FedEx Driver Kidnaps 7 Yr Old Girl After Delivering Her Barbies Then SA's Her In Back of The Van

Barbie and Barbie. Technically, a third of your day, you're. supposed to be asleep. 8 hours of sleep, 16 hours awake, and at least a few hours. alive. We are all sitting around the. table with our co-workers going, "I had. the craziest dream last night." And. everybody sits there and they try to. decode your dream for you in varying. degrees. Some of the co-workers are. skeptical. Maybe it's time to lay off on. the melatonin gummies. Others say, "Maybe it's a sign. Maybe you should go. through his phone, cuz you never know.". Others say, "It's just a dream. It's.

your anxiety getting worked up and. rehearsing all of these hypothetical. situations. It's just a rehearsal. It's. no big deal." All the way down to the. "What about the eggs in the dream? You. said you had eggs in your dream? What What happened to the eggs?". Eggs are one of the most overlooked. dream symbols. But you have to be. specific. Did you find a nest of eggs? Because when you find a nest of eggs, typically that means that you're going. to have wealth coming your way, happiness in your marriage, something. good is about to happen. What if the.

eggs are broken and the yellow yolk is. just spilling out of them. and they're fresh, that's good. Fortune. is ready for the picking. Even though. the egg is broken, it's coming. Luck is. coming your way. And let's say you're. eating the eggs, any sort of eggs, that. means you're absorbing new wisdom. But. every time you take a bite of the eggs, if it doesn't taste good, that means you. are spiritually and emotionally too. immature and you need to swallow a tough. pill. If you're buying eggs at the. supermarket, you should probably buy a. lottery ticket because that means you're. investing in growth and something good.

is going to happen. All of that sounds very positive, or at. least something that you can work on. And there's lots of symbolisms in. nightmares. Like if you dream of a. haunted house, each part of the haunted. house apparently means something. If. you're stuck in the haunted house. basement, [music] that means you have. unprocessed, repressed trauma that you. need to get through. You're stuck in the. attic, you have intellectual, spiritual. beliefs that you have been neglecting. Maybe a locked room, something is ready. to emerge, but your ego is blocking it.

There's all these scary things that we. can decode, and a lot of people, they. have dreams of where they're getting. killed, or where they're running away. from a killer. But what happens if. you're dreaming, and you're the one. doing the killing? >> [music]. >> Sometimes the scary part is not the. dream itself, but what happens when you. wake up. 35-year-old Tanner Horner. claims he's always had these weird. dreams. Sometimes he'll wake up, and he. knows he's fallen asleep in his bed, but. when he wakes up, he's just roaming. around in his grandma's backyard. He has.

no clue how he got to his grandma's. backyard, but he's just roaming. It's. like he blacks out, wakes up, and he. kind of recalls how he gets to the. backyard, but not really, because it. also kind of feels like a dream. He. doesn't know if it's a dream, he doesn't. know if it's real life. He says, "Sometimes I recall in weird ways. I. recall stuff in dreams. I recall stuff. like just random flashbacks through the. next day. It's almost like a PTSD kind. of thing." But nothing compares to the. recent nightmare that he's had. He lives. in Paradise, Texas, where everybody has. been looking for this missing 7-year-old.

girl named Athena Strand. And maybe like. everyone else in the area, he's been. thinking about this case a lot, because. it just materializes in his nightmare. He has this whole nightmare about being. the one that kidnapped and killed. [music] this missing 7-year-old girl in. the local area. That's crazy. And then he wakes up, and. he realizes, "Thank god that's a nightmare." And then. he opens up his backpack, >> [music]. >> and he sees inside a pair of small. pants. Tiny pants with flowers near the.

pockets, which is the last thing Athena. [music] Strand was seen in before she. went missing. I don't even know what the. hell happened. Yeah. Like I just found. them in my backpack, and I'm just like, "Are you kidding me?" Like I. thought I just had a really good. nightmare. But no, the pants were inside. of his Dragon Ball Z backpack, and now. he's panicking. He's going to get. arrested, it's only a matter of time, but he doesn't even know what happened. aside this nightmare. But can he even. trust the nightmare? That's what he's. saying. Or maybe somebody's setting him. up. Someone planted the pants there. He.

writes in a note to the police later, "Detective, my family is in danger." He. writes that he's being framed for the. murder of Athena Strand. He writes, "Don't tell the media. Don't tell my. family, they'll tell the media. Don't. tell the family of Athena until their. lawsuit against FedEx goes through. This. is between me and you, detective. As. long as it stays between us, my family. stays safe. I will gladly take the blame. as long as my family is safe.". That is what Tanner Horner tells the. detectives. The detectives know that. this is not true.

But they listen anyway because they need. to figure out what Tanner Horner did to. Athena Strand. But it's very hard when. not a single thing that comes out of. Tanner Horner's mouth is the truth. This is the case of Athena Strand. [music] where Tanner Horner, the FedEx. delivery driver, kidnapped and murdered. her, is now facing the death penalty in. Texas. [music]. And he can't even seem to stick to one. story of what the hell happened that. night.

>> [music]. [music]. >> We would like to thank today's sponsors. who have made it possible for Rotten. Mango to support the Strand's family. GoFundMe, which we will also link in the. show notes. This episode's partnerships. have also made it possible to support. Rotten Mango's dedicated team of. researchers. We'd also like to thank you. guys for your continued support. As.

always, full show notes are available at. rottenmangopodcast.com. A few notes before we begin, this. episode contains discussions of essay, violence, and crimes against very young. children. Please take care of yourself. and don't hesitate to step away if you. need to. There are also discussions of. mental health diagnosis and autism. Please keep in mind that this individual. does not represent these communities nor. was it a motive explanation cause or a. part of why he committed these. atrocities. I want to be very clear. because he's going to go on and blame. the fact that he has autism for this.

case. This opinion or evaluation of his. is not only wrong but it's very harmful. and it is not a reliable representation. of the community. As of filming this he. is still in the sentencing phase of his. trial but once it's concluded we're. going to have a pinned comment of his. sentencing. Everything included in. today's case is publicly available. online and specific quotes may have been. condensed or shortened for brevity. So. with that being said. let's get started. Delivery drivers have favorite houses. Circular driveways usually great. You. don't have to do a reverse or 10-point.

turn to get out. These are like the good. ones a favorite even. In the same. respect delivery drivers have houses. that they hate going to. One delivery. driver says, "I just call it the cat. piss house. I hate the cat piss house. >> [music]. >> It's the worst thing in the world. There's cat piss all over the front. porch and you smell it and it stays with. you. And imagine that in the summer.". >> [music]. >> Another says, "There's this one house. with a driveway that looks like the. surface of the damn moon with how many. craters are on it but their mailbox slot. is so tiny every single parcel has to go. to the front door. Mine's a long rural. driveway that pretty much is a junkyard.

There used to be these aggressive dogs. living there and they just had so many. places to hide always [music] out. Anyone's guess of which direction these. dogs are going to come out and try to. attack you. The worst are the houses. that have lines of cars that are just. parked on the street. So you have to. park the delivery truck a house down and. then run to the front of the house where. you walk up two flights of stairs to. deliver it straight to their door. And. it's miserable because a lot of delivery. drivers they get paid by the route. They. don't get paid by the hour. So they're. running to complete the route.". >> Huh, interesting. Yeah, it's a huge deal.

and it's miserable and sometimes certain. roads just have random traffic jams for. no reason. It's like everybody forgot. how to drive. Tanner Horner is sitting. in the driver seat of the big white van. with FedEx written in big bold purple. and orange letters on the sides, and. he's starting to get very agitated. The. entire road is blocked. There's rows of. boxes stacked behind him. It's almost. Christmas time. It's the time between. Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is a. delivery driver's peak time for. packages. He's got places to go, and. he's peering over his steering wheel.

trying to see what the hell is going on. It's a small residential road. There are. cars on both sides blocking him. There's. people walking around like this is not a. goddamn road. What year was this? 2022. Okay. Tanner sounds annoyed before he sounds. curious. There's honking. Can you get through with these people in. the way? He's trying to tell the people. outside like, "Hello, I'm trying to get. through. Do you not see my giant FedEx. van?" He's inching forward, and he leans. out the window, and he's asking, Hey, could you tell her to remind me to get. through?

There's like people and a vehicle in the. way. There's a woman who approaches the FedEx. truck. Uh. You can pull out and try to access it. through this due to the kidnapping. So, it's all blocked off. So, you'll have to just pull out and ask. them if they'll let you through so they. can access the 7-year-old station. You serious? >> [snorts]. >> That's what all the park. All of all of this is blocked off. Oh,

are you serious? The FedEx truck pulls up to the. officers. He asks if he can go through, which they let him through, and there's. no change in his demeanor because we. have the dashcam footage of him sitting. in the truck. Talking to the police? Yeah, just talking to the neighbors, I. need to get through, and there's no. change in his demeanor. In fact, he's. holding a cigarette in one hand. There's. no fear. There's nothing. Even though. all the police have to do is pull the. driver to the side, check his phone, check his backpack, and they would know. that he's the one that kidnapped. 7-year-old Athena Strand. When was the.

this route that he's taking like The. next day. 96 tennis courts does not. sound that If you had to search through. 96 tennis courts, I mean, it's bad, but. let's say you have a drone. Throw it up. in the air and it's an easy search. unless you're looking for something. minuscule. But if you're looking for. something bigger, you're going to find. it. Unless you fill 96 tennis courts. with tall trees, brush, hill, and almost. freezing temperatures, all of a sudden 6. acres is a massive plot of land. Athena.

Strand and her family live on 6 acres of. land in Paradise, Texas, which is about. 50-ish miles north of Fort Worth, Texas, if you guys are interested in the. locations, but there's technically two. families that live on this huge plot of. land. You've got Jacob and Ashley. Strand, and they have their children. A. 10-year-old daughter, that's from Ashley. from a previous marriage. Then you have. 7-year-old Athena, and then they have a. newborn baby together. So, Athena has a. step-sister and then a half-sister. This.

is a blended family. One thing to note. is Jacob is Athena's biological father. and Ashley is Athena's stepmom. She's. also been in Athena's life since Athena. was maybe a year and a half old. So, they're a really well-blended family, and this is very important later. On the. same property, you have another house. with Athena's uncle and aunt there from. Jacob's side. I mean, that's the whole. point of living in Paradise, Texas. The. kids can play and run outside and they. have their favorite tree that they would. go to and climb up. They would run back. and forth down the hill to their uncle. and aunt's house and then run back up. and run back down. It's the countryside. The kids love it. The house is situated.

very far from the main road. I don't. even know if you can call it a main. road. It's just a road that leads people. to a few properties, and it's a dead. end. So, there's not a lot of through. traffic. If someone is coming down the. road, it's either because they have a. reason to be there, they live there, they're visiting a friend there, or. they're delivering a package, or they're. lost. Not really any other reason. Ashley, Athena's stepmom, says, She was. wild. She. >> [gasps]. >> She um. She loved loved living out there. Loved. just I mean, the freedom of, you know,

being a kid, and getting to just run. wild and free. >> [gasps and laughter]. >> on some land. >> [snorts]. >> She's trying to explain the situation to. the police. The bus drops off the girls. at 4:30 p.m. The older sister, the. 10-year-old, goes to the uncle's house. because she needs help with her. homework. Athena, she's hanging out with. Ashley, the stepmom, and the newborn. baby. Athena's supposed to be doing her. chores, though. She's supposed to be. sorting her laundry because that's the. afterschool chore, and Ashley's cooking.

dinner, and Jacob, the dad, had gone out. hunting, so it's really just Ashley, Athena, and the newborn baby. So, Ashley's telling Athena, "Go finish. sorting your laundry before dinner, okay?" So, Ashley's like, "I'm going to. check up on you after and make sure your. chores are done." It's a very normal. thing to do. And she goes to Athena's. bedroom, opens the door after dinner is. done, >> [music]. >> and Athena's gone. She's calling. Athena's name, no response. She calls. the aunt and uncle that live down the. hill on the same property. Maybe she. went to go see her sister there. She's. not there. Ashley calls her husband, Athena's biological dad, Jacob, and the.

police. And at first, everyone thinks, "Okay, she definitely wandered off. Like, maybe she's lost in some brush. Maybe she tripped and fell. Maybe she's. kind of annoyed at you because you made. her do the laundry." The main. investigator working the case says, It's. really, really cold tonight. I'm a. father, and this is my county. Uh let's find her. quick. I don't want her to be cold. I. don't want her to be lost. I'm I'm going. to come out, and I'm going to provide. resources. The original energy, the. whole energy of this grid search, is. let's go find Athena, get her home, and. cool then we can all go home and get.

warm. The biggest stressor in this case. is it's going to be cold that night. The. most efficient way is to bring in the. air assets. So, they bring in these. aircrafts with thermal imaging to look. for heat signatures on the ground. They're flying low to the ground. They're scanning for anything that. produces heat. Trees do not light up. like animals do. They find rabbits, hogs, deer, no human movement. But just. because thermal imaging does not show. it, does not mean that there's not a. person in there. Civilian volunteers. come in. They start doing a.

