Overview
- Tanner Horner’s defense, which continued Thursday, called experts and relatives as jurors decide between the death penalty and life without parole.
- Horner’s mother described heavy drug and alcohol use before and during early pregnancy, his childhood bullying, an autism diagnosis, and she apologized to Athena Strand’s family.
- Defense witnesses highlighted autism, mental health issues, and reported lead and prenatal alcohol exposure, and a psychologist cited research showing only 5% of Texas death‑sentenced inmates predicted to be violent committed severe assaults in prison over 10 years.
- Prosecutors earlier showed video of Athena inside the FedEx truck and played audio of the attack, presented DNA under her fingernails and in other locations, and the medical examiner said she died from blunt force trauma, smothering, and strangulation.
- The punishment phase is in Fort Worth after a guilty plea on April 7, and coverage notes the schedule could run into early May under rules that require a unanimous jury for a death sentence in Texas.