The case of Athena Strand officially came to a close on May 5, 2026. Tanner Horner, who had been on trial for the kidnapping and murder of the late 7-year-old girl, received his sentencing that day after the jury reached a verdict. He was facing the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to capital murder.
Athena’s family members delivered gut-wrenching impact statements throughout the trial. Her mother, Maitlyn Gandy, took the stand in April, wearing Athena’s favorite color: pink.
“She was the perfect mixture of me and Jacob [Strand],” Maitlyn said. “She loved to wear her pretty princess dresses, but at the same time, she would play in the dirt in the same pretty princess dresses. She was free, and she was wild, and she was bright, and she was loving. She wanted to love and be loved, and that’s it.”
Maitlyn went on to describe the heartbreak upon learning her daughter’s body had been found nearly four years ago.
“Her ears were messed up, and she had incision lines, and her chin was scraped up,” she explained through tears. “So we put her in a hospital gown because I didn’t have clothes for her, and she was naked. And I searched her body, and then we did her makeup so Jacob wouldn’t have to see the discoloration and how bad it was. … She was so cold, and she didn’t like the cold.”
Elijah Strand also delivered an impact statement directly to Tanner. He said, “You did not just take a life; you destroyed a family. You took a little girl who trusted the world and repaid that innocence with violence. You chose to cause pain that will last generations. You say you found God, but what you did to Athena stands in direct opposition of everything you claim to believe.”
Below, we explain the full case and what happened to Athena.
What Happened to Athena Strand?
Athena was a 7-year-old child from Paradise, Texas, who was reported missing in late November 2022 after she disappeared from her father’s home. A frantic search quickly became a wide-scale investigation involving both local and federal authorities.
Unfortunately, just days later, Athena’s body was found in early December 2022.
Authorities announced that Tanner, a contract FedEx delivery driver who had been in the area, confessed to abducting and killing Athena.
What Did Tanner Horner Do?
According to an arrest affidavit, Tanner was working as a FedEx delivery driver on November 30, 2022, when he was delivering a Christmas package to Athena’s home. Investigators said he accidentally hit the young girl with his truck while backing out of their driveway.
Tanner told investigators that Athena wasn’t gravely injured at the moment, but he panicked that she would tell her father that he hit her with his truck. So, Tanner put her in his van and strangled her to death.
What Was Tanner Horner’s Sentencing After the Trial?
Tanner was sentenced to death by a Tarrant County, Texas, jury. This sentence is automatically submitted to the Texas Criminal Appeals Court.
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