Credit: Family handout
Athena Strand’s Heartbreaking Final Words To FedEx Driver Before He Murdered Her
Devastating footage played in court revealed the heartbreaking final words of seven-year-old Athena Strand before she was brutally murdered.
Tanner Horner admitting to killing Athena after driving to her home to deliver a Barbie doll Christmas present to her home in Paradise, Texas.
Harrowing dash cam footage showed the moment Horner picked up his victim and placed her into the back of his vehicle on November 30, 2022.
The seven-year-old was reported missing by her father and step-mother, who she was staying with at the time, and her body was discovered discarded in woodland roughly 11 miles away, just two days later.
After his arrest, Horner, now 34, falsely claimed he had accidentally hit Athena with his car, causing him to panic and leading him to bundle her in the back of his vehicle before killing her.
However, the dash cam footage showed the child was completely unharmed at the point she entered the van.
FedEx driver sentenced to the death penalty
Despite his initial denials, Horner pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated kidnapping before his trial was due to go ahead.
A jury of 12 has now decided he will face the death penalty, rather than life in prison, meaning he will be executed by lethal injection at a date later to be confirmed.
At the time of his arrest, the killer horrified cops when he offered them an ultimatum, offering them all the information about the brutal murder in exchange for an outrageous request.
During the sentencing hearing, the jury were shown interrogation footage recorded back in November 2022, in which Horner made one very big demand.
“I imagine that you have, basically, a list and bullet points that you want to know from me. There’s only one thing in this world that I want. I want a month,” he told officers, as per NBC.
“Even if y’all have to put an ankle monitor on me, GPS monitor, check-ups with you. If you give me a month with my family, so I can have Christmas with my son, I’ll tell you everything.”
When cops told him there was no way he’d be able to get out while being under arrest for murdering a child, he responded: “Either way, that’s basically my price.”
During sentencing, an officer revealed that when Horner was asked whether he would like to apologize or say anything to Athena’s family, he simply said he wanted to give them a hug.
Athena Strand’s family respond to the sentencing
Members of Athena’s family very bravely stood up in court to speak to Horner following sentencing.
Her uncle Elijah Strand told him: “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.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Athena’s mum Maitlyn Gandy welcomed the decision to execute her daughter’s killer, saying: “Every breath he takes is one my daughter doesn’t.”
Athena Bland’s harrowing final words
Members of the jury sobbed while watching footage of Athena’s final moments after being bundled into the back of Horner’s FedEx van.
Though not included in the charges against him, the prosecution gave evidence that the young girl had put up a fight, with Horner’s DNA found underneath her fingernails, as well as ‘in places you shouldn’t find DNA on a seven-year-old girl.’
Before the footage was played, the judge told the courtroom, ‘if you think you cannot watch or listen to it, leave now. Now’s your time to get out.’ Several members of her family left the room.
After watching Athena follow her murderer towards the back of the truck, before being lifted inside, the courtroom heard her heartbreaking final words.
“Are you a kidnapper?” she asked him, NBC reports. She also asked him: “Where are you taking me?”
Horner ordered Athena to sit down and not scream, threatening to hurt her if she did. He then covered up the camera, but the audio was still recording, capturing the deeply disturbing details of her murder.
He will now spend life behind bars until his execution.
Related Article: FedEx Driver Sentenced To Death For Murder Of Little Girl, 7, Made Outrageous Request To Police
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