Maitlyn Gandy, mom of Athena Strand, the seven-year-old lady who was kidnapped and strangled by a FedEx driver outdoors of her Dallas house final month, has mentioned she hopes her daughter’s killer will likely be sentenced to dying.
Throughout her first tv interview, Gandy described intimately how the household have managed to get by means of the final couple of weeks and spoke of how grateful she was for the outpouring of help from the neighborhood.
She shared harrowing particulars of how Athena’s three-year-old sister, Rilyn, longs for her to come back house and appears to not but absolutely comprehend what has occurred to her sibling.
She additionally revealed the deeply private second of seeing Athena’s face one closing time as she closed the casket at her little lady’s funeral.
In her first tv interview, Maitlyn Gandy, the mom of Athena Strand, has mirrored on her daughter’s life and her hopes of justice for her killer
Athena was kidnapped from her father’s house in Paradise, Texas, on November 30 by FedEx driver Tanner Horner, police say
Athena vanished from her father’s house in Smart County on November 30, her physique was recovered two days later. The suspect Tanner Horner, 31, instructed investigators that he by chance hit Strand along with his truck, ‘panicked,’ after which strangled her to dying at the back of his FedEx truck.
Gandy says that if and when a trial occurs, she hopes that prosecutors will push for Horner to be executed.
The dying penalty nonetheless exists as a type of punishment within the state of Texas, nevertheless throughout 2022 juries sentenced simply two folks to dying.
‘I help the dying penalty. In any sentencing that will come,’ Gandy instructed WFAA.
‘Each breath he takes is one my daughter does not.
‘If I might sit down in entrance of him, I might inform him that he’s nothing, however that Athena is totally every thing, and I’ll ensure that everyone on this world is aware of that he’s nothing and that she is every thing.’
Horner is going through expenses of capital homicide and aggravated kidnapping. He’s being held on a $1.5 million bail.
Maitlyn Gandy, embraces different children throughout a memorial service earlier this month
The seven-year-old was laid to relaxation in a vivid pink coffin at a personal funeral service. Gandy, 26, mentioned her late daughter, Athena, will likely be cremated and ‘come house in an urn as a result of I am not wherever near letting my child go’
Maitlyn Gandy posted pictures of her ate daughter Athena’s pink coffin on her Fb web page
Horner instructed investigators that Athena wasn’t significantly harm after he hit her whereas backing up, however he panicked and put her in his van. He mentioned she was speaking to him and instructed him her identify, based on an affidavit.
However Horner mentioned he did not need her to inform her father what occurred, so he first tried to interrupt the lady’s neck and when that did not work he strangled her along with his palms at the back of the van, the warrant mentioned. Horner later took investigators to the place he’d left Athena’s physique.
Gandy says she wished he had merely pushed away and let her daughter stroll.
‘We’re very forgiving folks. If Athena was not injured or even when she had a couple of bumps and scrapes, he might have simply pushed away. We might have forgiven him,’ Gandy mentioned.
‘Accidents do occur, however he selected to do extra – and what he did was unforgivable. I’ve a tough time believing Athena could not have walked away. Athena might have simply walked away, and I want he would have let her.’
Throughout what’s her first sit-down interview for the reason that tragedy, Gandy says she continues to be grieving for her daughter whereas nonetheless making an attempt to look after her youthful sister, Rilyn.
‘I triple-check my doorways each night time, and I maintain my three-year-old tighter. I am scared to let her go. Every thing is simply very very scary and really very unhappy,’ Gandy mentioned by means of tears
‘I triple-check my doorways each night time, and I maintain my three-year-old tighter. I am scared to let her go. Every thing is simply very, very scary and really, very unhappy,’ Gandy mentioned by means of tears.
‘It has been tough for our household. For my different three-year-old. She does not perceive why she will’t name ‘sissy’ or why she hasn’t come house but. It is a very long time for her to go with out seeing her sister’, she explains.
‘We’re coping. We’re making an attempt to operate. It has been lengthy. Onerous however very chaotic on the identical time.
‘I am unhappy. I am offended. I am confused. I’m doing my finest.
‘I have been very scared, and I do not sleep fairly often or for an prolonged time period. Noises at night time scare me.’
Gandy says one of many hardest moments she has needed to endure was when she noticed he little lady’s face for the ultimate time as she lay her to relaxation at her funeral.
‘I used to be the one who noticed her face final,’ she says. ‘I closed her casket earlier than her daddy, uncles and grandfathers carried her out. I simply held her hand, kissed her and instructed her how sorry I used to be, and the way a lot I like her. That was the final time I noticed her.’
Though Athena’s physique was positioned within the casket for the funeral service, Gandy introduced her cremated stays house in an urn as a result of mentioned she was ‘not wherever near letting my child go.’
By far essentially the most shifting a part of the 20 minute lengthy dialogue about Athena is Gandy paying tribute to the seven-year-old daughter
‘Our household is grateful for the assistance from the neighborhood and legislation enforcement. I would not have made it by means of with out these folks. I simply want that they’d have gotten to fulfill Athena as a result of everyone would have beloved her. It was a privilege to know her, to boost her and be her mom. The love and the prayers are felt,’ Gandy says whereas thanking the neighborhood and those that have supported the household in latest weeks.
