Death of Tamla Horsford

Last updated

Death of Tamla Horsford
DateNovember 4, 2018;4 years ago (2018-11-04)
Location Cumming, Georgia, U.S.
CauseDeath by falling; manner of death disputed [1] [2]
Outcome
  • First investigation: ruled to be accidental, fall due to intoxication, odd circumstances
  • Second investigation: ruled to be accidental, fall due to intoxication
DeathsTamla Horsford, aged 40
Inquiries
  • First investigation: Forsyth County Sheriff's Office
  • Second investigation: Georgia Bureau of Investigation
ArrestsNone

On November 4, 2018, Tamla Horsford was discovered dead in the backyard of the Cumming, Georgia, home where she had been attending a slumber party with other "football moms" the night before. The 40-year-old was a mother of five. [3]

Contents

The Forsyth County Sheriff department initially ruled the death an accident, stating that the "multiple blunt force injuries" were related to Horsford likely falling from the balcony due to "acute ethanol intoxication". [4] A second autopsy requested by her family revealed further abrasions to her body. [5] The family's attorney also stated that lack of evidence, types of injuries discovered, and mismatched witness accounts strongly suggested homicide. [6] On February 20, 2019, Major Joe Perkins of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office announced that the case would be closed and that there was no evidence of foul play. [7]

The relationship between Horsford's race and her death has been a subject of controversy and debate and a race-based dimension to her death has been implied by family and media. While the official investigation concluded that her death was accidental and not racially motivated, some have argued that her race played a role in the events leading up to her death and in the investigation that followed. [8] [9]

The case did not receive public recognition until two months after her death, when one of the witnesses was fired from his county court officer job for internally accessing the incident report. [3] The case, along with the hashtag #tamlahorsford, quickly spread around the internet, along with suspicion of foul play. [4] In the summer of 2020, the nationwide protests against racism and police brutality sparked by the murder of George Floyd renewed public interest and advocacy of the case. [6] Under the pressure of public outcry, including posts from celebrities such as T.I. and 50 Cent, the Forsyth County Sheriff requested that the case be reopened and investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. [6] [10] [11]

Death

Horsford arrived at the slumber party at 10 p.m. on November 3, 2018. Attendees drank, watched football, and played Cards Against Humanity. [6] There were also three men at the house. [3] According to witnesses, Horsford got up at 2 a.m. to smoke a cigarette on the back porch. [6] The next morning at 7:30 a.m., the homeowner's aunt found Horsford lying facedown and motionless under the porch. At 8:59 a.m., Jose Barrera, the homeowner's boyfriend, called 9-1-1. [3] In the 9-1-1 call, Barrera described Horsford as lying facedown and not breathing. He brought attention to a small cut on her wrist, suggesting that it may be self-inflicted. A woman's voice can also be heard on the call speculating that Horsford might have fallen from the balcony. [12] The police arrived at 9:07 am. [6]

Initial investigation

The initial autopsy ordered by the Forsyth Sheriff's Office discovered "multiple blunt force injuries" and a high blood alcohol level. [4] Officials speculated that the latter caused her to fall from the porch and that the injuries were just a result of the 14 foot fall. Horsford's family and friends, however, were not convinced and called for a second independent autopsy; this was then carried out by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI). [5] According to the GBI medical examiners report, Horsford sustained severe injuries to her head, neck, and torso. They discovered cuts on her face, wrist, hand, and lower legs as well as a "laceration to the right ventricle" of her heart. The GBI toxicology screening found a blood alcohol level of .238 and traces of THC and Alprazolam (an anxiety medication) at the time of her death. [6]

Even before the results of the autopsy, speculation of foul play had begun to spread online. [6] This was prompted, two months after Horsford's death, by Forsyth County Court firing Barrera, then a court officer, for accessing the incident report internally on multiple occasions. [4] Hundreds of people shared the hashtag #tamlahorsford, questioning different angles of the case and calling for justice. [6]

