Georgia Authorities Nearing End Of Investigation In Case Of Woman Who Died While Attending Overnight Party
By Breanna Edwards ·

Tamla Horsford was found dead in the backyard area of a home in north Forsyth, Georgia on Nov. 4, 2018, and since then her death has sparked questions online, leading to accusations of foul play.

The 40-year-old mother had been attending an overnight party at the home, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office confirmed, with her death being investigated by the Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes unit, 11 Alive reports. 

The Sheriff’s Office has since received findings from autopsy and toxicology reports from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and is expected to release a final report later this week, “pending any new evidence being discovered,” the Forsyth County News notes.

“Death investigations cannot be closed until such time as the official results of the Forsyth County Coroner’s Office and the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office have been received and reviewed,” a press release from the Sheriff’s Office emphasized.

However, a death certificate obtained by the Forsyth County News notes that an autopsy ruled that the mother of six died from “multiple blunt force injuries” at around 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 4, 2018. Her death was reportedly ruled accidental with “acute ethanol intoxication” being listed as a “significant condition contributing” to her death.

Even so, online there have been murmurs of foul play, with many questioning the circumstances of her death. In one case, one witness, an officer within the Forsyth County court system, allegedly accessed the incident report from the death through his office, raising eyebrows.

The Sheriff’s office acknowledged that the witness, Jose Barrera, a former pre-trial services officer did inappropriately access the report several times through his work. He was terminated shortly after, with court administrators signaling a “loss of confidence” in his ability to perform his duties, the County News reports.

Barrera denied any wrongdoing in the case, although he acknowledged being at the party, and being one of the first people to check on Hosford’s body when it was found.

According to 11 Alive, in response to the persistent accusations, many of them made under the hashtag #TamlaHorsford, law firm Banks, Stubbs and McFarland LLP issued a statement on behalf of the homeowner of the house in which the incident occurred, noting, “At this time, our client, as well as each person who was present on November 4, 2018, has completely cooperated with law enforcement officers in attempting to give the family and friends answers with regards to the death of Tamla Horsford. Every aspect of our client’s life has been investigated. She has provided answers to every question asked by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. Although the investigation has not been closed, to the best of our knowledge, Ms. Horsford’s death certificate has been issued by the Forsyth County Coroner.”

The statement continued:

At this time, each of the partygoers and their families have received death threats on various social media postings. The threats need to stop. This tragic accident is exactly that, an accident. It is unfortunate, sad, and unbelievably heartbreaking to her family and friends. However, certain very vocal friends and family members of Mrs. Horsford have been describing this accident as a “murder.” Nothing can be farther from the truth.We are asking for the community and media to please respect the privacy and safety of our client and others who were at the party.

Technically, the investigation into the death is still active. ESSENCE has reached out to Horsford’s family for comment.

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