Credit: Wise County Sheriff's Department
Victim’s Family Have Chilling Message For FedEx Driver After He’s Sentenced To Death
The family of seven-year-old Athena Strand shared a chilling message with former FedEx driver Tanner Horner.
He was sentenced to death by lethal injection for her kidnapping and murder.
Horner, 34, admitted to abducting and killing the young girl in November 2022 after arriving at her family’s home in Paradise, Texas, to deliver a package containing Christmas Barbie dolls.
The horrifying case shocked the country after investigators uncovered disturbing audio and video evidence from inside Horner’s delivery van, revealing Athena was alive and pleading with him shortly after she was taken.
Following weeks of emotional testimony, jurors deliberated for only a short time before deciding Horner should receive the death penalty rather than spend the rest of his life behind bars.
But while the sentencing marked the end of one stage of the legal battle, the emotional statements delivered by Athena’s devastated relatives became some of the most powerful moments of the trial.
Jury hears disturbing evidence during sentencing
The case centered around the disappearance of Athena Strand on November 30, 2022.
The seven-year-old had reportedly gone outside near her family home after an argument when Horner arrived in the area while completing deliveries for FedEx.
Prosecutors said Horner kidnapped the child before later strangling her inside his van.
Initially, Horner attempted to mislead investigators by claiming he had accidentally hit Athena with his vehicle and panicked.
But evidence presented during the trial contradicted that version of events.
Video footage from inside the van reportedly showed Athena alive and physically unharmed after entering the vehicle. Jurors also heard audio recordings in which the frightened child questioned Horner and asked where he was taking her.
Investigators later found Horner’s DNA underneath Athena’s fingernails, with prosecutors arguing she had desperately fought back against her attacker.
Her body was discovered abandoned near a river roughly two days after she vanished, around 11 miles from her home.
The emotional trial included graphic evidence and testimony that left several people inside the courtroom visibly distressed.
At one point, before footage was shown, the judge warned attendees to leave if they believed they would be unable to watch or listen to the material being presented.
Killer’s defense rejected by prosecutors
Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping shortly before the trial began, meaning jurors only needed to decide whether he should receive life imprisonment or the death penalty.
His legal team attempted to argue that his difficult upbringing, mental health struggles, and autism diagnosis should spare him from execution.
Defense attorneys claimed Horner had suffered neurological and psychological problems throughout his life, including exposure to alcohol before birth and developmental difficulties during childhood.
But prosecutors strongly pushed back against those arguments.
They argued there was evidence Horner had fantasized about violence long before Athena’s murder and insisted his actions were deliberate and calculated.
One prosecutor told jurors that countless people live with disabilities or mental health conditions without committing horrific crimes.
The state also highlighted evidence suggesting Horner had attempted to manipulate investigators after his arrest.
During police questioning, footage showed him making an astonishing request while discussing the case with detectives.
According to testimony shown in court, Horner told investigators he wanted one month of freedom with his family in exchange for revealing details about the crime.
He allegedly suggested that police allow him to spend Christmas with his son while wearing a GPS monitor before he would fully cooperate.
When detectives rejected the proposal, Horner reportedly replied: “That’s basically my price.”
The request stunned many following the case and became another major focus during the sentencing proceedings.
Athena’s family delivers emotional courtroom statements
As the trial came to an end, Athena’s loved ones addressed Horner directly inside the courtroom.
Her family described the devastating impact her murder had caused and spoke about the future moments the little girl would never experience.
Athena’s mother, Maitlyn Gandy, delivered an emotional statement while reflecting on the loss of her daughter.
“Every breath he takes is one my daughter doesn’t,” she told the court.
Relatives described Athena as a bright, loving child with dreams and a future that had been stolen from her forever.
Her uncle Elijah Strand also addressed Horner face-to-face during the sentencing hearing, condemning him for the pain he had inflicted on the family.
He told the killer that Athena would continue to be remembered and celebrated long after he was forgotten.
According to courtroom reports, Elijah said Horner had not only taken a child’s life but shattered an entire family through his actions.
The emotional testimony reportedly left many people in the courtroom visibly shaken.
Meanwhile, prosecutors argued the death sentence was justified because Horner would remain a danger if ever allowed back into society.
Jurors ultimately agreed and unanimously voted in favor of execution by lethal injection.
The decision will now automatically move through the appeals process required under Texas law.
Family’s final warning leaves courtroom stunned
Although the sentencing officially concluded the trial, it was the chilling final remarks from Athena’s family that continued to resonate long afterward.
During his statement, Elijah Strand directly challenged Horner’s claims about religion and remorse after the killer reportedly spoke about finding God while in jail.
Elijah told him that nothing could erase what had happened to Athena or undo the suffering caused by her murder.
He said Horner had taken away a little girl who trusted the world and replaced that innocence with unimaginable violence, per the BBC.
Then came the haunting message that silenced the courtroom. “You will face the wrath of God.”
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