shoulder-to-shoulder search. So, they. all start at the property line, shoulder-to-shoulder, and they walk. through it, as deep as they can get. Because when you have a kid, if they. tripped on some brush, it's going to be. hard to find them. So, I think like 300. volunteers showed up that night because. no one thinks something that nefarious. happened. A lot of people were initially. under the belief that maybe Athena was. trying to go to her aunt's house, maybe. slips, breaks her ankle, can't shout, no. one can hear her. So, they're just. trying to get her home because it's. going to be freezing temperatures that.

night. They send the dogs out. Volunteers are bringing horses, four-wheelers to go through the. property. It's almost the energy of. let's hurry up, get this over with so. that we can all go home, and it's going. to be like a cute little wholesome story. that's going to be in the papers. Most. families in Paradise have properties. that sit on at least an acre of land. So, this specific property has been in. Jacob's family for 20 years. Athena's. dad, he even grew up on this property. running around. So, this is not an. abnormal occurrence. Everybody in. Paradise knows. But, this is what's. abnormal about it. When police bring in.

the dogs, the dogs keep doing circles. around the main house on the property. Okay, what does that mean? >> That means her scent just circles the. property and just ends. It doesn't. follow a lead into the woods. It doesn't. follow and go into the aunt and uncle's. house. Mhm. It's just around the. property, and then it cuts off. By the. end of the night, I think the feeling. that she was just lost in the woods is. dissipating. They said that they were. huddled in a circle as as helicopters. were flying very low over the property, and that's when they first felt that.

something bad must have happened. >> [music]. >> But, what? Like, what could happen? The. only thing that they know is Athena goes. missing, and the only difference in the. entire property is there's this blue box. that's been left at the door. It's blue box with white around the. edges. It's very clearly a Walmart. delivery. They open it up, and inside. are Athena's Christmas presents. It's a. set of Barbies. It's the all you can be. Barbies, career Barbies, so each one has. a different career. And that's the only.

thing that changed. The rangers who have. done missing child's cases, they. typically have a pattern that they. follow. With good reason, I will say, but because more often than not when a. child goes missing, the family is. involved. One of the lead investigators. working the case says, So my immediate. thought is let's go ahead and lock. everybody in on a statement. That's why. they try to get statements as quickly as. possible. They want to lock you into one. version of events. They're going to try. to find evidence that doesn't fit that. version and then they're going to force. you to change your version over and over.

and over again until you're just. straight up lying. You dig yourself into. a hole and then you have to tell the. truth. But that's really only if you're guilty. So he's locking everybody into a. statement, trying to corroborate that. with digital evidence. Where were you? Cell phone towers, text messages. And my. goal is to lock everybody in that night, especially the people that were close. proximity to to Athena on that time. So that's what I started doing on scene. They also go to Athena's teachers. Kids. say a lot about their home life at. school that you just would not realize.

They just say some crazy things. Miss. Thompson is Athena's school teacher and. Miss Thompson is asked to describe what. it's like to teach Athena. I adored. Athena. She was so much fun. She was a. free spirit. She would come in with, you. know, stickers on her hands. She loved. to dress up. Like she truly was a free. spirit. Like there's no other word to. describe her. Like she definitely was a. true gem. Her teacher says there was a. new student in their classroom that had.

needs that were harder to fulfill and. Athena opened up her arms to him. She. would play with him on the playground. She has this very big heart. I mean, that's just who she is. And now she's missing. And the last thing she was seen wearing. are these little pants with little. flowers near the pocket and a shirt and. a jacket, of course, the pants are very distinct. The lead. investigator says he just feels it in. his gut. He's locking everybody in a. statement, but he just feels something. is not right. So, he starts shifting his. attention to the Barbies that were. delivered around that time, which means.

the Texas Rangers, they need help, they. need resources. They reach out to the. FBI, fill them in on what's going on. And the first person the FBI want to. talk to. is the FedEx driver. They're like, "Let. me call FedEx." They contact FedEx and. they're like, "We need to know who the. delivery driver was that dropped off. these because maybe he's not guilty. That's not what we're saying. We're not. that presumptuous, but maybe he saw. something. Maybe he saw somebody drive. up. Maybe he saw something else." FedEx. is like, "Oh, that? That's not by us. So, that was not a FedEx employee. It's. through a third contractor, a.

third-party company that we use in the. local area called Big Top Spin." Which a. lot of these delivery companies are. doing this recently, especially with. companies like Amazon, where they're not. employed by the major company, but they. have third-party companies in local. areas that they dispatch to. But they. still drive a FedEx FedEx car? Yes. So, sometimes they will and sometimes they. don't, and that's why you might have. seen an uptick of people dropping off an. Amazon package in a personal vehicle. Mhm. >> Instead of an Amazon vehicle, you know. Interesting. So, it's it just varies.

Big Top Spin, however, happens to be a. company where they will give you vans. that say FedEx on the side. So, it seems. like they do most of the contracting in. the area for FedEx. They do deliveries. during peak seasons. This is between. Thanksgiving and Christmas, November. 22nd. FBI reaches out to Big Top Spin, and they give them a name of the. delivery driver who went to deliver. Athena's Barbies coincidentally right at. the time that she goes missing, which I. mean, for all the feds know, this could. very well just be a coincidence. They. want to talk to him. They want to talk. to Tanner Horner.

They arrest him while he's working in. his FedEx truck. >> Arrest him? Well, they did try to talk to him a few. times, but here's the very suspicious. thing. The time that he drops off the. Barbies, he does not record it. delivered. Mhm. So, he drops it off, but. he doesn't record the delivery on the. paper. Yeah. Which is very odd. And then. after that, he doesn't have another. delivery for at least 30 minutes. But, the next delivery zone is not 30 minutes. away. So, what is this time discrepancy?

So, FBI got that information. immediately. >> Immediately. Like the next day? Yeah. Wow. They start talking to him. He's like, "I. don't know what's going on. I got sick. in the FedEx truck, so that's why you. have the 30-minute discrepancy. I. actually went to a truck stop called. Loves. It's like a convenience store and. a truck stop. I had to clean up my throw. up cuz I was so sick. And then that's. just what happened.".

And he starts getting emotional and he's. like, "You know, I have a 1-year-old. son, so this has been really messing. with me, too, as I'm sure it's messing. with everybody else in the community.". But, eventually, they arrest him in his. FedEx truck, and they have enough reason. to believe that Athena is somewhere near. him. They slam open the back door. They're looking for Athena in the back, and she. is not there. She's not in the truck. Athena's biological mother, Maitland, she lives about 2 hours away. When she.

heard Athena was missing, even though a. lot of people in the community thought. that she was just wandering on the. property, she drove that 2-hour drive in. 45 minutes. She was beside herself. She. says that she knows that whatever news. the sheriff is bringing to her, 48 hours. after her daughter has gone missing, is. not good. So, 2 days after Athena Strand has been. missing, the sheriff find the family at. the local church, and she knows what. he's going to say because. she said that when someone is delivering. bad news to you before they deliver the. news, they avoid eye contact.

>> [music]. >> And when he brought the family into a. back room at the church, he wouldn't. make eye contact with any of them. I. wanted to tell Sheriff Bacon that he. didn't know what he was talking about. I asked him if I could confirm. that that was my daughter, and he told. me no. because she looks too bad. And I went into a place of denial. I stopped breathing, and I started to. black out as I heard Ashley screaming. I.

knew it. I knew it was him. Tanner Horner is brought in for. questioning by the police. And he gives. various versions of what happened that. night when he came to deliver the. package of Barbies to Athena Strand's. house. One variation he says that he was. doing the delivery there, and he sees. this old green van. It's like a Chevy. Astro van. It looks really creepy. It. looked exactly like the type of van that. would kidnap kids. It had sunspots on. the hood of the roof, and a piece of the. panel missing on the driver door close. to the front wheel. He's very specific.

So, he leaves the packages of Barbies, and then he drives off for the next. delivery. But that green van was still. there when he drove off. And then he. just started feeling sick, so he threw. up, and then you you get the whole. story. Multiple law enforcement agencies. put a bolo out for this green van. Lots. of resources are funneled into finding. this green van because they have to try. Go through the databases, physical. surveillance on the ground. And they put. out statewide bolos, DPS aircraft flying. nonstop to locate any green vans in the. area. Police start going through tower. dumps in the area to figure out what.

cellular devices were in the area at the. time. So, like they'll get a cell tower. data and see all the active devices. They have to locate this van because if. they locate this van, they could. potentially locate Athena alive. So, we're back to the initial search. This is before Athena's body is found. And as law enforcement are looking for. this green van, they're just noticing a. lot of weird holes in Tanner's story. Not only did he not mark Athena Strand's. delivery delivered, he stops delivering. for 30 minutes, and then there's another. four to five deliveries that were.

uncompleted that night. And just the way. that he's behaving is very. uncomfortable. It doesn't make sense. He'll have bursts of emotions near the. end of the conversation where he's just. like, "I can't believe something with. like this would happen because I'm a. parent." But that feels less like. empathy and more like purging of. emotions because of tension. Mhm. In the interrogation room, during one of. the countless conversations between the. lead detectives and Tanner Horner, as. Tanner is explaining what happened, the. detectives step out for a second. And. when they get back, there's this huge. whiteboard on the wall that.

interrogators use. And in red marker, it's scribbled, "He's going to hurt me. Please help." What? So, the detectives are like, "Did you. write that while we were out of the room. for a second?" Uh-huh. Why do you laugh? I said too much. I'm going to die. So, they're like, "What does that even. mean? Who's going to die? Why would you. die if you say too much? What are you. talking about?" This is part of Tanner. Horner's story that there was another. party involved. And he goes back and. forth, so it's not this chronological.

timeline of story one, story two, story. three, story four. It's just a merging. of all the stories. But in the event. that he claims that there was another. party involved in this kidnapping, he. even wrote this note later for the. detectives as he's sitting in jail. "Detectives, my family is in danger. The. day Athena was killed, I wasn't the only. one involved. When I pulled up to the. house, an older man had pulled a rifle. on me and demanded my wallet. It's. weird. He almost expected me to be. there. After he checked my wallet, he. gave me instructions. After handing me.

back my wallet, he told me to take the. girl and bring her to a specific spot, this tall grass bamboo area. He gave me. a change of clothes for the girl and. told me to have her change into them. before handing her to him. He had. threatened my family and I didn't know. what to do, so I just went along with. it. Don't tell the media, by the way. I. don't know if he's going to do. something. If I'm killed on the way to. to and from the court houses, I'll. assume it's him. When I handed her over, she seemed like she knew him. >> [music]. >> It kind of freaked me out. When she. calmed down after seeing him, I shut my.

headlights off. I followed them and I. saw him park his car near that creek. The next day I went there and I saw the. girl's body in the creek. I. Yeah. I needed to get this out even if. it was just in writing. Don't tell the. media. Don't tell my family. Don't. They'll tell the media. Don't tell the. family of Athena until after their. lawsuit with FedEx goes through. This is. between me and you detective. As long as. it stays between us, my family stays. safe. I will gladly keep the blame as.

long as they're safe. The man was older, probably 50s, gray hair, short military. style haircut, kind of fat with a bit of. upper body muscle. I handed him the. girl's clothes when I gave him her. I. either missed the pants or put them back. in the truck somehow in my backpack. I'm. not sure. But three times he asked me. about the cameras on the FedEx truck. Unless y'all find him, keep it from. everybody. I don't want my family hurt. I'm sorry I've been a burden on y'all. There's a camera in the FedEx? Yeah. So. he tries to go with this whole story. that there's another man involved. Authorities sweep the entire state.

practically for this green Astro van. that could be involved in Athena. Strand's kidnapping and they don't find. it. I mean, I'm sure they do find. multiple green Astro vans, but nobody. that has any sort of connection with. Athena Strand. And it's just a revolving. door of excuses with Tanner Horner. So. first he says he doesn't even remember. delivering the Barbies to Athena's. house. Then he says he remembers and he. had to be quiet because that man was. involved, that suspicious old man in the. green van and he was getting framed. Then police were able to get the dash. cam footage of Athena inside of the.

FedEx truck video placing Athena into. the truck into the back of the van. There's video of him putting her into. the back of the van and they don't see a. green Astro van anywhere in the. vicinity. Then he switches his story. He. says, "Let me tell you what really. happened. All of this is an accident." Well, I was. trying to get myself situated where, you. know, I have an easy way to get out of. the property. I didn't have a backup. here. I didn't know what to do. One. minute she was I could lose my job. Grab.

her and go and He says the first version. she was already practically dead when he. hit her with the truck, but that's not. true at all. There's dashcam stills of. Athena alive and unharmed in the FedEx. truck, at least in the beginning. To. which Tanner then changes his story once. more. Where is What's that camera? Like. it's the reverse camera? So there's multiple cameras all over the. FedEx truck. There's a reverse camera. that he says was not working at the. time. There's cameras in the back of the. van. There's cameras where the packages. are. There's cameras like all over the. inside and outside of these FedEx vans.

