BREAKING: The Tanner Horner Verdict; Athena Strand Deserves More

This explosive opinion episode of The Last Clue delivers a blistering takedown of Tanner Horner, the convicted killer of 7‑year‑old Athena Strand, and the system that now shelters him on death row. We expose the stark contrast between the carefully managed Texas execution process and the lifelong agony Athena’s family must endure. With fierce commentary, insight, and a call to action supporting Athena Strand’s Army, this episode pushes true‑crime accountability to its limits. A must‑listen for anyone who believes justice should mean something.

LINK TO DONATE:  Athena Strand's Army 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:32

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SPEAKER_02 0:50

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SPEAKER_00 1:13

Tonight we're telling the story of a little girl whose name has become a symbol of innocence, stolen, trust shattered, and a community forever changed. Seven-year-old Athena Strand was supposed to grow up. She was supposed to dance, laugh, learn, and live a full life. Instead, she crossed paths with a man, and we use that term loosely, who made a choice. A choice that ended her life and devastated her family. This is the story of Athena. This is the story of the investigation. This is the story of the trial. And this is the story of the man who now sits on death row. Let's begin.

SPEAKER_02 2:14

Athena Stram was born in 2015, a bright-spirited, funny little girl who loved makeup, dancing, and making people laugh. Her mother, Maitlin Gandy, often described her as, quote, a little firecracker, full of personality and joy. She was the kind of child who lit up a room simply by walking into it. In late November 2022, Athena was staying with her father and stepmother in Paradise, Texas, a small, quiet community in Wise County. It was supposed to be a normal visit, a peaceful holiday season, a time for family. But on November 30th, everything changed. Around 6 p.m., Athena was reported missing. Her stepmother told authorities that Athena had gotten upset after an argument and walked out of the house. At first, it seemed like a simple missing child case. A little girl wandering off, maybe hiding, maybe scared. But as the minutes turned into hours, and the hours turned into a long, terrifying night, investigators realized something was wrong. Search teams combed the area. Drones scanned the woods. Neighbors were questioned, roads were blocked off. And then investigators learned something crucial. A FedEx package had been delivered to the home around the time Athena disappeared.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

The driver was 31-year-old Tanner Lynn Horner, a contract FedEx employee. He told investigators he delivered the package, saw nothing unusual, and left. But something about his story didn't sit right. Authorities brought him in for questioning, and within hours, Horner confessed. According to Court TV and multiple outlets, Horner admitted that he accidentally killed Athena by hitting her, so that he accidentally hit Athena with his truck. Sorry, I'm getting mad all over again. While backing up, he claimed she wasn't seriously injured, but he panicked. He said he feared she would tell her father, as she should. So instead of helping her, instead of calling 911, instead of doing the bare minimum any human being should do, he kidnapped her. He drove away with her, and he killed her.

SPEAKER_02 4:39

On December 2nd, two days after she vanished, investigators found Athena's body southeast of Boyd, Texas. The community broke. The state broke. The nation eventually broke. A seven-year-old child murdered by a delivery driver. Someone who was supposed to be safe, someone who was supposed to be trusted. The charges against Horner were simple: capital murder and aggravated kidnapping, and prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty.

SPEAKER_00 5:12

The trial was emotional, graphic, and devastating. Court TV reported that during sentencing, Athena's mother, Maitlin, looked directly at Horner and said, You will face the wrath of God. The courtroom was silent. The weight of her words hung in the air. Prosecutors presented evidence showing Horner's actions were deliberate, cruel, and calculated. They argued that Athena suffered. They argued that Horner had multiple opportunities to stop and chose not to.

SPEAKER_02 6:25

Meanwhile, Athena's family lives with a permanent hole in their lives. What does justice look like in a case like this? Is the death penalty enough? Should delivery companies be held more accountable for who they hire? And how do families heal from something so senseless, so preventable, and so cruel?

SPEAKER_01 6:48

Then a quiet club. Trapped in a footnote.

SPEAKER_00 7:06

Let's talk about Tanner Horner. Not the crime, not the courtroom, but the so-called justice he's about to receive. Because here's the truth. Death is the easiest part of his sentence. Texas will give him a climate-controlled cell, three meals a day, medical care, years of appeals, and a carefully managed, medically supervised death. According to reporting on the Texas execution process, the final 14 days of a death row inmate's life are structured, monitored, and controlled. They are given daily checks, mental health evaluations, access to spiritual advisors, a final meal, a final statement, a lethal injection designed to be as painless as possible, and they'll probably even sterilize the needle, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but I digress.

SPEAKER_02 7:55

Here we are.

SPEAKER_00 7:56

Here we are. Meanwhile, Athena Strand's family lives with a lifetime sentence of grief. There's no final meal for them, no painless ending, no closure, just a permanent absence. Now let's talk about something else.

SPEAKER_02 8:12

In Texas, a judge cannot simply say, put him in general population. That would be great. That power doesn't exist. That'd be great. That would be great. The only path is through the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles via a clemency application. And even then, the board notifies the DA, the judge, the sheriff, and police chiefs, they have up to 15 days to submit their opinions. The board makes a recommendation and the governor makes the final decision. A judge's opinion is advisory, not binding. So if anybody wants Tanner Horner, which we've said on previous podcasts, if anyone wants him moved to the general population where he would face the same world he forced Athena into, it must come from the board, the governor, and the officials who submit statements during the clemency process. Now, let's talk about money for just a second. Under Texas law and general legal precedent, criminals cannot profit from their crimes. And they shouldn't. No book deals, no documentaries, no interviews for cash. And if anyone tries to profit off of Tanner Horner's story, every penny should go directly to Athena Strand's army, the nonprofit created by her mother, Maitland Gandy. And I'm gonna say this clearly. Donate seven dollars for every year that Athena was on this earth. And post a screenshot with the hashtag hashtag Athena seven. Let the world see her name. Let the world see her impact. Let the world see that she mattered.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

No execution execution will ever be enough. Ever. No sentence will ever be enough. Ever. No punishment will ever balance the scales here. Because Athena's family will live with this for the rest of their lives. Every birthday, every holiday, every quiet moment when they feel the empty space where she should be. Tanner Horner will die once. Athena's family dies a little every day. And that is why justice, no matter how swift, no matter how severe, will never be enough.

SPEAKER_02 10:51

The Last Clue is a production of Smith Media Team LLC. If you have any information about a case or cases, please email us at info at smithmedia teamlc.com. You can follow The Last Clue wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio, and many more. And for exclusive content, exclusive, subscribe to Buzzsprout. And as always, keep searching for the last clue.