Tanner Horner’s mom—referred to only as Mrs. Horner—told the jurors her son had been bullied as a child and struggled to connect with others before the murder of Athena Strand.

FedEx driver Tanner Horner’s mom broke down in court April 22 while discussing her son’s murder of Athena Strand.

“I am so mad at him. I want to just tear his ass up,” she said through tears, according to CBS News. “She was just a baby.”

Horner pleaded guilty April 7 to capital murder and kidnapping in connection to the 7-year-old’s death, but jurors have now been tasked with determining whether to sentence him to death or life in prison for the 2022 killing.

Strand was killed after Horner stopped at her Wise County, Texas home on Nov. 30, 2022 to deliver a package, then kidnapped the girl by placing her into his truck and driving away. Her body was later discovered in a nearby river.

Tanner Horner’s Mother Describes Bullying, Mental Health Problems

After prosecutors wrapped up their case last week, court resumed April 22 with defense attorneys laying out their argument to spare Horner’s life.

His mother—referred to in court only as Mrs. Horner—took the stand to describe her own difficult upbringing, plagued with alleged abuse by her stepfather and early drug use.

The high school dropout told the court, per NBC DFW, that she had been working as a stripper, doing drugs and drinking “pretty heavily” when she discovered she was eight weeks pregnant with Horner.

Athena Strand/Tanner Horner in court Tuesday April 7, 2026

Photo: Wise County Sheriff’s Department/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images

Though she quit drinking, Mrs. Horner testified that she continued to smoke during the pregnancy.

Mrs. Horner—who explained that she’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder—also testified that she struggled with an addiction to meth and heroin during his childhood, per NBC DFW.

“I nodded out one time, on the toilet,” she told the court, according to the news outlet. “Tanner came in. He was just a little guy, and, he thought I was dead.”

Mrs. Horner told jurors that her son was bullied by his peers growing up and struggled to connect to others, eventually getting diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.

“He didn’t get along with… I mean, he wanted to get along with people, but they just weren’t interested in having conversations with him,” she said, per NBC DFW. “It was hard to watch. Very sad. They didn’t like him at all.”

When she learned that Horner would become a father himself, she testified, according to CBS News, she was happy, but worried about the financial issues that already strained the relationship between Horner and his girlfriend.

Tanner Lynn Horner

Photo: Wise County Sheriff’s Office/AP

Tanner Horner’s Mother Apologized in Court For Son’s Actions

While admitting to being “so mad” after learning that her son killed Strand, Mrs. Horner told the court that she still loved her son.

“Of course, I love my son,” she told his defense attorneys, per the news outlet. “I don’t love who did that, though. I don’t know who that was.”

When cross-examined by prosecutors, she told the court that she had initially believed the story her son had told her that he’d abducted the little girl and then panicked and strangled her.

However, she said she later watched the livestream of earlier court proceedings in which jurors heard audio of Horner telling Strand “you’re really pretty,” and asking her to remove her shirt, according to The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Prosecutors presented an image of Athena Strand inside a FedEx truck before her death.

Photo: Court Exhibit

At one point, “Jingle Bell Rock” could be heard playing on the radio, as Strand screamed and Horner threatened to hurt her more if she didn’t shut up, the outlet reported.

When prosecutors asked now what Mrs. Horner thought of her son’s claims, she replied, according to CBS News, “I don’t know what to say, I’m so sorry.”