However, however, he covered up a lot of. them with sticky notes before. We don't. see the footage of him placing Athena in. the back of the truck. We don't know. which camera it is. I'm assuming it's. probably an exterior camera. Uh-huh. But. the interior camera he's covered up most. of the ones in the back. So there are a. few that's not covered? There's one in the front dash that shows. him driving. That's not covered at least. initially and you can see Athena.

That's where the picture comes from that. everybody has seen. There's a still. photo that has been used in trial where. she is standing between the driver seat. and the passenger seat and she looks. really alarmed and he's just driving. Huh. Eventually the detectives will get. their hands on the full audio from the. cameras because even though he covered. them up with sticky cam or sticky notes, the audio was still recording. Eventually Tanner changes his story once. more. That he had to strangle her. So he. backs up into her. She's alive. He puts.

her in the back of the van because he's. freaking out about losing his job and. then he decides that he's going to. strangle her to make sure that she keeps. silent about him hitting her with this. van. He claims he didn't do anything. else to her. He just quote tossed her. body so that he could keep his job. Just. I just tossed her and Tanner Horner. takes to a location filled with bamboo. These are like 10-ft tall bamboo trees, stating that this is where he left. Athena's body after he killed her, but. only because it was an accident. The. lead detective says, "I'm walking him.". And he's pointing at a location that's.

not too thick into the bamboo. And he's. stating that it's not too much further. in there. And just essentially giving me. an idea of where she was in the bamboo. They bring in the dogs. They bring in. other help. And the detective. immediately knows this is not where. Athena Strand is. At that time I felt. like I was being lied to again and that. she was not there. Just the amount of. resources we had, especially with canine. resources and everything, it would in my. prior experience we would especially if. we're being directed to that area, we. usually find of course the human remains. or humans with the canine canine very.

quickly. Tanner Horner offers up the possibility, maybe potentially after he quote tossed. Athena's body, somebody else then came. and picked her up. And the police the whole time they do a. really good job of not getting triggered. because I think this case has really. affected everyone in Paradise, Texas in. a very strong way. I mean, cell towers, Athena Strand's color is pink. That was. her favorite color. Cell towers, government buildings, city lights were.

all changed to pink for the longest. time. I just imagine that these police. hated his guts. But they don't show it. And they're trying to be very chill with. him. And they're like, "Okay, yeah, that. makes sense. But like, who would do. that? Someone who wants to be a hero? Who's like, oh, I found the little girl? You think that's what it is?" He's like, Well, I noticed there was quite a bit of. tweakers out in there. What's up? Tweakers, I guess a very derogatory term. for people who use drugs, typically used. against people without homes. I think. he's trying to paint this picture that. someone very nefarious came along and. took Athena Strand's body. And he's just.

like the innocent guy who quote tossed. her body. He uses the word tossed. multiple times. I just tossed her in. Just kind of tossed her in. Kind of. tossed her in. How old is he? At this point during the trial right. now, he's 35. So, he must have been 31, 32. And she's not here. She's not in. this bamboo. It's very clear. And it's. not until 2 days after she goes missing, the investigators are led to Bobo. Crossing. It's a bridge and a creek. Nobody knows why it's called Bobo's.

Crossing, apparently. It's just a creek. with murky water. It's very stagnant. It. gets very deep at the center. And they. see Athena submerged in about 3 ft of. water. When I first walked up to the. edge of the creek, he told me she's. right there. That's where I put her. So, he changes his story. He's like, "Okay, fine. I took her to the creek." This is. 2 days in or. >> 48 hours, about 2 days in. And based on the water visibility, it. was dark. Um. I had a flashlight. I angled the. flashlight at different angles, and I.

was able to see her nude body buoyant. beneath the water. She's a very tiny. frame, 4 ft 4 in tall, and only weighing. 62 lb. So, she's face down in the creek. with her arms to the side, completely. unclothed in the water. And authorities. say they were led to Bobo Crossing by a. person named Zero. Zero is the one that. led them here. Zero says he's the one. that killed Athena, not Tanner Horner. It's all him. He got rid of her after.

all of that, and he took off her clothes. as a way to humiliate her. It was all. him. The lead investigator asks him, "Did. y'all like you and Tanner really try to. break her neck?" Zero responds, "It. didn't work." Wait, I'm sorry. Zero's. the real name? >> [music]. >> Yeah, Zero's a name. Okay. And the. investigator asks, I mean, was. was it you trying to break her neck or. was it Tanner trying to break her neck? Zero says it was all him. He's the one. that broke Athena's neck. "Did you choke. her from behind like you said earlier?". He's nodding. "Did she defecate on.

herself?" He nods. "Did she struggle?". He nods. He says that she was struggling. and trying to kick him, but she was. unable to. They ask about whether or not he took. any of Athena's clothes and he responds, "No, I just threw her clothes on the. highway.". So, you're saying you stripped her naked. to throw her clothes out the window on. the highway? Is that what you're saying? Because why would you take off her. clothes after you kill her and then. throw her in the creek nude? I thought it was funny. You thought it was funny? Did. you took all her clothes off of her?

Shirts, pants, underwear, everything? I. left the panties on. So, why did Tanner take any of the. clothes home, you think? I don't know, he's not stupid. He later takes that back and he admits. that he's the one that planted the pants. in Tanner's backpack, quote. The pants. and the underwear. You said it was funny. throwing her clothes out on the highway. Which highway did you throw them out on? 14. Why did you take her clothes out. there? It's funny. Is that like a form of humiliation?

He nods really slowly and says, "She was. going to tell.". So, you had to punish her. He nods slowly again. Did you tell her. like she that did she tell you she was. going to tell? He nods. She did? When did she tell you. that she was going to tell? At the house. Who the hell is Zero and what the hell. does he have to do with any of this? Was. he in the FedEx truck? What's his. connection to Tanner? Zero is Tanner's.

alter ego, according to Tanner Horner. Is this recorded or? All recorded. Tanner then moves on. So, he goes from. I'm being framed by a green van man and. then he goes to it was a complete. accident. She was already dead when I. backed up into her and then I just. disposed of her body. It was a pure. accident. I was overworked. The FedEx. camera trucks backup cameras don't work. And then it switched to, you know what? She was alive when I put her in the van, but I had to strangle her because she. said she was going to tell. And then it.

turns into, "But it wasn't me strangling. her. It was actually my alter ego Zero. strangling her because I have three. alter egos.". Tanner then gives the investigators his. newest version of events. That Zero is. to blame for all of [music] this. So, how did they get to speak to quote. Zero? Okay, that's the very frustrating. thing, too. So, not only is he just. trying to use autism as an excuse to. negate any bad wrongdoing that he's done.

in the entirety of his just god-awful. life. But on top of that, he tries to. pretend that he has DID. I don't even. think he knows what he's doing. And then. the only way you can talk to Zero is the. investigators go, "Zero, I would like to. talk to you." And then he rolls his eyes. to the back of his head and he tilts his. head to the side and suddenly he's. giving the worst performance I've ever. seen in improv history. Hm. That's how you talk to Zero. >> So, he changed his whole mannerism for. that, right?

>> Yeah. This is my personal belief. I tend. to believe that Zero is his real. personality. And I'm not saying personalities as in. he has different alters and different. personalities. I think those are his. true inner thoughts and Tanner is like. how he would like to present himself to. the world. There's just a lot in the. interrogation footage. There's a lot of. things that don't make sense, but I'm. just going to give you the most. important parts. At some point, Tanner. is still trying to sell this story that. he himself, Tanner Horner, and Zero, who. is still him, but he himself never.

wanted Athena to get hurt. And he has. this very alarming, jarring moment. during the interview where he says, She. was a sweet kid. And he's describing how they're driving. down the road and she kept asking where. we were going. I should have gone and. figured out what I was going to do about. the situation. And what she do? Asked him questions. Just. We're just talking to get this going. Yeah, she said that when she's standing. up, Was. in the passenger seat? Where was she at? She was She was standing up. She was in.

the back. Okay. And then what? We went down this perimeter road and. I listened to that little voice I had. So, he's saying that this little voice. is zero. He starts sniffling into his. hand. He's like in the interrogation. room sniffling into his hand leaning up. against the wall. The investigators are. like, "It's all right." And he's like, "It's not all right." No, it's not all. right. Well, not big deal. Right to turn. is okay to turn. You got to get rid of her just.

I just told her to turn around. and. You were You choked her? One hand or two hands? Two. Two. What? Was she facing away from you when. you choked her? I'm sorry. Well, I tried to. Oh, you tried breaking her neck? I tried. breaking her neck with as little. movement as possible, but it didn't. work. She started crying. I.

He says he had her face away from him. He just didn't want her to see it. coming. [music] He doesn't recall how. long it took. He doesn't even have a. ballpark of 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30. minutes. He says the voice just said. that. You know, he's got to get rid of. her. I didn't know what to do. What made. fear was I could lose my job, lose my. source of income. The what what. Everything was on the line. I didn't. know what to do, but. He says he came to the realization, {quote} I couldn't just keep running. around with the kid in the back like. that. So, he stops by the bamboo trees. and he just {quote} I just.

I tossed her in. Well, I couldn't just. keep running around with the kid in the. back like that. I just tossed her in the. bushes. Wherever you want to call it. And you. said she was at home not about that. time. I was relatively sure, okay? I mean, I. didn't try to hurt her or anything, but. I don't. You know, it was a little bit sick in my. stomach all night. Right. Did you mainly do this because you. didn't want to get in trouble for.

hitting her with or FedEx or legally or. what? I was panicking. I didn't know what to. do and then. It almost seems like it was a dream. For the most part, it just kind of seems. like I wasn't You know what I mean? You. know what I mean? Seems like I wasn't mindful of the time. I don't know. When I asked him if he communicated uh. with her, he stated that he did. Uh and he she told him her name.

and also asked him if he was a. kidnapper. >> [music]. >> One of the first words Athena asked was, "Are you a kidnapper?". At one point, he tries to say that the. van didn't have backup cameras or. sensors, so he believed that contributed. to this happening. And then he claims. that he tossed her in the bamboo woods. Toss, again, that's the word that he. chooses. And he says that he didn't put. her deep into the bamboo woods because. he wanted her to be found. Why would you. want her to be found? Because I'm a. parent. I wouldn't You know, I would. want to know. Okay, during the next.

couple of days, you didn't go back to. the bamboo forest? So, he's saying like, "I'm not the one that moved her to the. creek.". I put her at the very edge of the bamboo. forest. During the next couple of days, you didn't return? Why not? Or apparent? I didn't want to know what. was. I was hearing that days about this. constantly. Trying to make it to where somebody. would find her. After getting rid of. Athena's body in the bamboo area, he. says that he went to Love's, which is a.

convenience store and truck stop, where. he gets cleaning supplies. The lead. detective is like, "What did you. Did they ask you what you're cleaning. up?" Because he didn't even buy the. supplies. He says that he just went to. the counter and was like, "Hey, I made a. mess in the van. Can you give me some. cleaning supplies I can use?" So, the. front desk gives him some cleaning. supplies. What did you tell him you were. cleaning up? He stated that he was. cleaning up the vomit and feces. Whose. vomit? His vomit. Whose feces? Athena's. He continues to insist that he is not.

the one that killed Athena. He believes. it was like he was in the backseat, he. was almost dreaming at the time. He. believes it's his alter ego Zero. Now, we're going to go into what Tanner and. his alter I don't even want to call it. an alter ego. What Tanner says. pretending to be Zero. It's not even in the slightest bit. believable. It's like pissing on someone. and saying that it's raining. Nobody's. believing it and it's just insulting to. those who actually have DID. But before. we go there, let's go through the. irrefutable evidence. There is footage. from inside the FedEx truck where Tanner.

had preemptively covered the FedEx truck. cameras with sticky notes days before. the kidnapping, which a lot of people. believe that this indicates he was. trying to kidnap someone within the next. few days. He made sure that he was in. the same FedEx van all those days and. then even after the crime so that he. could be in control of what they've been. calling his mobile crime scene. But there's still audio recordings and. at least a few visual pieces of evidence. that place Athena alive and in the back. of the FedEx truck. There are also.

markings on her face. There are. grid-like patterns [music] that match. the floor of the FedEx truck as well as. boots. They call it a tread pattern. The. ME says it's kind of like zigzag. patterns and it's like if you were to. press someone's face down onto the van. floor. She suffered some sort of trauma. or event. >> [music]. >> that would cause her to clamp down so. harshly on her own tongue that there. would be teeth markings embedded into. her tongue. There was a rope bungee-like cord found.

inside the truck. There was DNA tested. on vaginal and anal swabs [music] that. came back. There was blood and semen. found on several of Tanner's clothing. including his FedEx work shirt, his. hoodie, jeans, and underwear. Athena was. presumably essayed in the van before. being strangled to death. [music]. After killing Athena in the truck, he. makes sure that his next few shifts he. gets the same [music] exact FedEx truck. And Tanner, he refuses essaying Athena. and he continues to say that all of this. happened just because he backed into.