The case was officially closed on February 20, 2019, ruled as an accidental death. Major Joe Perkins of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office stated that none of Horsford's injuries aligned with foul play, saying: "It was a party. They were drinking. She was drinking. Most of the partygoers had gone to bed at that time, and she was on the deck alone." [7] He had interviewed 30 people, including family, friends, and other partygoers. [13]

Renewed public interest

After fading from the public eye, Horsford's death became a topic of advocacy again during the George Floyd anti-police brutality protests of 2020. [6] On June 5, 2020, Ralph E. Fernandez, the Horsford family attorney, wrote a letter to Horsford's husband, Leander Horsford, claiming that his team's investigation into the details of the case strongly suggested homicide. It said, in part: "Witness statements are in conflict. A potential subject handled the body as well as the evidence prior to law enforcement arriving. Evidence was disposed of and no inquiry followed. The scene was not preserved." [14] He also stated that Horsford's injuries were "consistent" with those of a physical struggle, but that the absence of photos from the initial autopsy prevented a definite conclusion. [15] An Atlanta journalist published the letter a few days later.

Horsford's name and case spread across the internet, starting with protestors in Cumming, Georgia, who included her name on their signs alongside the names of Black Americans killed by the police in recent years. [6] A Change.org petition calling for the case to be reopened amassed more than 709k+ signatures and rappers T.I. and 50 Cent shared posts about the case, asking for a second investigation. [10]

Second investigation

On June 12, 2020, Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman sent a letter requesting that the case be re-opened and investigated by the GBI. He stated that the investigation was best undertaken by an independent law enforcement agency. [6] The GBI agreed to reopen the case on June 18, 2020, but did not specify when the investigation would begin. [7]

On July 28, 2021, the GBI concluded their re-investigation, ultimately deciding not to pursue criminal charges. [16]

Related Research Articles

Michael M. Baden is an American physician and board-certified forensic pathologist known for his work investigating high-profile deaths and as the host of HBO's Autopsy. Baden was the chief medical examiner of the City of New York from 1978 to 1979. He was also chairman of the House Select Committee on Assassinations' Forensic Pathology Panel that investigated the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Baden's independent autopsy findings are often in conflict with the local authorities' opinions; as such, many consider him to be a headline-seeking physician as opposed to a legitimate source of information.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Bureau of Investigation</span> State law enforcement agency in U.S.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is the state bureau of investigation of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is an independent, statewide agency that provides assistance to Georgia's criminal justice system in the areas of criminal investigations, forensic laboratory services, and computerized criminal justice information. Its headquarters is located in unincorporated DeKalb County, near Decatur and in Greater Atlanta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Meredith Emerson</span> 2008 crime in Georgia, United States

Meredith Hope Emerson was a 24-year-old woman who was murdered in January 2008 by drifter Gary Michael Hilton. She was last seen alive hiking with her dog on Blood Mountain in northern Georgia on New Year's Day 2008. Witnesses claimed to have seen her with an older man on the Spur Trail connecting the Appalachian Trail with the Byron Herbert Reece Parking Lot. When she did not return home on January 2, 2008, her friends began to search for her, without success. Her dog, Ella, was found on January 4, 2008, in Cumming, Georgia, approximately 60 miles (97 km) away.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tara Grinstead murder case</span> Missing person case in Georgia (U.S. state)

Tara Faye Grinstead was an American high school history teacher from Ocilla, Georgia, who went missing on October 22, 2005, and was declared dead in 2010.

