WISE COUNTY – (WBAP/KLIF) – The suspect accused of murdering 7-year old Athena Strand is asking to be moved from the Wise County Jail; the attorney for him cites “cruel and unusual punishment” in conditions. Horner has been kept in solitary confinement since a reported prior suicide attempt and concerns he again may harm himself.
Tanner Horner faces capital murder charges in connection to the death of Athena Strand. The request to be moved to another jail comes one year after the girl’s body was found in a rural Wise County creekbed.
Horner is reported as having been in solitary confinement and his attorney says Horner’s autism could worsen if he’s kept in related conditions with limited communication offered to other inmates. Horner’s attorney says Horner is sleeping on the floor with a thin mattress and a blanket.
Horner is reported as saying he accidentally ran over Athena as a contract FedEx driver; he’s accused of kidnapping and killing her in fear of what could happen to him as a result.
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