Athena and he was scared of losing. [music] his job. And nobody believes it. Nobody believes that he backed into. Athena. Nobody believes any of this. >> [music]. >> Even if this whole accident story were. even a smidgen believable, which it's. not, Tanner's telling the detectives. that he tossed her body. He tossed her. here. He tossed this. He There's just a. lack of remorse and a lack of care when. he even references Athena. If this was a. pure accident, I would imagine that. someone is in shambles describing what.

happened. The investigators ask, "Did. she bleed or anything in that truck?" I. don't know. Possibly. He says that he. did throw her in the van so she could. have some cuts and stuff from being. thrown but quote, "I'm not some sort of. psychopath.". He says after he kills a little girl, he. goes home after his shift and quote, "I. just went home and I went to sleep. I. took my sleeping medication, watched. Game of Thrones, and I was out.".

So he's just making it sound so casual. Were they one of her socks? I think so. Okay. Which by the way, he. took the socks home and they were found. in this what could be described as a. junkyard on his property. Was it one of. her socks? And he's like, "I think so. unless it's just some other driver's. sock." And they're like, "Well, I mean. you would be able to know if it's a. little girl's sock or a driver's sock. Be real." He's like, "Yeah, okay." By.

the way, do you think she pooped herself. also? >> All right. I don't know. what you mean. You know what I'm saying? Reach out. What? How do you know she's a clerk. though? I mean I stole that when I was in there. earlier, some of it. Found on the floor. He says he stopped by the truck, stopped. to clean. What did you You know, what. did you pay when you were at Love's. getting the stuff to clean? Did you pay. in cash? I didn't pay for anything. I.

just asked if they had any cleaning. supplies. When he's asked to describe. the person working at Love's for the. cleaning supplies. This is the part that. But he did kind of look like he might be. part English. Okay. Why do you say that? God, this is going to sound terrible. As. if everything else he said is not. terrible. Cuz he doesn't preface. anything else about killing Athena as. terrible. He's not like, "God, I I can't. believe I'm saying that." He's just. like, "God, this is going to sound. terrible.". God, this is going to sound terrible. He. had a He had a decently big nose. Okay.

Crazy. With his confession, the FedEx footage, the audio evidence, the DNA evidence, forensic evidence, Tanner Horner is. charged with capital murder and. aggravated kidnapping, which means he's up for the death. penalty in Texas. He has pled guilty to. capital murder and aggravated. kidnapping. >> Guilty or not guilty, what is your plea? Guilty or not guilty. Because this is. Texas and because he's pled guilty to.

capital murder, it doesn't matter if he. wants to die by the state, there has to. be a whole trial where the jurors are. told by the judge, quote, "There will no. longer be a first phase of the trial. where you will be determining whether or. not guilt has been proved beyond a. reasonable doubt. Your sole duty now will be to listen to. all the evidence that is going to be. presented to you because you will be. using that evidence to determine the. proper punishment to be assessed.". So instead of determining whether or not. he's guilty of the crime, they're going.

into the punishment phase. They will be. deciding whether or not he deserves to. die for [music] it. Whether he will get the death penalty or. life in prison without parole. It's not about guilt. It's about dying. Right now Tanner Horner is in court. fighting to live. The ship has sailed. for the insanity plea. Any sort of. argument he's making right now, his. defense is making right now, is. mitigation on why he should not be. killed by the state. And one of the. first things the defense brings up is.

the broken brain defense. He ate coins. as a kid. That's what they're saying. A. relative even comes up to testify. stating that she would babysit him and. he would be chomping down on them coins, eating these coins, munching them up. They tested his body. Yeah. >> Really? They tested his body and there was. roughly 33,000 micrograms of lead found. in his body versus about 1,500. micrograms of a peer his age, which. would put him 24 times higher than the.

average of lead poisoning for his age. One doctor states for the defense So, my. my opinion is that Mr. Horner. experienced a significant amount of lead. exposure that would have impacted his. health and particularly his neurological. health. Studies do show that kids that. were exposed to lead, they have reduced. gray matter volume in their brains. The. argument being that Tanner Horner's. brain was damaged as a kid long before. he was even able to form a personality. That could lead to poor impulse control,

impaired judgment, blunted ability to. anticipate consequences, reduced. capacity to regulate panic. But this is. just one of the defense's many endless. arguments. Lead exposure is just one. The defense is arguing that along with. lead poisoning and exposure, autism. spectrum disorder, prenatal alcohol. exposure, mental illness, and a chaotic. abusive childhood should be mitigating. factors on why he does not get capital. punishment. The defense argues. that there's just something deeply wrong. with his brain. If it's a brain that's.

what's injured, you don't see it. We. don't treat it the same. You want people to push through it. You. want them to be okay. You tie that to developmental issue, to. that mental illness, brain damage. A. bone that's 99% unbroken. It's still a broken bone. They go on to. state Tanner's injury actually came. before he was born. His mother, God. bless her, Melissa Horner, was working. as a stripper when she was pregnant. And. one of the ways she was able to get on. stage and do her job was drink alcohol.

When you became pregnant with Tanner, were you still dancing? Yes, [clears throat] I was. And when you. became pregnant with Tanner, were you. still drinking alcohol? Till [clears throat] I found out I was. pregnant. Okay. >> But by that time, by that time I I was. already like 8 and 1/2 weeks. How often would you drink? I drank pretty heavily. They argue that. because both of Tanner's parents were. addicts that couldn't take care of him, he had to be raised by his grandmother, who did end up raising him, by all.

accounts, as best as she could. They. also continue to bring in the unofficial. diagnosis of Asperger's. He's just. autistic. That's not a recognized. diagnosis. They're going to take a lot. of angles here, but if you just listen. to the interrogation tape, it's pretty. clear his brain works perfectly fine. He. covered up the FedEx car cameras days. before he kidnapped and murdered Athena, indicating that he was planning on doing. this. He has multiple tries to come up. with a story that the authorities would. believe. There is a lot of. self-preservation that is occurring.

Inside note, [music] I will say I think. he's dumb. I think he's dumb, and that's. fine, but that doesn't mean anything. I. think they keep throwing things at the. wall to try and see what sticks. They're. like, "Oh, he's autistic." A lot of. people are autistic, and it's a bad look. for the community because that has. nothing to do with anything. Mhm. Even. the FBI agent says During the majority. of the interview, Mr. Horner was very. articulate. He answered every question. properly. Good back and forth conversation.

And then towards the end of the. conversation, he. got very emotional and. almost to the point of crying and stated. to us that he couldn't believe something. like this would happen and that he had. his own child. The lead detective. recalls after interrogating him His. demeanor through the course of these. interviews was. very laid back. I mean, he wasn't worked. up, wasn't had a cool, calm demeanor, cooperated, spoke, was articulate,

joked around, made jokes at times, made jokes inappropriately sometimes. And again, I maintained was able to. maintain that rapport and continue to. talk to him. Does he have a wife? He has a fiance. Was she there? During the trial? No. So, but there's a lot that comes up. about her. This episode is brought to you by.

Netflix. I thought I knew this case. I. mean, I remember hearing about the car. accident when it first happened, staying. updated with the news and seeing the. photos of the crash after they came out. The car crumpled up against a brick. wall. Two teenagers dead and another. fighting for their life in the hospital. I thought I knew the story behind the. tragedy until Netflix's The Crash had me. questioning what really happened. Let me. set the scene. It's a little past 6:00. a.m. on a residential street. The sun is.

rising. It's quiet. It's almost. peaceful. It's not quite dawn, but it's. also not yet the morning. A cop's. dashcam begins recording as the patrol. car slows down, pulls up next to a. building. We don't see the car wreck. until the cop puts his car in park and. gets out. But the frenzy is just quick. Three massive fire truck, they descend. on the crash site. Dozens of. firefighters, cops are lining the. street, even a helicopter hovers. overboard. And through the cop's body. cam, we hear him say, "Times three.".

Oh my god. Times three, guys. There's three young victims in the car. The boy in the backseat was no longer in. the backseat, but laid on top of his. best friend in the front passenger seat. Davian was a big brother, a high school. football player, a foster system. survivor, and he was immediately. declared dead. The boy in the passenger. seat, Dom, was a son, had just gotten. his apartment. He was an entrepreneur, and he too was dead on arrival. The driver is the passenger seat's.

girlfriend of 4 years, Kenzie. She just. graduated high school. She was enjoying. her summer, senior summer, like the time. between graduating and beginning the. rest of her life. She was the only one. still breathing. Her seatbelt was on, but her head had. gone through the windshield, and it was. considered a miracle. Her parents are. interviewed, they describe her injuries. It was honestly horrific. A 17-year-old. girl hanging on to the rest of her life. Her parents are crying as they're. explaining having to break the news of. her boyfriend and his best friend's. death after she woke up. It's like the.

most. unexplainable tragedy. Did the brakes. fail? Was it an operator error? Like, were there substances involved? Was Was. she drunk and driving? A medical. emergency? The toxicology report comes. back, no shrooms, no alcohol, no. impaired driving, nothing. The driver's. medical history is looked into. She was. diagnosed years ago with POTS, a. fainting disorder. So, people are like, "Okay, did she faint while she's. driving?" Vehicle black box data comes. back, the brakes were never used. Even. if they were broken, they were never. used. Nobody pressed on the brakes. Why.

did Kenzie not press on the brakes? Then. the vehicle crash reconstruction has. come back, and the evidence is damning. This is the part that I think had a lot. of people reeling. I didn't know just. how bad this case was, and trust me, this is just the beginning. For five. full seconds before the crash, it was. proven that the driver, Kenzie, held the. gas [music] pedal down, pushing the. vehicle to its top speed the entire. time. For five [music]. full seconds, just on the pedal. And. then the text messages come out. The. four-year relationship between the.

driver, Kenzie, and the passenger, Dom, is worse than toxic. It's arguably. abusive, and videos come out, TikToks. come out, comments from the families of. all three teens come to light, CCTV. footage, trial footage, evidence, discovery. Did Kenzie intentionally. crash the car, murdering her boyfriend, Dom, and his best friend, Davian? All of. this is uncovered in Netflix's The. Crash, and it unravels a story bigger. than anything I could have ever. expected. Watch The Crash only on. Netflix.

>> [music]. >> And he clearly understands the. consequences. He says things like, "I. have a 1-year-old. If I lose. this job, I lose everything at this. point.". But then Tanner comes up, like I said, with the alter ego personality, Zero. And I again want to make it abundantly. clear, Tanner Horner was never has never. been diagnosed with DID. The defense is. not even trying to argue that he has. been or that he does have DID. Quite. frankly, I think this is his attempt at. portraying himself as someone with DID. to diminish his culpability in this.

crime. And it's not only offensive to. those with DID, but it's offensive in. general to anybody who has a brain. bigger than the size of a garlic clove. It's not believable. It's the kind of. performance that generally makes you. want to look away. It's just god awful. It's ass. Tanner claims that he was. driving the FedEx van, backs up into. Athena, hits her, puts her in the van in. a state of panic, and while he's. actively deciding on what to do next, Zero takes over and decides he's going. to kill Athena because she was going to. tell on them, and he can't have that.

So, like I said, in order to switch. between the two personalities of Tanner. and Zero, an investigator merely has to. ask the very simple question of, "Hey. Zero, can I talk to you?" Sure enough, with the dramatics of a high school. play, he will roll his eyes back, tilt. his head to the side, and. >> [music]. >> turn into Zero. It's worlds apart from what someone with. actual DID does when they switch, and. resembles more of like the TikTok trend. where you suddenly decide you want to be. mysterious, so you stop giggling, and. you make sharper eye contact. The.

performance alone makes you want to hold. his eyes open and make him stare. directly into an eclipse. But we have to cover it. Another thing. to note is the investigators do play. into it. They were suspecting Tanner of. being involved. They want to bring. Athena home. They don't really care what. it takes to do that. And even if it. meant playing into his delusions of. having an alter ego being the one to. blame, it's not that they're leaning. into this because there is any. believable evidence of Zero being real. This is just investigators. investigating, nothing more. And they.

state that multiple times during this. trial. They're like, "I didn't believe. him for a single second, but I'm trying. to get answers. I'm just building. rapport.". The investigators bring out Zero, aka. Tanner Horner. He's squatting up against. the back of the jailhouse, >> [music]. >> and he's smoking a cigarette. Wait, I'm. sorry. Where in timeline are we? This is. right after they find her body, I think. Okay. >> He keeps wanting to talk to the. investigators. Oh, okay. And he's asked, "Did she tell you she. didn't want to go with you?". Of course. What did you tell her?

Going on a ride. She didn't try to fight you when you. told her you're going on a ride? He says. that she's yeah, begging, but he didn't. really care. I need to ask Zero one more question. Zero, I need you. Talk to me. I did. I know Tanner didn't. assault this girl. I know Tanner didn't. hurt this girl, but I know you did. Did. you assault this little girl? No. Did you kill this little girl, Zero?

I wouldn't do that. He's a coward. Zero, why do you call Tanner a boy? You make me tell you. Zero, how long. have you been with Tanner? >> [snorts]. >> About 6 months. When did you find him? So this is why I. think it's an insult to anyone, not even. just with the ID, but just with a brain, a functioning brain that is not. No, he has a functioning brain. Just.

