Athena Strand's mom revealed last words she told 7-year-old before her murder
Britt Jones
Featured Image Credit: Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images
Athena Strand’s mother has shared the final conversation she had with her 7-year-old daughter before she was kidnapped and murdered by a FedEx driver on November 30 2022.
Maitlyn Gandy, took to the stand on Wednesday (May 6), and faced down her killer, Tanner Horner.
The 34-year-old was sentenced to death by lethal injection after pleading guilty to his charges just before the trial was to begin.
Athena had been outside of her father’s home, near Fort Worth, Texas, who she was visiting at the time Horner arrived at the house to deliver a Barbie set Athena was getting for Christmas.
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Footage from inside his FedEx truck showed him driving off with Athena and threatening to harm her if she didn’t stay quiet.
Her naked body was found just days later.
Horner admitted to the court he initially tried to break Athena’s neck, and when that didn’t work, he strangled her to death.
Horner was later arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping and capital murder.
This occurred shortly after Gandy had dropped her child off at her ex’s, with her explaining her final conversation with her little girl.
“I told her that I loved her and that I would see her on Friday,” Gandy said as she wore pink clothing and newly dyed pink hair to match Athena’s favorite color, Fox 4 News reported.
“We had a quick drop-off because her daddy was going to take them to the Christmas lights.”
Gandy went on to describe how she saw Athena at the morgue, sharing that she brought her ‘one of her bows’ to wear.
“When I got to her, she was so cold, and she didn’t like the cold, so I wanted to make sure that she was dressed,” Gandy told the court. “I wanted to make sure she had one of her bows. So I got her some bows.”
After Horner was handed his death sentence, Elijah Strand, Athena's uncle, addressed Athena’s killer, telling the former driver in court: "You are nothing - you are a footnote in Athena's story.
"Her name will forever be remembered, her name will forever be celebrated, and everyone will forget you."
He added: "Athena was more than a headline. She was laughter, curiosity, kindness and innocence. And she had dreams that she will never get to chase, birthdays that she will never celebrate and a life she'll never get to live, because of his actions."
Horner, who was emotionless throughout the trial, at the end of proceedings indicated to the judge that he would be appealing his death sentence.
Tanner Horner delivers a Christmas present to Athena Strand’s home, a box of ‘You Can Be Anything’ Barbie dolls.
Athena had got into an argument with her stepmum Elizabeth Strand, and it's believed she went outside to go to her makeshift bedroom in a converted storage shed, where she was staying during home renovations.
Horner kidnaps her. She is thought to have died about an hour after her disappearance.
CBS reports that police track down Horner the same day through digital evidence.
Texas' Department of Public Safety issues an amber alert to try and find Athena. Two hundred civilians helped scour over 50 acres of land without success.
Police find Athena’s naked body dumped near a river in Boyd, around nine miles from her home. Horner gives the police two false locations, before telling them where to find the body.
He originally says he ran over Athena and panicked, before admitting to killing her.
He is charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping and held on a $1.5 million bond.
Horner pleads not guilty during his arraignment in Wise County.
Technicalities such as who should represent Horner and concerns around pre-trial publicity are said to have slowed down legal proceedings.
Horner changes his plea to guilty just as his trial is about to begin.
Jurors are instead asked if he should receive the death penalty or life in prison.
They are asked two questions. First, do you consider Horner to be a continuing threat to society? Second, are there mitigating circumstances that should exclude Horner from receiving the death penalty?
Tanner Horner is sentenced to death by lethal injection.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.
If you have experienced a child bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.