Mother of Tanner Horner delivers emotional testimony as defense begins its case

Añadido: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]I begin on a serious note today. The Athena Strand trial, the jury is now back in the courtroom and today the defense began presenting their case. The witness who spent most of the day on the stand, that was Tanner Horner's mother.

[00:00:13]Amelia McGovern has been following the trial for us all week long. She is live for us this afternoon to get us up to speed. First question for you, obviously realizing who was on the stand, what stood out to you today from her testimony?

[00:00:27]Well, first I want to point out Doug that her testimony was certainly emotional and you can argue that she is the one person in this world that knows Tanner the best. So, it would make sense that the defense would use her in this case. Now, Ms. Horner did speak about her own difficult past as well as Tanner Horner's pretty much unstable childhood is how she explained it. But the moment that she broke down emotionally is when she was asked by the defense how she felt about the murder her son pleaded guilty to.

[00:00:55]Knowing that he pled guilty [clears throat] to this.

[00:01:03]Are you angry with him? I'm so mad at him.

[00:01:09]I want to just tear his heart out.

[00:01:22]She's just a baby.

[00:01:24]Do you still love your son?

[00:01:28]Of course I love my son.

[00:01:32]I don't love who did that, though.

[00:01:36]I don't know who that was.

[00:01:41]Now, her face is blurred in that video because she did not want to be identified today. She testified that she has worked as a stripper in the past, used methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and smoked weed and cigarettes during the first 8 to 9 weeks of her pregnancy with Tanner. She said Tanner had developmental issues in his early childhood, was severely bullied in school, and was diagnosed with Asperger's and ADHD. But again, when the questioning came back to the murder, she broke down again and couldn't continue.

[00:02:10]Then he backed into the little girl.

[00:02:13]He panicked and strangled her.

[00:02:17]And um So, you said at first I believed that and now do you believe something different?

[00:02:26]Yes, I do.

[00:02:27]I'm so sorry.

[00:02:31]>> [laughter] >> We also heard from a psychologist who specializes in prison behavior as well as Tanner's great aunt. The defense's goal ultimately is to convince the jury he should not receive the death penalty and instead spend the rest of his life in prison. I also want to point out today that this was really the first time that Tanner Horner's mother and Athena Strand's mother were in that same courtroom together and I feel like that really highlights the human impact in this case and the pain that both families must be feeling in this process. In Fort Worth, Amelia McGovern, CBS News Texas.