Athena Strand - update: Mother vows to keep slain 7-year-old’s story alive after Tanner Horner murder arrest

Follow the latest developments in the disappearance and death of Athena Strand

Community mourns loss

The grieving community of Wise County, Texas, gathered to pay tribute to slain seven-year-old Athena Strand at a candlelight vigil on Tuesday night, days after she was abducted and murdered.

In her first public remarks since the horror killing, Athena’s mother Maitlyn Presley Gandy vowed to keep her daughter’s story alive.

“I want everyone to know Athena for Athena, not what someone tried to make her out to be. Because she was the best little girl,” she said.

Not mentioned during the vigil was suspect Tanner Horner, the FedEx driver accused of kidnapping and killing Athena on 30 November.

After Athena was reported missing, hundreds of volunteers joined the search before the little girl’s body was found six miles away from her Paradise home on Friday.

Police said that Mr Horner confessed to snatching the little girl before killing her within an hour of her abduction. He faces charges of capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.

No motive has been given for what police branded a “crime of opportunity”.

Key Points

• Grandfather says he ‘forgives’ killer
• Missing 7-year-old Texas girl's body found
• FedEx truck driver Tanner Lynn Horner arrested
• Mother says her ‘princess’ taken by ‘cruel monster'
• Athena Strand went missing on Wednesday

[6 December 2022 01:40 · Andrea Blanco]

ICYMI: A timeline of Athena’s Strand disappearance and murder investigation

Athena was last seen alive at her home on the 200 Block of County Rd 3573 in Paradise, at about 5.40pm on Wednesday.

Her stepmother reported her missing around an hour later, sparking a massive search involving multiple local, state and federal law enforcement agencies who used canine units and helicopters with thermal imaging.

Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin announced at a late night press conference on Friday that Athena’s body had been found and a FedEx driver Tanner Horner had been arrested.

The suspect allegedly confessed to abducting Athena and murdering her about an hour later before disposing of her body, Mr Akin told reporters.

[6 December 2022 03:10 · Andrea Blanco]

Everything we know about FedEx driver accused of murdering Athena Strand

According to Wise County Jail records, 31-year-old Tanner Horner was booked at 2am on Friday on one count of capital murder of a person under 10 and aggravated kidnapping.

His bond was set at $1.5m.

Mr Horner has worked as an Uber driver, according to reports, and posted on social media about being a musician.

Here’s everything we know about the case:

[6 December 2022 04:40 · Andrea Blanco]

FedEx puts out statement after driver is arrested in connection to Athena Strand’s murder

In a statement to Fox4, FedEx said: “Words cannot describe our shock and sorrow at the reports surrounding this tragic event.

“First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family during this most difficult time, and we continue to cooperate fully with the investigating authorities. At this time, any further questions should be directed to law enforcement.”

Authorities initially said Mr Horner was from the Lake Worth area. The Lake Worth City police chief said in a tweet that he lived near the lake itself.

A Facebook account that appears to belong to the suspect suggested he was a father of one, engaged to be married, and was a vocalist in a local band.

[6 December 2022 06:20 · Andrea Blanco]

Texans asked to wear pink to honour 7-year-old Athena Strand

Wise County Judge J D Clark said in a statement that pink was Athena’s favourite colour and urged everyone to wear pink on Monday.

“My heart is so heavy about Athena,” the judge added. “Additionally, I encourage everyone to join me at 6.30pm on Monday on the Courthouse steps to pray for Athena, her family, our first responders and our community.”

Athena’s mother also appealed on social media for parents to dress their children in pink as a tribute to her little girl.

“I put my little girl in pink today for Athena. She said “my favorite color is pink too, we could have been friends” I’m praying so hard for you. And I’m so so sorry,” a mother wrote on Facebook.

[6 December 2022 08:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Superintendet of school district Athena attended calls for prayers

Rod Townsend, superintendent of Paradise Independent School District, called for the school community to pray for the child and her family.

