Athena Strand

Athena Strand

From Sirens by The Sirens Network

May 6, 2026 · 47 min · Season 5 · Episode 1

About this episode

This episode covers the haunting case of seven-year-old Athena Strand's disappearance and the subsequent trial of Tanner Horner.

Seven-year-old Athena Strand should have been safe at home. Instead, on November 30, 2022, she vanished from outside her father’s property in Paradise, Texas after a FedEx delivery driver came to the home. What followed became one of the most haunting child murder cases in recent memory — a case that would ultimately lead to the arrest, conviction, and death sentence of Tanner Horner. In this episode, I walk through the timeline of Athena’s disappearance, the search efforts that gripped the community, the disturbing evidence shown during the capital murder sentencing trial, and the heartbreaking testimony from the people who loved Athena most. Portions of audio featured in this episode come directly from the live trial proceedings, including testimony from Maitlyn Gandy and the Medical Examiner. Listener discretion is strongly advised. This episode contains discussion of violence against a child, forensic testimony, and traumatic material. Advocacy. Investigation. Education. Storytelling. If you appreciate what I do, here are a few ways to support Sirens and help true crime stories reach more ears: Rate, review, and share my podcast! Find Raven's books at www.RavenRollins.com…

People in this episode

Host: Raven Rollins

Topics covered

  • child murder case
  • disappearance
  • forensic testimony
  • community search efforts
  • capital murder trial

Keywords

  • Athena Strand
  • Tanner Horner
  • disappearance
  • murder case
  • forensic testimony
  • trial
  • Texas
  • child safety

Sponsors

Paramount+

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FedEx

Books & works: This Is True Crime, This Is True Crime: How to Become an Advocate for Justice

Places: Paradise, Texas

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