FORT WORTH, Texas — In the moments following Tanner Horner’s death penalty sentence, Elijah Strand, the uncle of murdered 7-year-old Athena Strand, faced his niece’s killer and delivered a powerful, emotional impact statement.
We have a full transcription of Elijah Strand’s victim impact statement below:
“I’m Elijah Strand. I’m Jacob’s brother, Athena’s uncle. There are no words that truly capture the devastation that Tanner Horner caused us and our family. What he took from this world is not just a child. He took a light, a future, and a piece of every single person who loved her. He took a granddaughter, a daughter, a niece, a cousin, and a friend. She would call me Uncle Li-jah, because she for the longest time, couldn’t say the Elijah part of my name. It was the best thing to see her running up to me with her arms open, yelling, Uncle Li-jah. And that’s one of my last memories I have of her. And now I get to never hear that again. Athena was more than a headline. She was laughter, curiosity, kindness, and innocence. And she had dreams that she will never get to chase. Birthdays that she will never celebrate. And a life she’ll never get to live because of his actions. Our family has been left with an emptiness that can never be filled. I have three daughters. Two that got to meet her and grow with her. And one that will never be. And he took that away from them as well, a cousin and a friend. He stole a sense of safety from all of us in our family. Me and my wife just got comfortable enough to let our kids play outside, and that’s even in our backyard. It’s not close to the road. He’s robbed us of safety, peace, and our trust in the world, and forever changed who we are as a family. We are left with questions. They’ll still never have answers. And we are left trying to honor a beautiful little girl whose life was taken in the most senseless and horrific way. Tanner Horner, I want you to hear this directly. You did not just take a life, you destroyed the family. You took a little girl who trusted the world, and repaid that innocence with violence. You chose to cause pain that will last for generations. You say you found God, but what you did to Athena stands in direct opposition to everything that you now claim to believe. In Matthew 18:6, it says, if anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for them to have a millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned. That is how seriously harm against a child is judged. And you will be judged. You will face the wrath of God. But I want you to know that you are nothing. You are a footnote in Athena’s story. Her name will forever be remembered. Her name will forever be celebrated and everyone will forget you. You wanted your 15 minutes of fame. You got it, and no one’s gonna remember you after this.”
The case has drawn national attention, marking a significant moment for Athena Strand’s family and the community.
Horner will be transferred from the Tarrant County Jail to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Huntsville Unit. For more background on this murder case, click here.