Athena Strand remembered in Wise County; Tanner Horner taken to death row

FORT WORTH, Texas - Tanner Horner, the Wise County man sentenced to death for the murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand in 2022, is now on death row.

Tanner Horner sentenced to death

What's new:

Horner was booked into the Texas Criminal Justice Department’s prison system after his trial ended on Tuesday. FOX 4 has since obtained his new mugshot.

He will be confined in a single-person cell at the Allan B. Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas until his execution.

The backstory:

After a month-long trial, it took jurors less than three hours to decide on a death sentence for Horner. He showed no emotion as the verdict was read aloud.

Horner pleaded guilty at the start of the trial to kidnapping Athena from her Wise County driveway in 2022 and then strangling her to death.

Prosecutors presented evidence that Horner sexually assaulted her in the back of his delivery van before dumping her body in the Trinity River.

During closing arguments, the defense tried to convince the jury to spare Horner’s life based on claims that he would not be a danger to society while in prison for life and because of mitigating factors such as his difficult upbringing, stress at home and an autism diagnosis.

The prosecution reminded them that he showed Athena no mercy.

After the verdict, Athena’s uncle delivered a message directly to her killer.

"I want you to know that you are nothing. You are a footnote in Athena's story. Her name will forever be celebrated and everyone will forget you," Elijah Strand said.

Remembering Athena Strand

Local perspective:

The Wise County Courthouse was lit up pink overnight in honor and memory of Athena.

Wise County Judge J.D. Clark shared a picture on social media and said Tuesday’s death penalty sentence brings a measure of closure for the community.

"It does not lessen the profound loss felt by Athena’s family, nor the grief carried by a community that will never forget her. Our hearts remain with those who loved her most, and we continue to lift them up in the days ahead," Judge Clark said.

Athena Alert

After Athena's death, Texas Legislators passed a new bill that created a version of an Amber Alert known as the ‘Athena Alert.’

The new law allows authorities to issue an Amber Alert for a missing child that doesn’t have to meet all of the initial criteria.

Under the Athena Alert law, an Amber Alert can still go out even though authorities haven’t confirmed a missing child was kidnapped.

The alert would be able to be sent out to a 100-mile area around the disappearance and adjacent counties.

DPS emphasizes that this is not a new type of alert. All alert messages will still be referenced as an Amber Alert.

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