Horner's Mom Testifies in Capital Murder Trial

0:00It's April 23rd, Dallas News Today starts now, AI powered and ready. In the Capitol murder trial of 34-year-old former FedEx driver Tanner Horner, he's already pleaded guilty to kidnapping and killing. Seven-year-old Athena Strand back on November 30th, 2022. Now the jury's got to decide between death or life without parole. Defense kicked off their case with Horner's mom, Melissa, painting a picture of his rough childhood and a Tarant County courtroom. She explained how Tanner got diagnosed with Asperger syndrome early on. Struggled to make friends and had intense meltdowns when he couldn't, communicate. His parents split when he was about two, dad ended up in prison and later passed, while mom battled addiction, bouncing in and out of rehab sometimes. Taking Tanner along, other times leaving him with grandparents. Melissa opened up about her own trauma too, abused, starting at four, into drugs and stripping as a teen, even met Tanner's dad there who assaulted her.

1:00First night. She quit most substances during pregnancy, but relapsed later and young Tanner once bound her overdosed. Still, she shared memories apart playtime with her boys and showed jurors' baby picks of Tanner, plus video of his own kids' first steps. Prosecutors hit back with video and audio proving, Horner lured Athena into his truck, tried killing her multiple times as she fought, then dumped her. In the Trinity River after cleaning up, medical examiner ruled it blunt forced trauma, smothering and strangulation. Melissa admitted watching live stream evidence against orders and now questions her son's initial story. Trial picks up today with more defense experts, as jurors weigh of Horner's a future danger and if mental health stuff like his autism merits life. Over death key call in Texas cases like this.