Rebecca Mawii Zahau, also known as Rebecca Nalepa, was a Burmese American woman who was found hanging at the beach house home of her boyfriend in Coronado, California, United States, on July 13, 2011, and pronounced dead by first responders called to the residence. Her death occurred two days after 6-year-old Max Shacknai, the son of her boyfriend Jonah Shacknai, had fallen from the staircase of the same property. At the time he was in critical condition in a hospital. Rebecca and her younger sister, Xena, were the only known people present at the time of Max's fall. Subsequently on July 16, 2011, Max Shacknai died of his injuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death of Kendrick Johnson</span> 2013 controversial death in Georgia, United States

On January 11, 2013, the body of Kendrick Johnson was discovered inside a vertical rolled-up mat in the gymnasium of Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, United States, where he was a student. After a preliminary investigation and autopsy concluded that Johnson's death was accidental, his family had a private pathologist conduct a second autopsy which concluded that he died from blunt force trauma. On October 31, 2013, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia announced that his office would open a formal review into Johnson's death. On June 20, 2016, the Department of Justice announced that it would not be filing any criminal charges related to Johnson's death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Peggy Johnson</span> Formerly unidentified abuse and murder victim

Peggy Lynn Johnson, also known by the last name Schroeder, was an American woman whose body was discovered in 1999 in the town of Raymond, Racine County, Wisconsin. She was 23 years old at the time of her death, which had occurred after enduring several weeks of extreme neglect and physical abuse. New developments in the case emerged after her body was exhumed on October 16, 2013, including isotope analysis. In November 2019, authorities announced that after two decades she was finally identified. Both the victim's and the murderer's name were released on November 8, 2019. In March 2022, Linda La Roche was convicted of her murder. In May 2022, she was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Johnson's murder received national attention both preceding and following her identification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Ahmaud Arbery</span> 2020 murder in Georgia, United States

On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, was murdered during a racially motivated hate crime while jogging in Satilla Shores, a neighborhood near Brunswick in Glynn County, Georgia. Three white men, who would later claim to police that they assumed he was a burglar, pursued Arbery in their trucks for several minutes, using the vehicles to block his path as he tried to run away. Two of the men, Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, were armed in one vehicle. Their neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan, was in another vehicle. After overtaking Arbery, Travis McMichael exited his truck, pointing his weapon at Arbery. Arbery approached McMichael and a physical altercation ensued, resulting in McMichael fatally shooting Arbery. Bryan recorded this confrontation and Arbery's murder on his cell phone.

Ellen Rae Greenberg was a 27-year-old first grade teacher at Juniata Park Academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ellen, an only child, was born in New York City, New York to Joshua (Josh) and Sandra (Sandee) Greenberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Rayshard Brooks</span> June 2020 police killing in Atlanta, Georgia

On the night of June 12, 2020, Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old African American man, was fatally shot by Atlanta Police Department (APD) officer Garrett Rolfe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death of Elijah McClain</span> 2019 death of American man under police custody

Elijah Jovan McClain was a 23-year-old Black massage therapist from Aurora, Colorado, who died six days after a violent police encounter, during which he was injected with ketamine by paramedics to sedate him.

Andres Guardado was an 18-year-old Salvadoran-American man shot in the back and was killed by a Deputy Sheriff from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department near Gardena and West Compton on June 18, 2020. Guardado ran from two uniformed police officers into an alley, where he died after being shot by deputies. Seven shots were fired and Guardado was hit in the upper torso. Police say that Guardado produced a handgun during the chase. Investigators do not believe it was fired. Accounts of the incident are disputed between police and witnesses. Police stated they were searching for footage of the incident. Store-owner Andrew Heney reported that several cameras at the scene, including a digital video recorder that stored surveillance footage, were taken and destroyed by police.

On May 1, 2004, the body of Alonzo Brooks was found in La Cygne, Kansas, about a month after he was reported missing after April 3, 2004.

On August 7, 2020, Julian Edward Roosevelt Lewis, an unarmed 60-year-old Black American carpenter, was fatally shot by white Georgia State Patrol officer Jacob Gordon Thompson, on a rural road in Screven County, Georgia. Thompson attempted to stop Lewis for driving a vehicle with a broken tail light. When Lewis failed to stop, Thompson performed a PIT maneuver to force Lewis's car into a ditch and shot Lewis once in the face. On August 14, Thompson was charged with felony murder.

