Tanner Horner Trial: FedEx Driver Confession Video Shown

Jurors in the capital murder trial of former FedEx driver Tanner Horner viewed recorded video evidence of his 2022 confession, in which he detailed the abduction and death of 7-year-old Athena Strand. The footage, presented during the first week of testimony in Wise County, Texas, provides a primary record of the statements Horner made to investigators shortly after the child’s disappearance.

Recorded confession details the 2022 abduction and disposal

In the video played for the jury, Horner told investigators that he accidentally struck the child with his delivery truck while backing up in her driveway. According to the testimony and video evidence, Horner stated he panicked and put the girl into his van. He later told police that he strangled her because he feared she would tell her father about the accident.

The footage captures Horner describing the moment he left the body in a wooded area near the Trinity River. He used the phrase “kind of tossed” to describe how he placed the child in the brush. This specific admission is a central component of the prosecution’s effort to prove the intentional nature of the act, which is required for a capital murder conviction in Texas.

Jurors were shown an interrogation video of Tanner Horner telling investigators that he "just kind of tossed" 7-year-old Athena Strand after kidnapping her. (KDFW-TV)

Investigators recount the discovery of physical evidence

Law enforcement officers who interviewed Horner testified about the process of locating the site based on the directions provided in the recorded interview. The prosecution introduced crime scene photographs and digital data from the FedEx truck’s internal monitoring systems, which verified the vehicle's location at the time of the incident.

The testimony also included details from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) regarding the initial search. Investigators noted that the accuracy of the details provided in Horner’s recorded statement led them directly to the remains, which corroborated the confession.

Authorities say the body of 7-year-old Athena Strand was found on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. (Wise County Sheriff's Office)

Trial moves toward medical and forensic testimony

While the confession video establishes the timeline of events from Horner’s perspective, the trial is expected to transition into forensic and medical examiner testimony. This phase will be critical in determining whether the physical evidence aligns with Horner’s claim that the initial contact was an accidental vehicular strike or if the evidence suggests a different sequence of events.

Horner has pleaded not guilty to the charges of capital murder and aggravated kidnapping. If convicted, he faces the possibility of the death penalty. The defense has previously raised questions regarding the circumstances under which the initial confession was obtained, a point that remains a point of contention as the trial proceedings continue.

During a press conference at the Wise County Courthouse in Decatur, Texas, on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022, Maitlyn Gandy presented the box that was delivered on the day Athena Strand, 7, was abducted in rural Paradise, Texas. Inside was a Christmas present for Strand. (Amanda McCoy/Star-Telegram/AP)