the information for this story.