This is insulting to anyone that has to. listen because the fact that he doesn't. even understand what he's trying to do. He doesn't understand the lie that he's. trying to put out. So he starts kind of. developing this weird thought process of. maybe he's a spirit that goes from body. to body because the way that he answers. these questions is so bizarre. Like. they're asking him, "Where did you come. from?" "I don't know.". "What made you come to Tanner?". "I was vulnerable." As if he's just like. a parasite looking for a host. "Where. did you find him?" I found him.

when he started taking his medicine. >> [music]. >> He wanted to die. I wanted to. He seems to be more. in control most of the time. But he wouldn't talk to me. He claims that Tanner didn't want to. handle the reality. What was his. reality? The fact that he let a child. die? He also says that Tanner wants to die, but quote, "He wants to die. I want him.

to die, but I want to live.". Side note, all these videos are played. during the trial and Tanner Horner is. watching all of this play out in the. courtroom. He's consistently wearing a. gray dress shirt. He's got his elbow. propped up on the table. He leans his. cheek into his hand. He has a very. disengaged look most of the time. There. is this one point where he does look at. one of the live streaming cameras in the. courtroom and he just looks like he. almost has this tiny smile on his face. Then the video cuts to him in the.

interrogation room. The officers ask. him, "Have you told us everything?". "Who? What?". "Have you told us everything?". "Me?".

"There's a lot to process, Tanner. There's a lot that happened. So, we're. going to step out and give you a second. and just give you a second to process. that, okay? Just give us a minute." When. they come back, they decide that they. want to talk to Zero further because. Tanner, all he does is put on this. really godawful show of pretending to be. Tanner. It They're all Tanner. He says,

So, he's talking about the green van. man. "Is that where the story about the. green van and the Hispanic male came. from?". So, he's like, "Yeah, it was a Hispanic. male in his 50s.". "Yeah. Yeah.". "Was that your biggest fear that Tanner. would get put away?". "Constantly." "Did you immediately, as. soon as y'all hit her, did you come out. and take over fearing that maybe Tanner. would get y'all put away or did it take. some time? Tanner was worried about that little. Why didn't you want to help her? Did you.

Do you want to help anybody? No, not other than myself. Have you ever been anywhere else, Zero? Have you ever done this before? No. Is this your first time? Of course. He won't let me out most of. the time. Right now, he just doesn't. want to deal with anything. Have you ever made Tanner do this. before, this time? No. So, if Tanner had never hit her with the. truck, you would have never done this? If Tanner wouldn't have hit her with the. truck, none of this would have happened.

Right now, we would be getting ready to. go out to the bar and celebrate our. brand new car. He even talks about how he, {quote}. Zero, met Cassie, which is the fiance, and he says, "But between us, she likes. it better when we fuck." And like, I. just want to say, everything about this. interrogation like sounds like someone. who watched the movie. Split and just decided that he was going. to try to embody this. If it weren't the. most asinine crime that we've heard of.

recently, it would be cringe. Mhm. That's the description of how he. handles himself, the mannerisms, how he. responds as Zero. But not Tanner has to take over. Tanner has to take over when? Only when he's gone. How long do you. keep him out? Away. Okay. The longer I been here, the longer I'm able to gain control. I think we found ways to block Tanner. out.

How do you do that? I make her go to sleep. Wait, you killed that little girl. Was Tan- Tanner. trying to stop you? He was trying to get. the sleeping. He also says that Cassie, the fiance, knows about Zero at this. point. {quote} "At this point, we're. both kind of just kind of developing a. relationship with Zero." And then Tanner. comes out and is talking about Cassie. And he explains to the detectives that. Cassie has met Zero. I think this is. true. I think Cassie has met Zero in the.

sense of I think both of them are. I think definitely Tanner Horner is. strange. Mhm, how do I put this lightly? I think they both play into it. Who the both? The fiance. Really? I. Maybe she genuinely in her heart of. hearts believes that he has DID. He. claims that she also has DID and she. gets it from her grandma, which is not. how DID works. I Mhm. They Both of them I feel like they both. kind of play into it and it's just none.

of it makes any sense. >> Has she spoken out or no? No. To her, she basically gave into the whole and. Cassie herself, she has. multiple. But she gets that from her grandma. I only have the one. She says I have. three, but I don't. I haven't seen him, but it's the third. Which again, like. that's not how it works. He says he's. traumatized by this because of what Zero. did. I don't know who the hell. is in my head this whole time cuz for a. long time we've been.

cool. We've been tight. Like me and him. and Cassie have all had conversations. together. Still part of me is in denial. cuz. I didn't pull the trigger. I tried to disarm the guy. Trying to stop all of this from. happening. What gun? >> There's no gun, but he's saying, you. know, metaphorically. Oh, oh, oh. And. then Zero takes over and Zero says the. only reason he got rid of Athena was, quote, "Well, I can't have any fun if. I'm in jail." And he just gives off. these nasty one-liners as if he's in a.

D-grade Hallmark movie. Mhm. So, did they ask him what how who put. the tapes on the cameras? Or what happened then? No, but he. doesn't give us response to the tape on. the cameras, the sticky notes on the. cameras. In a separate conversation, the officer. tries to summarize his thoughts. And. they're like, "Okay, so Tanner keeps. you, Zero, from suppressed from hurting. anybody. But when Tanner hurts her, runs. her with the truck, that keeps you from. partying, that keeps you from your. cocaine, that keeps you from doing what.

Zero likes to do. So, you knew if you. didn't take control that Tanner would. get you guys put in jail. Is that right? You knew that if you didn't take. complete control, take care of business, Tanner wouldn't because he's what? A little. You've never taken on somebody else? You've never been with any other person, only Tanner? Well, this girl for seven years. Do I. just the first time. I've been with her dear. When were you with her right before?

I only meet this 12 or 13. Did you do anything when he was 12 or. 13? Did you hurt anybody then? Only Tanner. And again, I do not think that he has. DID. I tend to believe that he has a. firm grip on reality, as well as a very. loose grip on the fact that he has the. moral character that only a mother could. love. And I think that's not even true. at this point. Throughout the multiple. interviews, there will just be times. where he says things that showcase how. out of touch he is. I think that this. has nothing to do with a lack of.

development in the brain. This is all to. do with you're just a person. You. can't say that you're evil and. say, "Oh, it's because my brain did not. develop completely." You're just. evil. The investigators are asking him, "When. you were talking to her, did she tell. you her name?" So, she just told you her. name was Athena? >> [snorts]. >> Right? What I actually thought that was pretty. cool because, you know, I like mythology. and stuff. Yeah. There are other points in the interviews. where he starts almost talking to the. detectives as if he's trying to show. them how cool he is. For example, he's.

asked to describe who he all lives with. in the house. And he says, "My mom, my. little brother, my grandmother, and. Cassie, the fiance, and several annoying. dogs. What kind of dogs? Itty bitty little. ankle biters. Me and Cassie have a cat and an annoying. little and trigger. What what breed is trigger? Not sure exactly, but he's part. Chihuahua. Part Chihuahua, part annoying as. It's like very reminiscent of a middle.

schooler trying to curse in front of the. high schoolers to appear cool, but. housed in the vile body that is Tanner. Horner, a man in his 30s. In another. segment, he's yapping about his. ex-girlfriends, one of them named. Nicole, who he describes her being as. dumb as a brick. He says She ended up. cheating on me with two different black. guys. So, which eventually ended up telling me. later on what was really going on. Also, just like the whole Jewish thing. and then the black thing, like I'm like. I think you're anti-Semitic and I think. you're racist, but you're trying to play.

it off. That's the vibe. The way he even. phrases it, I think you have to watch. the clip to see. >> Mhm. But the way it's almost He says. that he had a problem ghosting girls. because quote I always get the number. and we're flirting and all that other. you know? Like sometimes we'd sleep together and. all that but then like afterwards. I'm just like, "Shit, I don't know where. to go from here.". So, he has a reputation of ghosting. girls. He states that he had a habit of. being a player. I just started realizing. I'm getting older and I need to settle. down. Yeah, settle down essentially.

Okay. So, that's why he got with Cassie. Every other answer is framed as woe is. me. So, when he's not trying to sell. this weird alter ego personality zero, then he's talking and trying to be cool. with the officers, and then every other. response after that is woe is me. And I. don't think it registers in his English. pea-sized brain that he's not the victim. in this situation. He's asked questions. like, "When you start choking her facing. away from you like you stated earlier, how long did it take her to essentially. pass out or stop crying? Was it long or.

short?" It was probably about a minute. but it felt like so much longer. And. there's this undercurrent, it sounds. like he feels bad for himself that it. took longer. Like it felt so long to. kill Athena. Not that Athena suffered for so long. He leans against the wall during the. interrogation. Am I going to go home at all? No, you're not. He says about this whole experience, aka. murder, he says This is just kind of. messing with me. I want to hug her kid.

You can't you can't just shoot me in the. head. I just want to be with my family. If I. need to get jail shipped to the bottom. of it. Then he goes on to rant almost. I'm. going to miss out on the first of my. child's life, okay? This isn't. one of those probation things. This is. one of those. I'm going away for a long time things. and I'm going to miss out all of my. son's I I would rather die. I'm going to miss out on. all these Christmases, his birthdays,

him growing up. I'm going to miss out on. everything. All because I listened to some stupid. voice that wasn't probably even there. Audaciously, he asked the authorities if. he can just be free for a month after. admitting to murder of a 7-year-old. girl. He asks if he can just have a month to. spend Christmas with his families and. this is why again I feel like he watches. those movies and he thinks that they're. all real. Like he watched Split once because the. way he asks he's like give me a month. I just need a month.

You're not an undercover CIA agent, you're scum. I want a month. A month of. what? Even if you want to wear the ankle. monitor on the TV as monitors, check out. what you want. Like if you give me a month with my. family so I can have Christmas with my. son, you I'll tell you everything. I'll. be completely honest with you. You. can't. That's beyond your power. I. understand. Yeah, no, it's it's. something that that. I can't even conceive that the case, possible but I don't know that for sure. cuz I I'm not the prosecutor. I'm not.

Are you willing like if even if y'all. set up cameras outside the house. I want to answer everything you have to. say, but the main motivation behind me. wanting to talk to you is I literally. just want to see my son. I just. I understand. I want to give him that. good Christmas feeling. He's making it. seem like this is the biggest impact on. him. However, if you put it in. juxtaposition with everything else. that's happening when the investigators. are trying to pull Athena's body out of.

the creek, he's talking to another. detective about vapes. I was vaping. there for a little bit, but then I got. super paranoid like 2 weeks ago. and. I switched back to smoking because I. didn't need all the fluid on my lungs. because a friend of mine. had like serious lung issues cuz he was. vaping a lot and he was sick. Yeah. Then he starts going down this. thoughtless rabbit hole about how some. vapes smell like pancakes and waffles. and that makes him crave pancakes and. waffles, which naturally leads to a. conversation. And again, I think the. officer is playing into this. I don't.

think the officer is sitting there like, "Oh yeah, let me just make small talk.". I think the officer is like, "My. body cam is on and I'm going to egg you. on and make you talk about what you want. to talk about while we are pulling a. 7-year-old girl's body out of the. water." And he starts talking about. pancakes and waffles with him. And he. says that he prefers hash browns with. cheese and onions, uh Whataburger patty. melt with a Dr. Pepper shake, and then. he later asks. out of nowhere after he's talking for 5. minutes. What happens if I get a lawyer. right now?

You get a lawyer right now? I mean, that's your choice. It's your legal. right. Then he tries to bring up how the. last time he was in handcuffs was 4. years ago when he attempted self-exit. and how he would have constant headaches. to the point of being halfway convinced. that he had a tumor in his brain. He. also mentions I'm in a kind of position. where I don't go to the hospital. until the very last second. Which, you know, that's probably not the. best idea though. And I have like random heart. palpitations and stuff cuz I drink a lot. of energy drinks. Like, I even had a kind of mild heart. attack like.

And in the car, he's talking about how. he semi likes being a delivery driver. except quote, "Right now we're going. through peak season, which to be honest. is kind of a pain in the butt. And I just didn't like the whole being a. 1099 thing.". So, instead of being an employee with a. W-2, he doesn't like being a 1099. contractor. And that later he motions to. the officer who's driving and he says in. a teasing voice, "Oh, you're texting and driving.". Oh, this is in the car? >> Yeah, later in the car. They were. outside the car smoking a cigarette and. then now they put him in the car and. they're driving him to a second.

location. Oh, he's yapping in the car? >> Yeah. He's like, "Ooh, texting and. driving.". Crazy. And when it comes to the crime, he blames everyone else but him. The. investigators are trying to get him to. show remorse. I think they're not trying. to get him to show it because that would. benefit him and it would, but I think. they're just trying to understand so. that they can get this all on camera to. see how he really feels about it. And he. can't even fake it. He can't even say. words. He just talks about how he's no longer.

on the meds that he was placed on. initially. I haven't been on my medicine. in 5 days. It's starting to wear off. I. actually can't cry. Do you know what. that's like? Not being able to cry for. months and months and months. Tear, are you remorseful for what you did? Honestly, you're telling me you're. crying, but I mean I'm a father. I took. the. All I wanted. is just to spend one last Christmas with. my son and. I'll tell you everything. Like, "Oh, wow. Oh, you did, Tear?".

