He Pleaded Guilty Then the DA Told the Jury What He Really Did to Athena Strand | Pt. 1

Tanner Horner stood up and pleaded guilty to capital murder. That's the only true thing he's ever told anyone about what happened to Athena Strand. The trial everyone has been waiting over three years for changed before it even started. Horner, the FedEx delivery driver charged with kidnapping and killing seven-year-old Athena from her Cottondale home in November 2022, pleaded guilty to both charges the moment the jury was sworn in. The guilt phase is over. Now twelve people have one job: decide whether Tanner Horner lives or dies. What follows the plea is the state's opening statement, and DA James Stainton does not hold back. He told the jury that everything Horner said about accidentally hitting Athena with his van is a lie. That she was alive and uninjured when he put her in that truck. That there is audio. That they will hear what happened over the course of an hour. Watch how Stainton lays out what this jury is about to see and hear over the next few weeks, and pay attention to how he frames the defense's case before they even get a chance to present it. --- WATCH WITH JUSTICE 0:00 to 7:17 - Before the jury walks in, the defense makes a constitutional stand. They argue that Horner's sexual history with consenting adults should be excluded because parading it in a death penalty case is fundamentally unfair. The judge overrules, but watch the argument. This is about whether the punishment phase is a fair fight. 9:16 to 10:36 - The defense puts something on the record that most people would miss. Eighty percent of the gallery is wearing pink, Athena's signature color, from organized campaigns over three years. The judge notes it and moves on. Remember this if this case goes to appeal. 12:11 to 15:28 - The jury is sworn. The indictment is read. Horner stands and pleads guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping. The judge explains to the jury that their only job now is punishment. This is the moment the trial changed direction. 15:28 to 24:48 - Stainton opens with a Bible verse and never lets up. He introduces Athena, destroys every version of events Horner has given, and then drops what the jury is about to hear: audio from inside the van. The camera was covered but the microphone kept running. The first words out of Horner's mouth to a seven-year-old girl were "Don't scream or I'll hurt you." He said it twice. 24:48 to 30:47 - Stainton tells the jury what the evidence will show. DNA where it should never be found on a child. Horner on the same road 24 hours earlier with a different girl. An hour-long attack. Preparation. Planning. And the next day, Horner showed up to work on time in the same van he killed her in and drove right through the scene. 30:47 to 33:10 - Stainton closes with Athena. She would have been 11 next month. Fourth grade. Past tense. The video ends as the defense prepares to deliver their opening statement. --- COMPLETE CASE COVERAGE justiceisaprocess.com SUBSCRIBE for daily trial coverage and hit the notification bell so you never miss testimony. JOIN to unlock the Case Notebook powered by NotebookLM, where you can chat with the evidence, ask questions about testimony, and go deeper than any comment section allows. CASE BACKGROUND REPORT: https://www.justiceisaprocess.com/tx-... Complete case overview including charges, timeline, key players, and legal analysis for the capital murder trial of Tanner Lynn Horner in the death of Athena Strand. PLAYLISTS AND RESOURCES Website: https://www.justiceisaprocess.com/cov... Full Trial Live Broadcasts:    • LIVE BROADCAST: TX v. Tanner Horner   No Breaks Edition:    • NO BREAKS EDITION: TX v. Tanner Horner   Trial Analysis Podcast:    • PODCAST: TX v. Tanner Horner   Key Moments and Testimony:    • KEY MOMENTS: TX v. Tanner Horner   Subscribe for Daily Coverage:    / @justiceisaprocess   FAIR USE AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE This content is produced under Fair Use (17 U.S.C. 107) for news reporting, criticism, and educational purposes. We provide transformative commentary on public court proceedings, advancing public understanding of the judicial process through timestamps, analysis, and educational context. #JusticeIsAProcess #AthenaStrand #TannerHorner