During her first television interview, Gandy (pictured) described in detail how the family have managed to get through the last couple of weeks since Athena was strangled to death by Tanner Horner, 31, in the back of his delivery van.
Maitlyn Gandy, the mother of Athena Strand, reflects on her daughter’s life and her hopes of justice for her killer during her first television interview.
Emmanuelsblog recalled that ​Athena was abducted from her father’s home in Paradise, Texas, in November 30 by FedEx driver Tanner Horner.
In a 20 minute interview Gandy tells of how the family have been coping and how she wishes the suspect had driven away instead of killing her little girl.
The killer Horner, meanwhile, is being held on charges of capital murder and aggravated kidnapping in Wise County, Texas but Handy really hopes Horner will be sentenced to death.
During the interview, she revealed the deeply personal moment of seeing Athena’s face one final time as she closed the casket at her little girl’s funeral.
She also explained harrowing details of how Athena’s three-year-old sister, Rilyn, longs for her to come home and seems to not yet fully comprehend what has happened to her sibling.
Gandy says that if and when a trial happens, she hopes that prosecutors will push for Horner to be executed.
The death penalty still exists as a form of punishment in the state of Texas, however during 2022 juries sentenced just two people to death. ‘I support the death penalty. In any sentencing that may come,’ Gandy told WFAA.
‘Every breath he takes is one my daughter doesn’t.’
‘If I could sit down in front of him, I would tell him that he is nothing, but that Athena is absolutely everything, and I will make sure that everybody in this world knows that he is nothing and that she is everything.’
Horner is facing charges of capital murder and aggravated kidnapping. He is being held on a $1.5 million bail.