Through the greater than 20 minute lengthy interview, Gandy’s voice cracks a number of occasions and he or she is unable to carry again tears, continuously trying to the ceiling as she makes an attempt to regain composure.
By far essentially the most shifting a part of the dialogue about Athena is Gandy paying tribute to the seven-year-old.
Gandy has paid tribute to the neighborhood who’ve supported her whereas describing how her three-year-old lady, Rilyn, left, nonetheless longs to listen to from large sister Athena
‘Elevating her was the most effective seven years of my life, and I simply anticipated much more years,’ Gandy said.
‘Elevating my ladies has at all times been every thing to be and I used to be robbed of that. I solely want that everyone who helped me discover Athena would have truly gotten to fulfill Athena. As a result of everyone would have beloved her a lot greater than they suppose they already do. It was a privilege to know Athena and be her mom.
‘She’s not only a identify or a face. She was an actual little lady. She was very very beloved and he or she was taken from me.
‘I would like folks to know to not take the time with their youngsters as a right as a result of I might do something to return to Might 23, 2015, and relive each second from that point ahead.’
Jacob Strand, father of Athena Strand, the seven-year-old lady who was kidnapped and strangled by a FedEx driver outdoors of Dallas in November, has launched 1,000,000 greenback lawsuit towards the supply firm
Earlier within the week, Jacob Strand, Athena’s father launched 1,000,000 greenback lawsuit towards FedEx and Horner.
Within the new lawsuit, Jacob Strand additionally names the contractor employed by FedEx that employed Horner, Large Topspin.
One part of the lawsuit alleges that FedEx put ‘harmful individuals able of belief’ though Horner wasn’t employed instantly by the packaging large. One other part accuses FedEx of getting ‘vital management’ of people that come to their buyer’s properties.
Jacob Strand argues that neither FedEx nor Large Topspin ran a correct background test on the suspect. He has no identified legal historical past.
Large Topspin serves the realm the place Strand was final seen, the van pushed by the suspect is owned by FedEx and the suspect was approved to put on the corporate’s uniform, the lawsuit says.
An announcement on Strand’s employment from FedEx learn: ‘The staff of those service supplier corporations are topic to legal historical past background checks as a part of the motive force eligibility course of.’
The press launch continued: ‘As is frequent throughout the trade and thought of customary employment apply, the background test course of is run by a 3rd occasion.’
Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, instructed investigators that Athena Strand wasn’t significantly harm after he hit her whereas backing up, however he panicked and put her in his van. He mentioned she was speaking to him and instructed him her identify
The younger lady’s physique was discovered simply six miles from the place she was taken
The slain lady’s household is searching for over $1 million in injury. In a short assertion, FedEx mentioned that they had been of the swimsuit including: ‘Our ideas stay with the household of Athena Strand within the wake of this tragedy.’
Along with the cash, Jacob Strand’s needs the lawsuit to be determined by a jury trial in Smart County District Courtroom.
Athena Strand’s funeral was held on December 9.
The lawsuit mentions different legal circumstances involving FedEx drivers together with the case of a New York-based driver who killed a lady after which burned her house to the bottom.
One part reads: ‘FedEx has continued their regular enterprise operations though it’s clear that their present efforts, if any, to make sure, that they aren’t placing harmful individuals able of belief sporting FedEx uniforms, driving FedEx branded automobiles and sending them to the doorsteps of the properties of almost each particular person in America is woefully insufficient to keep away from endangering the general public.’
Horner, 31, confessed to police to abducting and killing Athena Strand, 7, Wednesday afternoon. Authorities at the moment are searching for the dying penalty in his case
The affidavit revealed that Horner’s FedEx truck was outfitted with a video digicam. Feeds from the video confirmed Horner bringing a woman resembling Athena into the truck.
Horner could possibly be seen talking with lady contained in the truck within the video. It’s unclear if he could possibly be seen attacking her within the footage.
The affidavit describes in horrifying element how Horner murdered the seven-year-old in chilly blood.
Maitlyn Gandy — the mom of Athena Strand — instructed how Tanner Lynn Horner, 31, was delivering a Christmas current for her daughter when he allegedly kidnapped and killed her
Texas authorities mentioned Horner’s case is scheduled to be turned over to the district legal professional subsequent week.
Within the meantime, the Smart County Sheriff’s Workplace will proceed to follow-up on suggestions they obtain from the general public to allow them to construct an air-tight case towards him.
‘Due to the age of the kid, and since it was an abduction, we’re going to pursue the dying penalty,’ Sheriff Lane Atkin instructed WFAA.
Gandy additionally vowed she’s going to proceed to hunt justice for her daughter.
‘I’ll spend the remainder of my life preventing for her in order that no different household will endure such insufferable ache and grief,’ she mentioned.
‘A monster tried to take Athena’s voice — however we’re her voice,’ Gandy instructed reporters Thursday, including: ‘Screening and hiring insurance policies have to be put into place in order that monsters sporting supply uniforms do not present up on our youngsters’s footsteps.’
