edEx driver Tanner Horner’s mom broke down in court April 22 while discussing her son’s murder of Athena Strand.
“I am so mad at him. I want to just tear his ass up,” she said through tears, according to CBS News. “She was just a baby.”
Horner pleaded guilty April 7 to capital murder and kidnapping in connection to the 7-year-old’s death, but jurors have now been tasked with determining whether to sentence him to death or life in prison for the 2022 killing.
Strand was killed after Horner stopped at her Wise County, Texas home on Nov. 30, 2022 to deliver a package, then kidnapped the girl by placing her into his truck and driving away. Her body was later discovered in a nearby river.
For More on the Athena Strand Trial:
Heartbreaking Audio of Athena Strand’s Final Moments Played in Court During Horner Trial
Tanner Horner’s Chilling Alleged Final Words to Athena Strand, 7, Before Murder Revealed
“She Didn’t Deserve It”: FedEx Driver Tanner Horner’s Chilling Letter to Athena Strand’s Family Revealed After Murder
Tanner Horner’s Mother Describes Bullying, Mental Health Problems
After prosecutors wrapped up their case last week, court resumed April 22 with defense attorneys laying out their argument to spare Horner’s life.
His mother—referred to in court only as Mrs. Horner—took the stand to describe her own difficult upbringing, plagued with alleged abuse by her stepfather and early drug use.
The high school dropout told the court, per NBC DFW, that she had been working as a stripper, doing drugs and drinking “pretty heavily” when she discovered she was eight weeks pregnant with Horner.
Athena Strand/Tanner Horner in court Tuesday April 7, 2026
Photo: Wise County Sheriff’s Department/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images
Though she quit drinking, Mrs. Horner testified that she continued to smoke during the pregnancy.
Mrs. Horner—who explained that she’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder—also testified that she struggled with an addiction to meth and heroin during his childhood, per NBC DFW.
“I nodded out one time, on the toilet,” she told the court, according to the news outlet. “Tanner came in. He was just a little guy, and, he thought I was dead.”
RELATED: Fourth Grader Reportedly Wrote “Father of the Year” Essay—Months Later, His Dad Killed Him
Mrs. Horner told jurors that her son was bullied by his peers growing up and struggled to connect to others, eventually getting diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
“He didn’t get along with… I mean, he wanted to get along with people, but they just weren’t interested in having conversations with him,” she said, per NBC DFW. “It was hard to watch. Very sad. They didn’t like him at all.”
When she learned that Horner would become a father himself, she testified, according to CBS News, she was happy, but worried about the financial issues that already strained the relationship between Horner and his girlfriend.
Tanner Lynn Horner
News
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