@trial_trackers: Day 1 in the Tanner Horner case changed instantly when Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder just before trial began. That moved the case straight into the penalty phase, where jurors will decide between the death penalty and life without parole. Prosecutors told jurors Athena Strand fought for her life and said video, audio, and DNA evidence contradict Horner’s repeated lies to police. The defense responded by arguing Horner has lifelong mental illness, developmental impairments, and brain damage that should spare him from execution. Tanner Horner is the former delivery driver charged in the killing of 7-year-old Athena Strand. Because he pleaded guilty on Day 1, the jury is no longer deciding guilt and is focused only on punishment. #truecrime #courtroom #trial