Dijon Kizzee, an African-American man, was shot and killed in the Los Angeles County community of Westmont on August 31, 2020, by deputies of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). For days, protesters gathered outside the South Los Angeles sheriff's station. By September 6, those demonstrations had escalated to clashes, with deputies firing projectiles and tear gas at the crowds and arresting 35 people over four nights of unrest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death of Quawan Charles</span> 2020 death in Loreauville, Louisiana

On November 3, 2020, Quawan "Bobby" Charles, a 15-year-old African American boy, was found dead in a sugar cane field in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. He had been reported missing on October 30, 2020, after leaving his house in Baldwin, Louisiana with a friend, 17-year-old Gavin Irvin, and Irvin's mother, Janet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Hilton</span> Convicited American serial killer

Gary Michael Hilton, known as the National Forest Serial Killer, is an American serial killer responsible for four known homicides between 2007 and 2008 committed in three states, all of which occurred within the premises of national forests. Sentenced to death in Florida and to life imprisonment in Georgia and North Carolina, Hilton remains a suspect in several other killings, including that of Judy Smith.

Shanquella Brenada Robinson was an American businesswoman, founder of a women's fashion clothing line, hairstylist and social media personality from North Carolina, United States, who was murdered while on vacation in Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Manuel Esteban Paez Terán</span> 2023 killing of an environmental activist in Georgia, United States

Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, also known as Tortuguita, was a Venezuelan environmental activist and eco-anarchist who was shot and killed by a Georgia State Patrol trooper after an officer was wounded in the leg during a raid of the Stop Cop City encampment on January 18, 2023.

References

  1. ↑ "Tamla Horsford's Case To Be Reopened After Significant Outcry -". Black Enterprise. June 15, 2020. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  2. ↑ "50 Cent and T.I. Demand Investigation Into Death of Tamla Horsford After Review Suggests Possible Homicide". Complex. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Thompson, Desire (February 20, 2019). "Six Things To Know About The Mysterious Death Of Tamla Horsford". Vibe. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Edwards, Breanna (February 19, 2019). "Georgia Authorities Nearing End Of Investigation In Case Of Woman Who Died While Attending Overnight Party". Essence. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  5. 1 2 Petchenik, Mike (June 8, 2020). "Family attorney says his own investigation shows Forsyth Co. mother of five may have been killed". WSB-TV. Archived from the original on February 7, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Paglia, Brian (June 12, 2020). "GBI agrees to open investigation into the death of Tamla Horsford". Forsyth County News . Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 Haney, Adrianne M. (June 12, 2020). "Case of mom found dead in backyard after overnight house party to be re-examined". WXIA-TV. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Was It Murder? Death of Beloved Mom at Party Was Ruled Accidental Fall — But Family Is Suspicious". Peoplemag. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  9. ↑ Cappello, Nile (July 10, 2020). "The Unanswered Questions of Tamla Horsford's Death". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "50 Cent And T.I. Joins The Call For An Investigation Into The Mysterious Death Of Tamla Horsford". BET.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  11. ↑ "50 Cent and T.I. Demand Investigation Into Death of Tamla Horsford After Review Suggests Possible Homicide". Complex. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  12. ↑ Kenney, Tanasia (February 20, 2019). "911 Audio Provides Chilling New Details in Death of Tamla Horsford Who Allegedly Fell to Her Death at Slumber Party". Atlanta Black Star . Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  13. ↑ Griffin, Charmaine. "Blavity News & Politics". Blavity News & Politics. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Tamla Horsford's Case To Be Reopened After Significant Outcry -". Black Enterprise. June 15, 2020. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  15. ↑ "50 Cent and T.I. Demand Investigation Into Death of Tamla Horsford After Review Suggests Possible Homicide". Complex. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  16. ↑ "'A Tragic Accident': GBI Finds 'No Evidence' of Foul Play In Death of Georgia Woman Who Attended an Adult Sleepover, Will Not Pursue Criminal Charges Despite Public Outcry=Atlanta Black Star". July 28, 2021. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.