Tanner Horner, a former delivery driver, displayed a chilling detachment after committing a horrific crime. The 34-year-old, now facing a potential death sentence, reportedly engaged in sexual activity with his fiancée mere hours after kidnapping, raping, and murdering seven-year-old Athena Strand.
The disturbing detail emerged during the penalty phase of Horner’s trial, as a forensic psychiatrist testified about her extensive interviews with the killer. Dr. Eileen Ryan revealed that Horner claimed he had sex with his fiancée as a desperate attempt to convince himself he wasn’t attracted to children.
Ryan stated that Horner didn’t exhibit “consistent” sexual arousal towards children, leading her to believe he wasn’t a pedophile in the traditional sense. He actively sought to disprove any such inclination, according to his own account, and the act with his fiancée was his twisted form of self-assessment.
The prosecution highlighted this detail, reading directly from Ryan’s notes, emphasizing the cold calculation behind Horner’s actions. Some jurors visibly reacted with disbelief as the details of his post-crime behavior were laid bare.
The psychiatrist also suggested a possible motive: Athena Strand may have discovered Horner using cocaine. Ryan testified that Horner feared losing his job and contact with his son if she revealed what she saw, leading him to a swift and brutal decision.
According to Ryan, Horner made a “completely unreasonable” leap in logic, escalating from a potential exposure of drug use to the murder of a young girl. This impulsive act, she explained, stemmed from his desperate attempt to protect his life as he knew it.
Even Horner’s pastor testified to his unsettling composure when questioned about the crime. He offered a series of excuses and outright lies, attempting to distance himself from the gravity of his actions. The initial story involved a fabricated accident, claiming he’d accidentally struck Athena with his van.
He later shifted the narrative, admitting to forcing Athena into the van after she witnessed his cocaine use. He initially denied the sexual assault but eventually confessed to the psychiatrist. He even attempted to blame an alter ego, a persona he called “Zero,” for the horrific acts.
Prosecutors swiftly dismissed these claims as fabrications, pointing to damning surveillance footage. The video showed Athena calmly sitting inside the delivery van, seemingly unharmed, as Horner sang “Jingle Bell Rock.” This chilling image stands in stark contrast to the brutality she would soon endure.
Two days later, Athena’s small body was discovered in a creek. The autopsy revealed she died from a combination of blunt force trauma, smothering, and strangulation – a horrifying testament to the violence inflicted upon her.
The penalty phase of the trial is now in its third week, and the jury will soon decide whether Tanner Horner will face life in prison or the ultimate punishment. The fate of a man who extinguished a young life hangs in the balance.
