Overview
- A judge did not sign Tanner Horner’s motion for a new trial, and the absence of an order resulted in an automatic denial reported Monday.
- Horner pleaded guilty in May to kidnapping and killing 7‑year‑old Athena Strand and a jury answered special issues that produced a death sentence.
- His defense argued that intense media coverage intimidated key witnesses and made a fair trial impossible, a claim the court declined to sustain in denying the motion.
- Prosecutors relied on recorded audio from Horner’s delivery van, testimony that prosecutors said described sexual assault, and other investigative evidence during the 19‑day trial.
- The denial does not end review: the case moves to an automatic direct appeal at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and could later include habeas proceedings where new evidence may be raised.