“It is with a sad and heavy heart that I address you. We lost a precious member of our student body. Athena Strand was tragically lost this past week,” Mr Townsend wrote in a post addressed to the school district’s community of students, staff and parents.

“This world will forever be different because she wasn’t allowed to grow and develop into the precious young lady she was meant to be.”

(Miatlyn Presley Godny)

[6 December 2022 10:20 · Rachel Sharp]

Mother shares heartbreaking video of Athena's sister

Athena’s mother Maitlyn Presley Gandy posted the video to Facebook on Monday, three days after her child was found dead in Paradise, Texas. The little girl was reported missing on Wednesday (30 November) and suspect Tanner Lynn Horner is now charged with her abduction and murder.

Ms Gandy explained that the video of her other daughter sobbing uncontrollably for her “sissy” was taken days before Athena went missing, as the seven-year-old was visiting her father in Texas. At the time, Ms Gandy said she assured the unconsolable girl that her sister would be back with them in Oklahoma soon.

“That video of [redacted] begging for her sissy was Sunday 11/27 when we thought sissy would only be gone a few days. I kept telling her, ‘it’s okay, we will see sissy soon,’ not knowing how twisted our lives would become,” Ms Gandy wrote.

The Independent has the story:

[6 December 2022 10:40 · Rachel Sharp]

Grandfather says he forgives FedEx driver accused of murdering Athena

The devastated grandfather of murdered seven-year-old Athena Strand has said that he forgives the “psycho” FedEx driver accused of abducting and killing her – but also wishes he could have “five minutes alone in a cell” with the suspect.

Mark Strand broke his silence in a heartbreaking Facebook post on Sunday after his granddaughter’s body was discovered around six miles from her home in Paradise, Texas, and 31-year-old Tanner Lynn Horner was arrested on charges of murder and kidnapping.

“This flesh, this man that I am, is angry and I want 5 minutes alone in a cell with the psycho that took our Athena away from us, but there’s a soft gentle voice in the back of my head telling me I need to forgive him,” he wrote.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

[6 December 2022 11:00 · Rachel Sharp]

Tanner Horner’s neighbours react as he’s accused of murdering Athena Strand

Authorities announced on Friday that FedEx delivery driver Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, was taken into custody for the murder of Athena, who went missing from her home in Paradise, Texas, on 30 November. Wise County sheriff Lane Akin told reporters that Mr Horner confessed to killing Athena within an hour of her abduction.

Speaking to the Forth Worth Star-Telegram, neighbours of Mr Horner said that he lived with his grandmother and mother in the west Fort Worth neighbourhood and that he would leave for weeks at a time before returning home.

Read the full story:

[6 December 2022 11:30 · Rachel Sharp]

School districts wear pink in honour of Athena Strand

Students and staff across several school districts in Texas wore pink on Monday in honour of murdered seven-year-old Athena Strand.

Athena who was snatched from her father’s home and killed last week with a FedEx driver now in police custody.

Her mother said that her favourite colour was pink.

On Monday, local officials and schools urged people to wear pink in her memory.

At least 20 school districts joined in with the touching tribute.

[6 December 2022 12:00 · Rachel Sharp]

What happened to Athena Strand?

Athena vanished without a trace from her home in Paradise on Wednesday (30 November).

The little girl had been dropped off from school at around 4.30pm and was last seen alive at about 5.40pm after she had a quarrel with her stepmother.

Around an hour later, her stepmother went to find the seven-year-old in her room to have dinner but she was nowhere to be found.

Athena was reported missing and, the next day, an Amber Alert was issued.

For the next two days, hundreds of law enforcement officers, family members and local volunteers combed the area desperately trying to find her as her family insisted she wouldn’t have gone off on her own.

Hopes of her safe return were then destroyed on Friday when police confirmed that her body had been discovered in a ditch around six miles from her home.