FORT WORTH, Texas — A grieving family in North Texas will have to wait another year for justice.
The trial for Tanner Horner, the man charged with the murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand, was initially set for March 17, 2025, with prosecutors indicating they were ready to proceed. However, Horner’s newly appointed defense attorneys, who took over in the summer of 2023, requested additional time to prepare.
While the defense sought a postponement until October 2026, Judge George Gallagher denied their request on Tuesday, stating that there was sufficient time for preparation. Instead, he rescheduled the trial for April 7, 2026.
Horner faces charges of kidnapping and murder in the death of Athena Strand. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
On November 30, 2022, Horner, working as a FedEx contract driver, delivered a package to Athena’s home containing Barbies, a Christmas gift for the young girl. Two days later, her body was found in a creek near Boyd, and Horner was arrested. Investigators say Horner admitted to accidentally running over Athena with his truck. In police reports, he claimed that in a panic, he placed her in his vehicle, later strangling her to keep her from revealing the incident to her father. He then discarded her body in a waterway, eventually leading authorities to the area after they linked him to the package.
Athena’s family attended Tuesday’s hearing but chose not to speak afterward.
During the hearing, the judge also approved a request from prosecutors to transfer DNA evidence from a lab in Houston, where a backlog has delayed testing, to Tarrant County for quicker processing. The request was made by Wise County District Attorney James Stainton, who will personally prosecute the case.
The defense opposed the transfer, arguing that rushing a death penalty case would compromise justice. However, the judge sided with the prosecution, allowing the evidence transfer to proceed.