Athena Strand’s mother: “I will be her spokesperson”
Tanner Horner pleaded guilty to kidnapping and strangling 7-year-old Maitlin Gandy. He now faces the death penalty. Gandhi’s mother spoke up.
Fox – 4 News
A disturbing audio recording of the 7-year-old’s final moments left jurors visibly distraught on Thursday, April 16, during the sentencing hearing of a former FedEx driver accused of kidnapping and strangling a young girl.
Tanner Lynn Horner, 34, pleaded guilty on April 7 to capital murder in the case of Athena Strand, a girl who was abducted from her home in Wise County, Texas, in November 2022. The ongoing sentencing trial, which also began on April 7, will determine whether Horner faces the death penalty.
Jurors sobbed as they listened to more than an hour of video and audio excerpts of Athena’s final moments, from the moment she was lured into Horner’s car to the attack, local news station NBC DFW reported.
Judge George Gallagher warned viewers of the graphic nature of the recordings in court on Thursday, April 16, saying: “If you don’t think you can see or hear what you want, leave now. It’s time to leave.”
Athena’s parents left the room before the audio was played, leaving jurors shaking and crying. In earlier testimony, Athena’s mother, Maitlin Gandy, apologized to “innocent people” who had to listen to the recording in its entirety, Fox4 reported.
“No one in this room asked what was in that video other than Tanner Horner, and certainly neither did Athena,” she said.
Chilling audio and video captures 7-year-old girl’s final moments
Horner was captured on camera on a FedEx delivery vehicle approaching Athena’s home on November 30, 2022, to deliver a package. Horner returned a few minutes later with his 7-year-old son, picked Athena up and put her in his truck. After the first kidnapping, Horner covered the lens of the truck’s camera, and only audio was recorded from then on.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, NBC DFW and Fox 4 reported that as details poured out, certain moments elicited reactions from jurors and bystanders, including the first question Athena asked Horner: “What are you doing?” and “Are you a kidnapper?”
According to news outlets, Horner brushed aside questions from children who seemed confused about where they were going. At one point, he said to the girl, “You look really pretty. Do you know that?”
On the recording, he can be heard telling the girl, who started crying, to take off her shirt and threatening to hurt her if she screams. Athena repeatedly told Horner “no” and asked him to return home to her mother. Later, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that “Jingle Bell Rock” was played on the radio as Mr. Horner told the crying Athena to “shut up.”
Audio recordings captured subsequent seizure sounds, including beatings, screams, cries, and choking sounds. Local media reported that jurors could be heard reaching for stacks of tissues and sniffling in the silence that erupted during the audio playback.
The jury also saw footage of Horner returning to the area where he had taken Athena in a FedEx truck the day after the kidnapping. When the woman told him the area was cordoned off due to a kidnapping investigation, he appeared surprised and told her she had to get through to deliver more packages, Fox 4 reported.
“You have to stop your car and ask if you can let them through. They’ve even had a 7-year-old kidnapped,” the woman said, to which Horner responded, “Are you serious? Is that all you want? Are you serious?”
Athena’s father, Jacob Strand, also took the stand Thursday and explained how his daughter’s death has affected his life.
He said he was “absolutely heartbroken,” according to CBS. He explained that in the aftermath he became dependent on alcohol, lost 50 pounds, ruined his marriage, and hardly slept or ate.
Juror considers death penalty for former FedEx driver
Tanner Lynn Horner pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murdering Athena on April 7, USA TODAY previously reported.
Horner previously told investigators that he accidentally crashed Athena with his car on November 30, 2022 to prevent her from reporting the incident, and then took her away, even though she was not initially seriously injured. He said he panicked and strangled her after she said he would tell her father that she had hit him.
Prosecuting attorney James Stainton declared this a “lie” in his opening testimony, saying Horner had told police several different stories about what happened to Athena and where her body was during the investigation.
Athena was found naked in the Trinity River on December 2, two days after her stepmother reported her missing. The medical examiner determined she died from blunt force trauma and strangulation.
Stainton said hour-long recordings and physical evidence show Athena fought back. He said Horner’s DNA was found under her fingernails and in “places you wouldn’t expect DNA to be found in a 7-year-old girl.”
Horner has already pleaded guilty to capital punishment, but jurors are now tasked with deciding whether the death penalty is on the table. The prosecution adjourned the case on Thursday, April 16th, and the defense began arguments on Friday, April 17th.
Defense lawyer Stephen Goble said Mr Horner had suffered from mental illness throughout his life and was autistic. Goble asked jurors to consider mitigating factors and sentence Horner to life in prison rather than the death penalty, USA TODAY reported.
Contributors: Jeanine Santucci, Christine Fernando, america today
