The Athens Strand case officially ended on May 5, 2026. Tanner Horner, who was on trial for the kidnapping and murder of the 7-year-old girl, received his sentence 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 first-degree murder.
Members of Athena’s family made emotional, heart-wrenching statements throughout the trial. Her mother, Maitlin Gandy, posed in April, wearing Athena’s favorite color: pink.
“She was the perfect combination of me and Jacob [Strand]Maitlin said: “She loved to wear beautiful princess dresses, but at the same time she would play in the dirt with the same beautiful princess dresses. She was free, she was wild, she was bright, and she was loving. “She wanted to love and be loved, and that’s all.”
Maitlyn went on to describe her sadness when she learned that her daughter’s body had been found nearly four years ago.
“Her ears were messed with, she had incision lines, her chin was scraped,” she explained through tears. “So we dressed her in a hospital gown because I didn’t have clothes for her, and she was naked. We searched her body, and then we did her makeup so Jacob wouldn’t have to see the discoloration and how bad he was. … She was very cold, and she didn’t like the cold.”
Elijah Strand also delivered an impact statement directly to Tanner. He said, “You didn’t just take a life; you destroyed a family. You took a little girl who trusted the world and rewarded that innocence with violence. You chose to cause pain that will last for generations. You say you found God, but what you did to Athena is in direct opposition to everything you claim to believe.”
Below we explain the whole case and what happened to Athens.
What happened to Athens Strand?
Athena was a 7-year-old girl from Paradise, Texas, who was reported missing in late November 2022 after disappearing from her father’s home. The frantic search quickly turned into a large-scale investigation involving local and federal authorities.
Unfortunately, just days later, Athena’s body was found in early December 2022.
Authorities announced that Tanner, a FedEx contract delivery driver who was in the area, confessed to kidnapping and killing Athena.
What did Tanner Horner do?
According to the arrest affidavit, Tanner was working as a delivery driver for FedEx on Nov. 30, 2022, when he was delivering a Christmas package to Athena’s home. Investigators said he accidentally hit the girl with his truck as he pulled out of their driveway.
Tanner told investigators that Athena was not seriously injured at this time, but he was terrified that she would tell her father that he hit her with his truck. So, Tanner put her in his truck and strangled her to death.
What is the verdict for Tanner Horner after the trial?
Tanner was sentenced to death by a jury in Tarrant County, Texas. This ruling is automatically submitted to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
