Kidnapping of Athena Strand

In the footage shown in court, Horner lifts Athena into his truck before getting behind the wheel and driving away. Inside the truck, Athena repeatedly asks: “Are you a kidnapper?”

Instead of answering her question, Horner asks her about things such as school and her teachers. At one point, he tells her, “You’re really pretty. You know that?” as the truck appears to come to a stop.

“Is this your house?” Athena asks her kidnapper.

“No. I don’t live around here,” Horner replies, adding that he lives “far away.”

“What are we doing?” the 7-year-old then asks.

“Hang out for a minute,” he responds.

Horner then asks Athena to take off her shirt, but the little girl refuses, saying “no.” She begins asking for her mother, and shortly afterward, her cries turn into screams, with loud banging noises echoing from inside the truck.

Tanner Horner sentenced to death by lethal injection

Now, Tanner Horner has been sentenced to death by lethal injection by a Texas jury. According to New York Post, jurors deliberated for nearly three hours after closing arguments concluded Tuesday. When the sentence was delivered, Horner reportedly appeared emotionless.

He also reportedly maintained a blank expression when Athena’s uncle, Elijah Strand, addressed the court, saying: “You will be judged. You will face the wrath of God,” while pointing at Horner.

“But I want you to know that you are nothing. You are a footnote in Athena’s story,” he said. “Her name will forever be remembered. Her name will forever be celebrated.”

Her uncle had to fight back tears as he continued: “Everyone will forget you. You wanted your 15 minutes of fame. You got it. And no one is going to remember you after this.”

Rest in peace, Athena.