Killer Is Sentenced To Lethal Injection In Texas For Killing First-Grader
From The Trial: USA by The Crime Desk
May 13, 2026 · 32 min · Season 2 · Episode 22
About this episode
The episode discusses the sentencing of Tanner Horner for the murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand in Texas.
Justice for a joyful little girl who was abducted outside her rural Texas home and murdered by a stranger driving a delivery truck. MaryAnn Martinez, the Daily Mail’s Texas bureau chief, was in the courtroom as a jury sealed the fate of 7-year-old Athena Strand’s killer, Tanner Horner. Athena, a first-grader with an affinity for the outdoors and the color pink, was abused and tortured by Horner, a FedEx driver, before he killed her and callously discarded her tiny frame in a nearby creek on Nov. 30, 2022. A frantic, multi-day search for Athena ensued. The child’s death traumatized her rural community. Horner pleaded guilty to murder and kidnapping in April but a jury still had to determine his fate, which in Texas included the possibility of the death penalty. After a five-week trial, Athena’s family watched as the panel found that Horner should be executed by lethal injection. On this episode, Martinez discusses the case with host Kayla Brantley and takes us inside the courtroom for the dramatic last moments of the proceeding. We also learn what is expected to happen next as Horner waits on death row. Email us: thetrial@dailymail.com WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start…
People in this episode
Host: Kayla Brantley
Guest: MaryAnn Martinez
Topics covered
- murder case
- death penalty
- courtroom drama
- child abduction
- Texas justice
Keywords
- lethal injection
- Athena Strand
- Tanner Horner
- Texas
- murder trial
- child abduction
- Daily Mail
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Daily Mail
Places: Texas
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