I got to stop trying to answer my. question. I said, "Are you remorseful. for what you did?". I'm a father. Don't tell me that. Are. you hurting inside for this for. anything? Hurt yourself, hurt her, hurt her. family. But even if this was some random person. I still married to this. Well, what. would you want to say? For a moment. there we'll be right there. What would. you want to say to them? And then he. goes back to getting a month with his. son. If there's even a sliver of a. chance that I can get out. If I'm on.

like house arrest, something like that, I would be able to, you know, right. those wrongs. If I was on house arrest, I would actually be able to give my. Christmas a son my son a Christmas. I. would be able to You know what I mean? Where did you come up with this idea? Like where Is this your idea or. something you saw somebody else? The idea of asking for a month. I prayed about it. Pray about it. God spoke to you. He said. this is what you should ask for. >> [music]. >> He nods. The investigator goes on to tell Tanner. Athena's parents' names and what they've. been asking and what they want answers.

to. But all Tanner can say is, "Can I. speak for a minute?" The reason that I. wanted to do this, I just want to spend. that one last Christmas. I really is a. Christmas morning. and waking up. kind of going [clears throat] to sleep. like and going over to the tree and. seeing his presents. This isn't really. what you're really about me at this. point. It's about that little boy. I want this because. I want to be able to. able for him to have something to look. back on. The reason that we ended.

to trade this is because if. somehow by some. million to one shot. they were able to put me on a monitor, put cameras around the house, everything. If you all were able to do that, I would give up the whole contest. I only want this that one month of time. I would let him have a month. technically. Just end of the year, you.

know what I mean? But that one. last truthful time. for my son, I would give up everything. [clears throat] I would. say, "Just throw me in the gas. but I don't care." And it's like you're. already getting that, but I would give. up everything. I give up all my. defenses. I give up. everything. So, you know, contest. Give you the information that you want, everything. That's why I want you to come clean to.

the church. He says he's never done anything like. this before. He's the type to cry when. he runs over dogs at work. Which the. investigator is like, then. why did you kill a 7-year-old girl? Why. Athena? To which he responds, "It wasn't. me. Now that I haven't been on the. medication, I haven't heard from Zero in. 2 days." He says that none of this would. have happened if he hadn't accidentally. run over Athena at work saying I'd be at. work right now. I'd be at work setting up for Chester's. Christmas, getting everything ready, just.

trying to get us into a new apartment. I. was just close. I finally got a new car. And I was having to drive the freaking. work trucks home. for like a month because I didn't have a. car. Cuz my car broke down several. months ago, and then Cassie's broke. down. Life was getting me really bad. The stress was getting too much. I'm not a bad person. I'm not a bad person. I've never been a. bad person. The only bad things I've. ever done is I pick my canker sores. I. smoke marijuana.

I'm an autistic, weird dude who likes. music that. other people tend to shut out. Well, I was in a Christian punk band at. one point. I was in a Christian punk. band at one point. A Christian punk band? You're going to laugh but it was really. good. I. worked years mastering my craft. And at. this point, I write my own music, you. know, it's I had lyrics and everything, but I never really got to, you know what. I mean? Yeah. He talks a lot. Yeah.

He likes to talk. Yeah, and he thinks. that everyone should care about him. Personally, I'm glad to hear that. because if you do show some type of. emotion, if you do have some type of. remorse, that goes a long way as opposed. to just being a cold-blooded killer. monster. I'm a cold-blooded killer. I've. been killing people for years. You know. what I mean? Like I can't have a. conscience. I have feelings. I'm just a person. He. panicked. It wasn't my decision. I.

wanted to let it go. There's other jobs. out there. He didn't want to let it go. Now I have to live with it for two days. You have to have an emotion as a parent, as a son. Um you're going to have some some type. of emotion or some type of thought of. what what I do next. I don't know what. to do next. I just try to live in my. life. >> Yeah. I I don't know if The only thing that I. could think of, and this is such a. shitty comparison, but have you ever met.

those people who they will stub their. toe and they expect everyone to fall to. their knees and care about their toe? And then someone around them will be. diagnosed with a terminal illness and. they're like, "What does that have to do. with me?" This is the type of energy. that Tanner Horner gives. He just does. not care. When the detectives ask about why he. lied about the green van, he blames it. on Zero saying, "I mean, obviously he. would know like we share the same. memories. He has access to my memories. and my dad used to have an old green. Astro van and I think that's where he. got that from." When we were talking to.

Athena, me and Zero were also arguing. Mhm. Yeah. Like I was trying to be like, "You. just put her back and forget the whole. thing.". And he seemed a little bit different. than normal, too. Like cuz normally like. he's a cool guy. You know what I mean? So then he was a little bit more mad. than normal, I guess. And it was kind of. weird. I remember there was a point. where. me and Zero were getting verbal, like. outward verbal versus inside the head. verbal. And she was kind of like. freaking out over it. And again, it's. like you watched the movie Split because. there's no.

there's no depiction of this in any of. the audios. that they retrieved from the FedEx. truck. What was her attitude like? Like she was just kind of looking at us. like, "Why is this dude talking to. himself?". Tanner is the type of person that thinks. at such a pace that you can almost see. the thought forming inside of his dense. skull, and then he acts on it. And once. he realizes the detectives are not. putting in as much effort to believe the. alter ego Zero's existence, he asks. them, "Can y'all do some research on. something for me?".

Sure. Can you look up some of the. potential negative psychoactive effects. of potentially. Prozac? And then he notices one of the. investigators fidgeting with his. fingers. "Oh, you do the same thing. I. do that cuz I'm a drummer. You can see. scars from years and years of playing. drums where I busted my fingers." The. investigator is like, "Okay, well, let's. get back to the topic." And he says, "I. guess the whole motivating factor, again, going back to the why is you. bumped this little girl with the truck,

and you're thinking I'm going to lose my. job, potentially my freedom." He says, "I wasn't worried about losing freedom. part.". Because honestly, that's an honest. accident. He's like, "Why would I go to. jail for running her over? It was an. accident." Which again, no one thinks. that he did that, but. All I would take is going up there and. just talking to the air. You know, like, "Hey, I accidentally bumped your. daughter. Like, there's more jobs out. there. You know what I mean? Like. it's not. hard to find a job. I mean, like I sat her on the back of the van,

tried to calm her down. But she wasn't calming down, and. Zero kind of took over. One of the last things Athena wrote in. her school journal was about stranger. danger. That's what the class was. learning at the time leading up to. Christmas is who a stranger is, what to. do when a stranger approaches you, who. not to trust. And I think that adds a really twisted. layer to this case because it's not Not. that it would make it any better, but I. think that there is this knowledge that.

Athena knew what kind of danger she was. in as it was happening. And I know that sounds obvious to. adults, but it's. even from the second it started, she. knew she was in danger, and I think the. part that people find heartbreaking is. the fact that from the second that she. was hauled into that van, she would have. had a lot of conscious thoughts about. what is happening and this is dangerous. and this is bad, and it would have. probably made her feel a lot more.

panicked. She was learning of what to do. in the event of stranger danger. And like I said, one of the most damning. pieces of evidence in this trial is the. audio footage of Athena's murder. This. was played in court for the jurors, and. all of the live streaming cameras. rightfully I thankfully had to be shut. off so the public could not hear it. There were press members in the. courtroom who described some of the. jurors' reactions as well as what was. heard in the audio, but. it's a lot. I don't even think they. played the full footage for the jurors.

because they were just sobbing, breaking. down. A lot of them were trying to hold. back tears. A lot of them were outwardly. just dry heaving and sobbing. The jurors, right? The jurors. [music]. The prosecutor describes it as You're. going to hear what a 250-lb man can do. to a 67-lb child. And when I say it's. horrible, I mean it. I've been doing. this 25 years, and I promise you. buckle up. It's an hour. It's not 5 minutes.

It's an hour. And it's not just one time. that he's trying to kill her. It's over. over. and over again. You can hear the banging in the truck. You can hear the screams. This. is what's [music] coming. It didn't. happen fast. The first thing that Tanner says to. Athena once she's in the van, he leans. down towards her face and says, "Don't.

scream or [music] I'll hurt you.". She tries to tell him that he can't take. her because she has school tomorrow. And. Athena Strand asks him if he's a. kidnapper. And Tanner responds by demanding she. take off her shirt. Athena screams and cries for her mom and. tells Tanner, "You can't do that [music]. to me.". You can hear her um. So, we know that there was male DNA. found inside of. found on the vaginal and anus swabs, but.

they also in the audio there is very. clear apparent gagging noises from. Athena. Now, Tanner would later try to. come up with this lie that he was trying. to get her to swallow a pill. I guess a. pill to sedate her or something, but. it's pretty apparent that he was. assaulting her. >> [music]. >> And she screams for her mom and she. screams, "You can't do that for me." You. can hear her gasp for air [music]. begging to go home. At one point, Tanner. Horner sings Christmas music, Jingle.

Bell Rock specifically, [music] because. it was playing in the van. The audio footage is so bad that. Athena's mom even apologizes to the. jurors for what they have to see. [music]. Maitland is Athena's biological mother. and. I do want to make it clear that. Maitland's favorite color is not pink. Athena's favorite color was pink, but. she goes up on the stand in [music] a. pink blazer. She's been in court every. single day wearing pink. Her whole head. of hair has been dyed pink. It's been.

pink for a really long time. [music]. Right now, it's a pastel pink color. Previously, it was a much darker vibrant. pink. And every day she's there wearing pink. and she gets up on the stand to testify. [music]. and she talks about what her life has. been like. And we're going to get into. all of that soon, but she says about the. audio, she could only listen to a. minute. She says, "I couldn't get. [music] past a minute." And I'm very. sorry. to all of the innocent people. that did have to watch that. I'm so.

sorry. I'm sorry to you. And I'm sorry to you all, too. Cuz none of us, not Athena, not me, not. anyone in this room besides Tanner. Horner, asked for what's on that video. And Athena. definitely didn't. After the prosecution present all their. evidence, it's now time for the defense, and it consists of just trying to paint. this very sad picture of the sad life of. Tanner Horner. As Tanner describes it,

his dad was a crackhead, his mom is a. heroin addict, and he was raised by his. grandparents. Those are direct quotes. Well, my grandmother and my. step-grandfather, which I consider him. my grandfather than anybody because he's. the man that raised me. He says for his childhood, his dad was. in and out of prison, and his mom was. also in and out of jail constantly. And. the part that really gets me is he says, cuz now he's in jail. He says, "I actually worked on this, you. know, when my mom and my grandmother. come to see me, I actually worked on. this clever line.".

>> Oh, how the tables have turned. Cuz now. he's the one in jail. But he says that he's glad his. grandparents raised him because, quote, I'm glad they did because I wouldn't be. the kind of person that literally. buys you all those people food. The. defense brings up his rough upbringing. They also bring up the fact that he's. autistic. People that know Tanner say that he made. it his whole personality that he. is autistic. He threw it out there in. every conversation, but not in the sense.

of, "Oh, I'm trying to connect with. people," or "I'm trying to describe why. I may behave in certain ways that a. neurotypical person would not." It's not. like that. It's not like, "Oh, I'm. trying to connect with someone. Maybe. you have certain things that you do that. you could really do It's not like that. It's just to justify things. That's what. people say. It's like he's always. justifying an action or mistake or. straight-up wrongdoings by saying that. he's autistic. In his mind, because he's. on the spectrum, he can do no wrong. His. defense wrote in a filing that his quote.

autism reduces his moral. blameworthiness. A lot of autistic. people are just fed up with this. trial because they're like that why is. the defense doing this? Like it doesn't. make any sense. It just makes us. It's adds a stigma to our community. Most people most autistic people. wouldn't hurt a fly. They're like what's. happening? And on top of that, Tanner. Horner has been accused of SA and SA. against minors several times before. this. A woman named Shay Marie had posted on. Facebook for years. Friendly reminder.

that Tanner Horner likes to take. advantage of drunk 16-year-old girls. Another one. Friendly reminder that. Tanner Horner is a rapist. And these are. back from 2019. Against her? Yes. This would have been. when Tanner was 23, she was 16. Years. before Tanner would go on to kill Athena. Strand. She made another post around the time of. his arrest and said, "Tanner Lynn. Horner, the man who raped me at 16 eight. years ago, murdered Athena Strand, a. 7-year-old girl. I hope the family gets. justice that they deserve. I hope he. rots. And I hope that everyone who.

didn't believe me when I've talked about. this for eight years. all of you.". She's also posted on TikTok about what's. happened saying that nobody believed her. at the time. She's also posted. screenshots of what people widely. believe to be a conversation between. Shay and Cassie, the fiance, but it's. not been verified, but. it appears that the fiance is messaging. Shay saying things like, "Hey Shay, I. heard you were with Tanner, but he was. lying to me and all kinds of So, I. was just going to ask what happened.".

