Mom of girl, 7, murdered by FedEx driver makes huge statement wearing daughter's favorite color in court

The mother of the murdered seven-year-old Athena Strand delivered an emotional testimony in court.

Maitlyn Gandy took the stand wearing pink - her late daughter's favorite color - with her hair dyed to match, as she stared down former FedEx driver Tanner Horner, 34, during his sentencing hearing.

She recalled the last thing she said to Athena before the tragedy. "I told her that I loved her and that I would see her on Friday," Gandy said. "We had a quick drop-off because her daddy was going to take them to the Christmas lights," per FOX 4 News.

Gandy also described the moment she was taken to identify her daughter’s body in the morgue.

"When I got to her, she was so cold, and she didn’t like the cold, so I wanted to make sure that she was dressed," she said. "I wanted to make sure she had one of her bows. So I got her some bows."

She told jurors about the difficulty of explaining Athena's death to her younger sister, who was just three years old at the time.

"I didn’t know how to tell her, and I didn’t think I was strong enough to tell her. So I lied to her for a long time," Gandy revealed. "I would tell her that she was just staying with her daddy for a little bit longer."

"And when she asked to FaceTime or to call her, I would tell her that she was at school or she was sleeping. Until about a year ago, she didn’t know the whole truth," she added.

Athena's Abduction and Final Moments

Prosecutors say Athena was abducted on November 30, 2022, while outside her home in Lake Worth, Texas, as Horner delivered a package of Barbies intended as a Christmas gift.

Evidence presented in court revealed heartbreaking details of her final moments.

Audio from inside the delivery truck allegedly captured Horner threatening the child, with prosecutor James Stainton telling jurors he said: "Don't scream or I'll hurt you."

He added: "One thing you’re going to hear that is something you can’t unhear is the level of fight that a seven-year-old girl has...I’ll tell you that little girl right there is a warrior. She fought with the strength of 100 men."

Footage from the vehicle showed Athena inside the truck, contradicting Horner’s initial claim that he had accidentally struck her with his vehicle.

When police later questioned him about her whereabouts, he told officers: "I can show you." When asked, "Is she alive?" he replied: "She wasn't alive when I put her in the truck."

Prosecutors say he later dumped her body in a wooded area near the Trinity River.

Her naked body was found days later, with DNA evidence discovered under her fingernails and "in places where you shouldn't find DNA".

Killer's Chilling Request

Horner later admitted in court that he initially tried to break Athena’s neck, but when that didn’t work, he strangled her with his bare hands instead.

Following his arrest, interrogation footage showed him attempting to bargain with police in exchange for information.

"I imagine that you have, basically, a list and bullet points that you want to know from me. There’s only one thing in this world that I want... I want a month," he said.

"Even if y’all have to put an ankle monitor on me, GPS monitor, check-ups with you. If you give me a month with my family, so I can have Christmas with my son, I’ll tell you everything," he added.

When officers made it clear that his request was unlikely, he responded: "Either way, that’s basically my price."

Horner pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murdering the young girl. Jurors are now deciding whether he will face the death penalty or life in prison.

Featured image credit: WFAA