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The heartbroken mother of Athena Strand, who was kidnapped and killed by a deranged FedEx driver in Texas, shared a tearjerking tribute to her little “fighter” after the twisted culprit pleaded guilty.
Maitlyn Gandy gushed over Strand, 7, in a Facebook post this week praising her brave and bold spirit — which she maintained even in her final moments trying to fend off killer Tanner Horner, 34, during the harrowing 2022 attack.
“That’s how I raise my daughters. Generation after generation of women in my family have had their own battles,” Gandy wrote.
“We’ve all had to fight. Athena may be dead but she was a fighter from her making and she gave life her all. She loved everyone, she loved life. She was bright, brave, and beautiful.”
During opening statements at Tarrant County Court on Tuesday, Wise County DA James Stainton described Athena as a “warrior.”
“She fought with the strength of 100 men,” he said of the 67-pound girl.
Her first-grade teacher Lindsey Thompson also took the stand to offer a glimpse into Strand’s kind-hearted character, describing her as a “free spirit” and a “true gem.”
“That beautiful little girl, Athena Presley Monroe Strand, you all heard the Wise Co DA and her first grade teacher describe yesterday,” Gandy wrote.
“That’s my baby. She is as gorgeous as her daddy, but her talkative, wild, bold, independent spirit — that’s me.”
Along with the heartfelt message, the grieving mother shared a selfie showing off the front strands of her hair dyed pink — Strand’s favorite color.
Gandy did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated kidnapping on Tuesday, and the trial has moved to the sentencing phase.
He either faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
Horner admitted to strangling the child in the back of his FedEx truck after stopping by her home to deliver her Christmas present.
While Stainton addressed the court, he revealed that Horner may have also sexually assaulted the little girl.
“We have DNA. Not only do we have initial DNA from Athena that has Tanner Horner’s DNA under her fingernails. We also have Tanner Horner’s DNA in places where you shouldn’t find DNA on a 7-year-old girl,” Stainton told the court.
The sicko then dumped her body in a creek near her house.
Horner claimed his alter-ego “Zero” killed her — not him, according to police interview footage played in court Thursday.
His defense team has said he suffers from mental illness and lead poisoning, as they hope to have him dodge the death penalty.
Horner’s attorney did not immediately return The Post’s request for comment.
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