Jump to content

Death of Tamla Horsford

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Applejuicejoe (talk | contribs) at 18:11, 21 June 2020 (Fixed some typos). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Death of Tamla Horsford
DateNovember 4, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-11-04)
LocationCumming, Georgia
CauseContested.
1st investigation: accidental, fall due to intoxication.
2nd investigation: not yet started.
ParticipantsUnknown
Inquiries1st Forsyth County Sheriff's Office
2nd Georgia Bureau of Investigation (not started)
ArrestsNone
VerdictAccidental death

On November 4, 2018, Tamla Horsford was discovered dead in the backyard of the Cumming, Georgia home where she had been attending an adult "football moms" slumber party the night before.[1][2] The 40-year-old, Black mother of 5 was the only woman of color at the party.[2] 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".[1] A second autopsy requested by her family, however, revealed further abrasions to her body.[3] The family's attorney also stated that lack of evidence, types of injuries discovered, and mismatched witness accounts strongly suggested homicide.[4] 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.[5]

The case did not receive public recognition until 2 months after her death, when one of the witnesses was fired from his county court officer job for internally accessing the incident report.[2] The case, along with the hashtag #tamlahorsford, quickly spread around the internet, along with suspicion of foul play.[1] As of February 2019 the GoFundMe created for Horsford's family had only raised $3,405 of its $25,000 goal.[6] In the summer of 2020, the nationwide protests against racism and police brutality sparked by George Floyd's murder renewed public interest and advocacy of the case.[4] 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.[4][7][8]

Death and Subsequent Events

Death

Horsford arrived at the slumber party at 10 pm on November 3, 2018. The partygoers drank, watched football, and played Cards Against Humanity.[4] Horsford was the only Black woman present; the 7 other moms were white women. There were also three men at the house, even though the party was a "football moms" party.[2] According to witnesses, Horsford got up at 2 am to go smoke a cigarette on the back porch.[4] The next morning at 7:30 am, the homeowner's aunt found Horsford lying facedown and motionless under the porch. At 8:59 am, Jose Barrera, the homeowner's boyfriend, called 9-1-1.[2] 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.[9] The police arrived at 9:07 am.[4]

Initial investigation and Controversy

The initial autopsy ordered by the Forsyth Sheriff's Office discovered "multiple blunt force injuries" and a high blood alcohol level.[1] 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, which was then carried out by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI).[10] 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 and 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 drug) at the time of her death.[4]

Even before the results of the autopsy, speculation of foul play had begun to spread online.[4] 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.[1] Hundreds of people shared the hashtag #tamlahorseford, questioning different angles of the case and calling for justice.[4]

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.”[11] He had interviewed 30 people, including family, friends, and other partygoers.[12]

Renewed Public Interest

After fading from the public eye for a couple years, Horsford's death became a topic of advocacy again during the George Floyd anti-police brutality protests of 2020.[4] 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. "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."[13] 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.[14] An Atlanta journalist published the letter a few days later.

Horsford's name and case spread across the internet, starting with protestors in Cumming, GA who included her name on their signs alongside the names of Black Americans murdered by the police in recent years.[4] A change.org petition calling for the case to be reopened amassed more than 586,000 signatures and rappers T.I. and 50 Cent shared posts about the case, asking for a second investigation.[15]

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.[4] The GBI agreed to reopen the case on June 18, 2020, but did not specify when the investigation would begin.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Edwards, Breanna (February 19, 2019). "Georgia Authorities Nearing End Of Investigation In Case Of Woman Who Died While Attending Overnight Party". Essence. Retrieved June 19, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e Thompson, Desire (February 20, 2019). "Six Things To Know About The Mysterious Death Of Tamla Horsford". Vibe. Retrieved June 19, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Petchenik, Mike. "Family attorney says his own investigation shows Forsyth Co. mother of 5 may have been killed". WSBTV. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "GBI agrees to open investigation into the death of Tamla Horsford". www.forsythnews.com. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  5. ^ a b "Case of mom found dead in backyard after overnight house party to be re-examined". 11Alive.com. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  6. ^ Kenney, Tanasia (2019-02-20). "911 Audio Provides Chilling New Details in Death of Tamla Horsford Who Allegedly Fell to Her Death at Slumber Party". Atlanta Black Star. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
  7. ^ "50 Cent And T.I. Joins The Call For An Investigation Into The Mysterious Death Of Tamla Horsford". BET.com. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  8. ^ "50 Cent and T.I. Demand Investigation Into Death of Tamla Horsford After Review Suggests Possible Homicide". Complex. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  9. ^ Kenney, Tanasia (2019-02-20). "911 Audio Provides Chilling New Details in Death of Tamla Horsford Who Allegedly Fell to Her Death at Slumber Party". Atlanta Black Star. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
  10. ^ Petchenik, Mike. "Family attorney says his own investigation shows Forsyth Co. mother of 5 may have been killed". WSBTV. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
  11. ^ "Case of mom found dead in backyard after overnight house party to be re-examined". 11Alive.com. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
  12. ^ Griffin, Charmaine. "Blavity News & Politics". Blavity News & Politics. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
  13. ^ "Tamla Horsford's Case To Be Reopened After Significant Outcry -". Black Enterprise. 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
  14. ^ "50 Cent and T.I. Demand Investigation Into Death of Tamla Horsford After Review Suggests Possible Homicide". Complex. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
  15. ^ "50 Cent And T.I. Joins The Call For An Investigation Into The Mysterious Death Of Tamla Horsford". BET.com. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Death_of_Tamla_Horsford&oldid=963771428"