Wise County, Texas has been in the headlines since the tragic murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand, but recent developments in the case have shifted focus onto the suspect, Tanner Horner. A judge has denied Horner's plea to be moved from the Wise County Jail, where he is awaiting trial on a capital murder charge for the 2022 death of Strand, according to FOX 4 News.
Horner, who was a FedEx contract driver at the time of the murder, was charged after confessing to accidentally hitting Strand with his delivery van, abducting, then killing her, reports WFAA. Following a suicide attempt, Horner has been confined to solitary near the jail's intake area, a spot meant for short-term holding—a placement that has lasted since May 2023.
The suspect's lawyer has argued that because of this prolonged placement, Horner has faced "cruel and unusual punishment,” according to WFAA. lacking consistent access to showers and sleeping on concrete with a thin mattress and blanket. Furthermore, Horner's attorney claims his client, who has autism, is enduring conditions that are impact his mental health and impede communication with counsel, potentially driving him toward incompetency.
Although Horner's lawyer recommended a transfer to Tarrant County Jail, which might be better equipped to meet Horner's mental health needs, the judge has, for the time being, dismissed the request. The judge suggested resolving the issues with the sheriff's office before any directive would be issued. As the community still grapples with Strand's tragic loss, particularly poignant given that the package Horner was delivering contained Barbies for the girl's Christmas, the attention now falls on the fairness of Horner's pre-trial treatment.
Horner's trial has been held up by changes in his legal representation, and while it remains unclear how these jail conditions might affect the upcoming legal processes, Wise County officials appear to be at an impasse regarding the matter. The community continues to mourn Strand, whose disappearance and death captured widespread attention and led to an exhaustive search culminating in the devastating discovery of her body in a creek near Boyd.
