Athena Strand’s killer FedEx driver's split personas, defense scream ‘manipulation,’ not madness: expert

Disturbing video played successful a Texas courtroom shows the erstwhile FedEx operator who pleaded blameworthy to sidesplitting 7-year-old Athena Strand flipping betwixt personalities arsenic his defence argues his beingness should beryllium spared owed to his struggles with intelligence health. 

Tanner Horner, 34, pleaded blameworthy to the abduction and execution of Athena conscionable moments earlier his proceedings was acceptable to statesman successful Fort Worth this week. A assemblage volition determine if helium volition beryllium sentenced to beingness successful situation oregon the decease penalty.

Jurors person spent respective days watching assemblage camera footage and constabulary interrogation videos of Horner’s interactions with authorities aft helium was taken into custody arsenic they measurement whether helium volition person the decease penalty. 

Defense lawyer Lindsay Thompson has looked to overgarment Horner arsenic sympathetic to the assemblage by revealing helium has been diagnosed with autism and suffers from encephalon damage, intelligence unwellness and utmost pb exposure.

BODYCAM SHOWS ATHENA STRAND’S KILLER FEDEX DRIVER FLIP PERSONAS, SAY DISCARDING GIRL’S CLOTHES WAS ‘FUNNY’

Former FedEx transportation operator Tanner Horner allegedly struck Athena Strand with his conveyance connected Nov. 30, strangled her, and past hid her assemblage 10 miles from her father's home. (Varghese and Summersett Law Group)

Haunting assemblage camera video played successful tribunal Thursday showed Horner directing officers to talk with his change ego, whom helium referred to arsenic "Zero." 

"Hey Zero, erstwhile you took her, was she wearing a overgarment oregon anything?" the serviceman said successful the clip, referring to Athena. 

"No jacket, nary shoes," Horner, speaking arsenic Zero, replied. 

The evident property power seemingly came retired of obscurity during Horner’s enactment with instrumentality enforcement, raising reddish flags for Dr. Carole Lieberman, a forensic psychiatrist and adept proceedings witness. 

ATHENA STRAND’S KILLER FEDEX DRIVER TOLD POLICE HE ‘KIND OF TOSSED’ 7-YEAR-OLD’S BODY INTO WOODS, VIDEO SHOWS

Tanner Horner listens during the archetypal time of his superior execution proceedings astatine the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center successful Fort Worth, Texas, connected April 7, 2026. He is charged with kidnapping and sidesplitting 7-year-old Athena Strand successful 2022. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News)

"What stands retired the most, from a transgression profiling perspective, is the aggregate sides that Horner has presented of himself successful antithetic scenarios," Lieberman told Fox News Digital. 

"He has seemed perfectly sane astatine times, portion helium besides claims to person a abstracted individuality oregon change ego, which could mean that helium was being manipulative – similar a malingerer oregon psychopath astatine different times." 

WATCH: Athena Strand's slayer says helium ‘just benignant of tossed her’ successful woods

As the assemblage camera video continued to play, jurors heard authorities straight code Zero upon learning that the change ego appeared to beryllium much "helpful." 

"So did you deed her earlier you dropped the package? I’m sorry, did Tanner deed her earlier the bundle was dropped off, oregon after?" the serviceman asked. 

"Do you privation to speech to him?" Horner replied, referring to himself. 

ATHENA STRAND PHOTO SHOWS DEADLY RIDE WITH FEDEX DRIVER WHO ADMITTED KILLING GIRL DURING CHRISTMAS DELIVERY

A recently released photograph shows 7-year-old Athena Strand soon earlier prosecutors accidental she was abducted and killed by a FedEx operator delivering her Christmas present. (POOL via KDFW-TV)

"No, I privation to speech to Zero. I privation to speech to you. Because you’re being much honest, you’re much helpful," the serviceman said. 

In airy of the video, Lieberman suggests Horner’s change ego could beryllium a mode for him to debar accountability for his actions. 