And Shay Marie confides in her saying. like, "Oh, well, you You know that he. physically took advantage He raped me. Like this is what happened. I'm telling. you right now. Like this is a. person. And if this is truly Cassie, I. think this is why a lot of people. dislike her as well. There's a response. to Shay that reads, "Well, don't worry. though, he's attached to me now.". And Shay writes, "Okay?" Question mark, question mark. "All I'm saying is him. and I are still kind of together, but. not like I fell deeply in love with him. and he won't leave me alone because I I.

I do love him and he doesn't get he. doesn't want to get rid of me. Like we. technically are not together, but still. are I I don't know. It's hard to. explain.". If this is Cassie, I think this is where. a lot of the vitriol against her stems. from. Which Cassie is someone that. Tanner met and potentially groomed. I. believe that she was 17 years old when. they met as well. And about meeting Cassie, he says, I I. met her. and it just kind of clicked, which is. really weird because her mom was trying. to get on me and her mom's like, "Hey, your daughter's a lot cuter, man. Like.

you're you're like 50.". They share a young son together. He. doesn't speak nicely about Cassie. either. He says that she's not working. and quote, "She's using my Grubhub. account to go get money every once in a. while, but it's gone by the next day. So. at least from this point, she's at least. providing money for her own dumb shit.". Dude, she will go and do Grubhub to. order Grubhub later. Like got to love. that girl, but so dumb. He also. complains about how people think he's. dumb, but he's actually a lot smarter. than people think.

Before his arrest in the Athena Strand. case, he was charged with three counts. of essay of a child dating back to 2013. Two separate women have testified in. court thus far that Tanner Horner raped. them when they were both minors. And. while now it's the defense's turn to try. and make a compelling argument for. mitigating factors of why he should not. be killed by the state, there's a lot of. things that we do need to keep in mind. Like the fact that during the. interrogation, the lead detective is. telling him when they find Athena, they're going to have a medical examiner. look at Athena's body. They're going to. know a lot of things. So we're going to.

know, you know, we're going to be able. to essentially corroborate what you're. telling us now. So, is there anything. else we're going to find out? Because I. don't want you to lie to me. So, tell us what we need to know. And. he's like, "No, sir.". Okay. So, I think I know what you're. about to ask. And no, I didn't. You're. going to ask if I. assaulted her and I did not. So, everything's going to tell me that you. did assault her. And again, this is the argument that. people are so upset by because if. someone in their right mind who. genuinely did not assault someone, they would be offended. They would try. to defend their character of like, "No,

of course not because of A, B, C, and D. I'm not that type of person, A, B, C, and D." But his response is I'm off my. medication now. I don't even really have. much of a libido. Okay. I I felt so humiliated because I had to. use the urinal in front of us. He gives. the same excuse to his mother when she. calls him in jail. And there's a lot of. jailhouse calls that are being played. during the trial. And it's just a whole. lot of complaining. Even to the. detectives, he complained that being in. jail is a lot of stress because You need. some more water? Yeah. You got it.

So, and and it's I think it's more stress. than anything. That night I had to like. when I asked people for water while I'm. in that padded cell, I'm sitting. there waiting for like when I'm sitting. there asking people for water, like they. just everybody there would treat me like. I'm a monster. Which understandably so, given the. circumstances. What's his parents'. attitude? His mom testified and it was um. I think a lot of people have limited. sympathy for the mom. So, just judging.

by her testimony, it seems that she had. a very rough life. And. she was dealt a lot of cards as. well. There is this point in the testimony. though where she says that she wants to. tear his eyes out because of. what he did to the little girl. Are you angry with him? I'm so mad at. him. I want to just tear his ass up. And she's very emotional. So, it seems.

that people do not She's not one of. those moms that's like, "My son could. never." However, there is this one point. that she describes that that's not her. the son she knows, which a lot of people. had problems with that wording. But, she is not one of those moms that's. like, "No, my son could never. My son. Well, maybe the victim asked for it. because my son is a saint." She's not. doing that. Dead? Dead is dead. Mhm. >> Yeah. But, during one of the initial jailhouse. calls to his mom, she picks up and she's.

like, "Are you okay?". "Not really. You want to tell me what. happened?" "I pulled into this driveway. and all that stuff. I was pulling. forward and I was backing up and I hit. this little girl.". "Okay, go ahead." I pulled into the. my driveway and all that stuff. I was. pulling forward and I was backing up. And I overrode. and then even she was crying. I tried. calling her down. That didn't work. I thought swear, "Oh my god, I'm going. to lose my child." I everything, sir.

Okay. I know. I didn't know what to do, Mom. What did. you What did you do? Is she. dead or alive? No. I don't know, my god. I know. What kept you from even trying calling. me up here? Like, I. Then, there's this very disorienting. moment where he asks about the bail. >> So, what is it you got to pay calling. bail or whatever it was called? No. How much was it?

What do you mean by that mean? Are you kidding me? He starts. complaining about that. The truck doesn't have a backup camera. Well, it has a camera, but it doesn't. work. It hasn't worked for like 2. months. So, he starts using that as an. excuse. And another call, he complains. about how he gets reading material in. jail, but it's, you know, he asked for. the Bible. He gets a version of the. Bible where it has quote Shakespearean. dialogue, and he has to constantly take. breaks. And though I tend to think that. it's not a problem of the version, but. rather. he's just giggling about how he's not in.

the crazy room anymore. He's in the less. crazy room, but still the version of the. Bible sucks. He also says, "You cannot believe all. the crazy letters I'm receiving.". Like fan letters? [snorts]. I don't know if it's hate, fans, other. child molesters. I don't know. He also talks about how all the news. outlets are reaching out. And he also. complains a lot Oh, more on that in a. second, but he also complains about like. the dumbest He says, "I had an. ingrown nail the other day, and I. started messing with it, and they don't.

let me cut my fingernails, so it just. kind of gets bad.". And then his mom is trying to give him. some perspective of like, "Well, yeah, your time is bad in there, too, but. also" she says, "you're not getting all. the hate that I'm getting here." Hate. you're receiving any of it. You. know, we're not the same on TV. So, I. know you're keeping it all the more than. it's worth than it is. Did you get right for right? No. Because you know on my medication, I. really need to get up for caffeine. Oh, that's a little bit too much. information, but still.

He says the news reporters, journalists, investigators, major publications are all monsters. They want the story. That's all they. want. That's all that I can't get to. tell them right now. They're all like, "Hey, you get it on the air, and give you up a. billion extra dollars. Yeah, I'll give. you the. And he says he's going to demand a. million dollars from news networks. And. with that million dollars, he's going to. get his baby a nice house, fix up his.

mom's house, and then give the leftovers. to the family. Athena Strand's family. He says, "Give. the leftovers.". His mom tries to comfort him in jail. And again, I think this is why people. have limited sympathy for her, but she's. saying things like, "You know, the. people that know you know you're not. that kind of person. I'm sorry for you. And he says, "I don't want people to be. sorry for me.". They just looked like next to the. dictionary. Like they just looked at me like this. like hate filled written in their eyes.

Apparently they might keep me from the. general population. I mean I'm so much. better than the general population. So. it's not like they're going to do a lot. And she's just like, "Okay, well, I just. want you to know that many people are. concerned about you.". I need to tell people you need to send. my. like my attorney's way. He needs many. character witnesses. So these are. court-appointed attorneys, so it's hard. to Mhm. Mhm. Yeah. Yeah. He's proud. about that, huh? >> Yeah. He's actually working his ass off right.

now as far as I'm concerned. And I just imagine the attorneys hating. their lives sitting next to him. I can. sense it on the cameras. But hey, you. know, do not take toilets for granted. Sometimes I can't even have a toilet. He also says things like, "I'm pretty. sure everybody knows according to my. attorney yesterday this is literally. like national news. It's not like Texas. news, it's national.". >> Man, I was lucky to be hanging but not. like this. He says, "I feel bad for the family. I. miss my son. I miss my son before I even. got arrested." He complains about one of. the guards saying, "She just literally.

hates me. It's not professional. She's. an older lady. Ironically her last name. is Collard.". Ironic because I tried collard greens. for the first time when I was in here by. the way. Oh my god, it's so good. I'm. like, "Oh man, I'm actually going to be. able to poop.". What's going on? He's like. Like like what what's going on? He. thinks doesn't care about anyone else. but him. He thinks that if he says something was. a mistake everyone should forgive him. and baby him for finding himself in this. situation. There's no Yeah.

He complains about how he had to eat. applesauce paired with something that. wasn't good, but at least he gets. reading material. Again, quote, "I'm. just glad I'm getting some reading. material from the library because holy. crap, I need to put my head in a good. fantasy book. He does want someone. however to send him a meditation book. because quote it helps when I'm having. an anxiety attack because being stuck in. a box, you're going to end up getting a. little bit of anxiety. When I start. getting that anxiety, I'll sit down, meditate, try to block out everything, relax, it helps. He also wants manga, Dragon Ball Z manga and when this part.

is played out in court where he talks to. his family about wanting them to send. manga, he laughs into his hand like he. chuckles as if like oh my god look at me. being so quirky. There were envelopes found in Tanner. Horner's jail cell and all of them were. titled. So one of them is for Athena's. family. One of them is detectives only. One of them is Legacy Church and one of. them is for Cassie. He had these all. spread out and this is where I say the. timeline gets very confusing. So at. first when he is talking about what. happened, he's like I don't know what.

happened. I'm just as sad as everybody. else. I'm a father. And then he's like. oh yeah, I did deliver a package. Well, no, he says I don't remember delivering. a package. Then it goes to I did deliver. a package. I saw a man with van and then. it goes to I backed up into her and she. was dead. Then it goes to I backed up. into her, she was alive and then Zero. took over. And then now back in jail, he's like actually I'm getting framed. That's where the letter comes from and. I'm going to read you all the letters, okay? But to the one to Athena's family, it reads to Athena's family, >> [music]. >> I wanted to start off by saying how. sorry I am about Athena. The entire time.

I've known my legal counsel, they've. continued to tell me how I don't need to. apologize. I shouldn't apologize until. the trial. I [music] don't think this is true, but. and frankly, I can't hold it in any. longer. I've done a terrible thing to. your family and I'm sorry. I can't tell. you how many countless nights I've. stayed awake unable to sleep. I pray for. all of you. So many were affected by my. breakdown not just your family, but my. own as well. You'll never get to see. your baby girl grow up and I'm sorry. Now my son is going to grow up without. his father and protector. I owe it to.

you to explain where my mind is at. Let. me start by saying that I have. Asperger's syndrome. In other words, I'm. on the autism spectrum. I don't do well. with change or things that are. unpredictable in nature. When I first. started as a driver at FedEx, I was. given a singular route and that route. wouldn't change for a while. After a. bit, my employer started making random. changes in my route at avoid adding. stuff from other routes so they can make. more money. I don't do well with change. Again, I can have meltdowns when. unexpected changes to my daily route. happened. It was bad one day, I started. to have suicidal episodes. I had to. leave early that day or I was going to.

walk myself into oncoming traffic. The. only thing that stopped me was thinking. of my son growing up without his father. So, I took off for a week and sought out. help. I got put on medication and a week. later I was back at work. I've let my. employers know how I needed to keep a. consistent routine and I wouldn't have. any issues. However, I was ignored. When. I returned, they did the opposite of. what was good for someone like me. They. put me on as a floater. They put me on a. different route every day, every time. I. reminded them that I needed to be on a. routine and it was like it would go in. one ear and out the other. My mental. health started to steadily get worse.

because of it. I couldn't just quit. either. I had a son and I had to take. care of him. Then on top of that, certain my home life started to fall. apart as well. I guess they got sick of. me constantly telling them that I needed. consistency because they sold me off to. another company without having any say. in the matter. In hindsight, I'm. starting to think that they were. attempting to get me to quit, which in. retrospect was kind of scummy. After a while with the new contract I. started with Big Top Spin, my life. started to kind of fall back into place. I got a car again, but I was. consistently stressed and had multiple. minor meltdowns because even the new.

company had no regard for my mental. health because they still refused to put. me on a consistent route. The holidays. came and my stress only multiplied. They. forced everyone to work six days six. days as volume got higher and higher and. it was all the wrong place in the wrong. time. I'm sorry I allowed my mental. state to be unstable. I'm sorry I took. away your little angel from you. She. didn't deserve it. You all didn't. deserve it. My son didn't deserve to. lose his father. My mother didn't. deserve to lose her son. My fiance. didn't deserve to have her wedding day. stripped from her. I pray that my death. eases your suffering in some way. The.

only thing I can think of is for. forgiveness and for you to remember my. son and show him some grace and mercy. for he no longer has his father. Love. you all and I'm sorry, Tanner Horner. What do you mean I love you all? Mhm. That also pisses me off. Like, I mean. everything about this letter pisses me. off, but the I love you all? So, what are these letter intended for? Like, he just wrote it, he wanted to He. did try to self-exit in jail? Okay. But, I don't know if it was a. full-hearted attempt. These letter are. insulting, right? Like, only putting.

salt on the wound even more. I feel like. his and I never say this because. okay, but I think that his self-exit in. these letters was performative at best. It's just the most empty attempt at. appearing remorseful. Because even. previously during the interviews when he. was requesting to take a month for his. son, they keep trying to bring him back. to as a parent because you keep. mentioning you're a parent, my question. to you was if Athena's parents were. here, put yourself in their shoes for a. minute, what would you say to that?