"Sometimes criminals similar to telephone the ‘bad’ portion of themselves a abstracted identity, truthful that they don’t person to ain it," Lieberman said. 

"It tin beryllium a coping mechanics – erstwhile the idiosyncratic splits disconnected the portion of his property helium doesn’t privation to admit – oregon it could beryllium psychopathic manipulation oregon malingering."

MAN CONFESSES TO KILLING 7-YEAR-OLD WHILE ON THE LAM AFTER DNA LINKS HIM TO 30-YEAR COLD CASE: AUTHORITIES

Jurors were shown grounds pictures of the interior of Tanner Horner's FedEx conveyance arsenic good arsenic bungee cords connected Friday, April 10, 2026. Horner kidnapped and strangled 7-year-old Athena Strand successful the FedEx conveyance connected Nov. 22, 2022. (KDFW-TV)

However, Lieberman noted that astir criminals claiming to person an alternate property typically driblet the enactment erstwhile successful custody, dissimilar Horner. 

"In my experience, convulsive offenders bash sometimes effort to assertion a abstracted individuality oregon change ego," Lieberman told Fox News Digital. "But they usually springiness it up nether aggravated psychiatric evaluation, oregon erstwhile they are ‘busted.’"

Interrogation video played for the tribunal besides showed Horner pleading with investigators to let him retired of jailhouse for a period truthful helium could walk 1 past Christmas with his family, portion besides appearing to amusement remorse for the strangulation of Athena. 

"Did you cognize what you did was wrong?" Texas Ranger Job Espinoza asked him, according to FOX 4.

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"Of course," Horner said. "I haven't been connected that medicine for 5 days, and it's starting to deterioration off. I've really been crying. Do you cognize what it's like, not being capable to outcry for months and months and months?"

"I’m a father," helium continued arsenic helium grew emotional. "All I privation is to walk 1 past Christmas with my son, and I’ll archer you everything."

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Lieberman points to Horner being a begetter and holding a occupation arsenic a FedEx operator arsenic a imaginable snag for his defence surrounding his past of intelligence illness. 

"Horner’s occupation past would clasp clues too," Lieberman said. "If helium has conscionable held debased functioning jobs, oregon if he’s been fired from jobs a lot, this could talk to his autism oregon encephalon damage."

WATCH: Tanner Horner pleads blameworthy to sidesplitting Athena Strand

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"But radical with autism oregon encephalon harm aren’t arsenic capable to marque up stories astir having an change ego." 

Horner initially claimed helium accidentally struck Athena with his transportation motortruck portion delivering a bundle to her father’s home, but aboriginal admitted to abducting and strangling her successful November 2022 successful Paradise, Texas.

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He antecedently said helium "kind of tossed" the young miss into the woods aft sidesplitting her, according to an interrogation video shown to jurors.

Prosecutors person revealed grounds showing Horner covered a camera wrong his FedEx motortruck earlier launching an extended onslaught against Athena arsenic she fought back. He aboriginal disposed of her assemblage successful a wooded country adjacent Boyd, Texas.

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Authorities said helium past returned to work, continuing to present packages successful adjacent neighborhoods arsenic authorities launched a hopeless hunt for the girl. Her assemblage was located 3 days later. 

Lieberman suggested jurors volition apt person a beardown affectional absorption to the case, fixed that it involves the execution of a young child, and whitethorn not enactment overmuch value into Horner’s intelligence wellness defense.

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"Cases involving children origin radical to person beardown affectional reactions due to the fact that they rapidly place with the kid – some successful presumption of their ain children and successful presumption of themselves erstwhile they were a child," Lieberman said. "So they usually privation the strongest punishment for the perpetrator and person small patience oregon compassion for a intelligence wellness defense." 

"What makes this lawsuit adjacent little sympathetic is that Horner was delivering Barbie dolls for her Christmas present," Lieberman added. "A chilling juxtaposition of sweetness with evil."

Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.