I don't know what I would say. I mean, would you apologize to them? Would you explain why you did this? I. mean, you know I don't know what I would. say. I'd be speechless. They don't deserve any of this. And it almost seems like he's counting. himself as no one. Mhm. The defense. attorney during cross with the lead. detective says, but you would agree with. me that he told you several times that. he felt bad about what happened and. expressed. he may not have said I feel bad, but he. expressed his emotions about what.

happened. And the detective leans into the mic in. court during the trial and says, yes, ma'am. I did not believe him. Agent Espinosa, you also recognized that Tano Tanner. was being remorseful as well, didn't. you? No, ma'am. You don't recall telling him. I see remorse in you. I see regret in you. >> [snorts]. >> That that is part of an interview tactic.

in order to maintain rapport. Later on, they also bring up the Google. searches that were made. Okay, so there is a search that he was. looking at a three circle Venn diagram. for the three things being autism, Catholicism, and nerd So, the. circles for autism and Catholicism. overlap with clearly defined rules, hierarchies, and rituals. The circles. for autism and nerd overlap at. obsession over fine details. The circles.

for Catholicism and nerd overlap at. silly outfits and complicated lore. And. all three circles overlap together with. BDSM. Like, he's just looking up things. like this. He's also looking up after Athena's. murder, license plates, license plate. types, why my fiance's family makes me. out to be a demon, [music]. and YouTuber with the highest net worth, and paradise missing girl. He views multiple photos of Athena. Strand, even going on to Facebook to.

look up photos and Facebook posts of. Athena Strand with community members. begging to find [music] her. He also. looks up do FedEx cameras constantly. record. The same day that he's doing that, he. looks up a book called Hot and Bothered, >> [music]. >> How to Think About, Talk About, and Have. Sex You Really Want. It has also been stated that This is. before or after? This is after, and it's. [music] been stated that he Well, okay, it's. There has been some Karen Read trial. stuff where there's been debate of oh,

maybe this was a tab that he looked up. previously and then it refreshed and. then he Googled something else in the. tab, but these are the things that were. coming up in the search. What do you mean Karen Read trial stuff? >> Like the how long to die in the cold. So, there some people are arguing okay, like this is something that he looked up. days before the murder and then it. refreshed because he opened that tab to. Google something else. But it doesn't really matter. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Yeah, because it seems that even days. before 4 days before the murder, he was.

planning something. He was covering the. cameras with sticky notes. So, I don't. think it really matters the timeline. Additionally, it's been stated that he. had intimate relations with his fiance. hours after killing Athena, which would. indicate that. this depraved act was something that he. wanted, obviously, but was also more. turned on by. One citizen comments, "Unless they can. prove that he doesn't know right from. wrong, their point is moot." Which. that's That's not what's happening. So, this is not.

They're not trying to say that he knows. right from Well, not knowing right from. wrong is more in tune with like the. insanity plea. But this is the. sentencing. So, they're not saying that. he doesn't know right from wrong. They're just saying that these are. mitigating factors of why the state. should not kill him. But a lot of people are arguing, "I. mean, he's hiding the body. That's. evidence, and he knows what he does. wrong. I don't understand." Other people. are saying, "If he knew how to cover the. cameras in the car and Googles if FedEx. cameras record all day, he knew what he. was doing.".

Other people are saying, "So, just to. sum it up, the defense is wasting. everyone's time in court by trying to. make excuses for him?". Other people are saying, "Well, they. have to. That's the whole point." And. they're commenting, "I think this is. better, actually, because he It would be. better if he can't appeal.". If his If the defense does as much as. they can to do their best, then he. cannot appeal saying that he was not. represented well, and the family doesn't. have to go through an appeal. So, really, this is probably best for Athena. Strand's family, so that there's not. years and years of more hearings, more.

another trial. Like, he can't say that. he wasn't adequately represented. So, this is probably for the family for the. best. But they could probably tone it down a. bit, I will say. There's also another scary um, coming. from one of the neighbors. He says that. Tanner Horner dropped off a FedEx. package the night before Athena was. taken and his two young girls, same age. as Athena, were outside playing. And there was this very odd interaction. where Tanner Horner didn't want to get.

out of the truck until the parents cuz. one of the parents was in the doorway. One of the parents to come get it and he. describes how, oh, he ruined Christmas. for a few kids before by giving them the. package. But there was just this overwhelming. feeling by a lot of people that he was. Wait, what's going on? He gave the. package directly to the kids? >> To the adults, but he's saying, oh, I. don't give it to the kids anymore. because I ruined Christmas once. I guess. maybe one of the kids had opened the. package and realized it was their. Christmas present. But a lot of people.

feel that. he was overcompensating for the fact. that maybe that night he also had. nefarious intentions. But he realized that the parents were in. view. So he comes up with this weird like, oh, I never give the packages to the kids. I never talk to kids cuz I ruined. Christmas for a kid once. Athena's mom. has stated that she wants the whole. world to know her baby. [music]. And I think that she has done. I I I hate that she's in that position, but I think that she's done a really.

good job of being able to give people. the feeling of who Athena was. >> [music]. >> And she describes it as there's a lot of. interesting things about Athena. She. loves pink and she loves Rapunzel, but. also she wants to be like her Viking. dad. Her favorite movie is Frozen, but. she also loves to just like get in the. mud and dig for the biggest worm that. she can find. And it's just a very. the way that everybody talks about. Athena, I think [music]. the prosecutors point out it's sad that.

everything has to be in past tense, but. you could just tell everyone loved her. She did recently, um, well, not. recently, but prior to her death, she. did get in trouble for smacking a kid on. the bus with a water bottle, and. Athena's mom testified and she said, "Mommy did teach her no means no.". And [music] the prosecutors are like, "Oh, so she's independent?" "Yeah, she. gets that from me." "And strong?". "Physically, she gets that from her. father.". She was the perfect mixture [music]. of me and Jacob.

And I think that goes to show, they're. not even together. They were. co-parenting really well. She [music]. loved. to wear her pretty princess dresses, but [music] at the same time, she would. she would play in the dirt in those same. pretty princess dresses. And she was just. she was free and she was wild and she. was brave [music] and she was loving. She wanted to be loved and to give love. and that's it.

It was very common for her. to want to do anything outdoors with her. father so long as her father was around. She would. >> [music]. >> she watched him butcher animals. She. watched him. clear property. As long as daddy was. around, she was. great with being dirty and being. outside. >> [music]. >> She has a little sister and Athena's mom. says, "I didn't know how to tell her little. sister.".

I didn't know how to tell her and I. didn't think I was strong enough to tell. her. So, I lied to her for a long time. I would tell her that she was just. staying with her daddy. >> [snorts]. >> for a little bit longer. And when she asked to FaceTime her or to. call her, I would tell her that she was. at school. or she was sleeping. or she was. or she was.

I would lie to her. until [snorts] about a year ago. >> [music]. >> She didn't know the whole truth. >> [snorts]. >> And uh. But I didn't I didn't tell her that. Athena was dead. And that she had been killed until. Athena's. >> [music]. >> or what should have been Athena's eighth. birthday. Athena's mom did Athena's makeup before.

her funeral. So she's [music] um it was she didn't. want Jacob to see the handprints around. her neck. So Athena's mom made sure to do Athena's. makeup and she didn't like the dresses. they had so she was just like mindlessly. roaming around Walmart looking for the. perfect dress. [music] But like how can. you find the perfect dress? The prosecutors asked her, "Why did you make it a point to be at. every hearing that we've had in this. case?" And she says, "Because I had to.

cover up the handprint bruises around my. daughter's neck and because she no. longer has a voice and I want people to. know that she's not just some story, she's not just some number, she's not. just some picture you see in a headline, she was loved, she is loved, and she's. missed, and she was real, and she had a. life, and she wanted to live, [music]. and no one can take that from her. Not a. single person can take that from her and. I will be her face and I will be her. voice and I will make [music] sure every. person in the world knows.". She's asked, "What is it that sticks out. to you? What do you want to know?".

"I know it sounds stupid and I know it. sounds selfish. [music]. I know he'll never tell me the truth, but. I want to know where my daughter's shirt. is. I want to know everything, [music] but. he won't tell me that and I highly doubt. that he cared enough to pay attention to. when my daughter took her last breath. because I brought her into this world. and I [music] know when she took her. first, I was there for that. I was there. when she took her first steps and she. said her first word, but I wasn't there. when she took her last. So [music] I. want to know where her shirt is. Maybe. because. maybe he could give me that much grace.".

>> [music]. >> Athena's mom, Ashley, also testified. She says her favorite picture of Athena. is she's very much an outdoorsy kid and. it's she's about 5 years old in this. picture and her and Alice had been. playing outside in the mud all day long. and she comes up to me and she's holding. this gross little worm in her hand. She's covered in mud. I mean, head to. toe. It's all over her face and she's so. excited to have this little worm. That's. my favorite picture of her. Ashley and Jacob divorced after Athena's. murder. Ashley states [music] that.

definitely this played a huge role in. their separation. She says that it. didn't just alter their marriage, but it. fundamentally impacted her. I'm not the same. I don't trust anybody. >> [clears throat]. >> I can't. >> [snorts]. >> You're just not okay after something. like that. >> [snorts]. >> Even. even my 5-year-old still does stuff. And her other daughter, Ashley's. daughter, she says, "I mean, she lost. her sister in the most horrific way. Even if a delivery driver just drives. down the driveway and she's outside, she.

runs inside and hides. It's affected her school. It's affected. her friends. It's affected her in. general. She has nightmares.". >> [music]. >> Jacob, Athena's dad, also testified and. his body language and demeanor just. looks defeated [music] the whole time. and he just keeps saying that he. couldn't protect his daughter. And I wasn't there to protect them. like I should have. been like a father's role. And even all the little kids in Athena's. classroom, Miss Thompson, um she. testified during the trial, her teacher, and she said that it was really hard. A.

lot of the kids some This is her quote. Some knew that something wasn't right, but I mean, everyone knew that she. wasn't there and I was having to count. her absent when she was missing [music]. and a lot of the kids you could just. tell that they were anxious, like they. were worried. They knew something was. wrong. And once they found Athena's. body, she said that it was nearly. impossible to go back to work that next. Monday, but she had to because quote, "Because I knew that the rest of my. class needed their teacher and they. needed someone to love them and support. them and help them walk through this. We have a crisis team, which is um.

includes local um counselors uh. counselors within our district. Um. people from local churches, they come in. to talk and support kids. Um. you know, we read off a script of. letting them know that their classmate. is no longer there. We do activities to. try to help them. begin the grieving process. Um. there's just a lot going on like just. trying to help kids cope and learn like. this is a big [music] thing for them at. 6 and 7 years old to have to walk.

through. And so. there's just a lot of counseling, guidance, and support that is happening. She and her husband created a mailbox to. put outside the classroom so the. students could write letters to Athena. and place [music] them in the mailbox. to help them process. There were over 100 letters placed in. the mailbox. And she's asked about how this has. altered her life as well. And she says, "When I look at my life and career, it. looks very different. Every day I hug my.

kids as they walk out the door and I. tell them I love them, but now every day. when I do that and for the rest of my. teaching career, I have to think about. what if they don't come back tomorrow?". I have been through hours of therapy. um trying to heal from this. >> [music]. >> Um I have lost two other students. back to back with this tragedy, but this. has hit me the hardest. Um. it has forever changed my life. Forever. changed how I teach my kids. Um. one of the biggest moments of struggle.

for me was one day I had a little girl. she came out into the hall. This was. about 3 months after everything. And she was crying and she sat down and. she said, "Miss Thompson, I really miss. Athena, but I'm afraid that this is. going to happen to me, too." She says, "Even now there are several kids who are. now in the fourth [music] grade and. they're still having outside counselors. Several students are afraid to sleep in. their own bed and will not play in the. yards in their own front yard. >> [snorts].

>> Athena's case took [music] over Texas. People People had pink out days. Water towers, city official official. buildings, homes were all decorated with. pink lights. [music]. And it actually kick-started a lot of. delivery drivers putting pink bows on. their trucks to show support. And there. was a whole trend online of "Your babies. are safe with us on our route.". And. >> [music]. >> And Mattel, the company, the creator of. Barbie, they did a huge donation with.

Athena Strand's family [music] because. that was what Athena had gotten for. Christmas and that was what was. left on their porch that day. Mr. Horner, if you'd stand, please. It's. the order of the court that you, Tanner. Lynn Horner, is deemed judged to be. guilty of the offense of capital murder. as found by the jury. Jury having answered the special [music]. issues making it mandatory that your. punishment be death, it is therefore the. order of this court.

>> [music]. >> that your punishment be death. Before. the hour of sunrise on a date to be. determined by this court, >> [music]. >> you will be caused to die in accordance. with the rules and regulations. established by the Texas Department of. Criminal Justice. until you, said [music]. Tanner Horner, are dead. The [snorts] clerk of this court shall. issue a death warrant in accordance with. this sentence. I will sign this death. sentence [music] as required by law.

>> Mhm.