No Charges Filed Following Slumber Party Death In Georgia
Georgia’s top police agency has reportedly ruled that their latest findings surrounding the death of Tamla Horsford “do not support” criminal charges in the case.
The Forsyth County woman, 40, died after attending an adult slumber party. According to WXIA, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation completed its probe into her death and sent its findings to the Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office for review on Tuesday (July 27).
The GBI re-opened Horsford’s case last year at the request of Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman.
“The DA review determined the facts and investigative findings do not support pursuit and prosecution of criminal charges,” a GBI spokesperson told Macon.com in a statement.
Horsford, who is married and a mother of five, reportedly died after what investigators believe was an accidental fall from the back deck of a home in Cumming, Georgia. She was attending the sleepover with at least 11 other adults in November 2018 and was found face down in the backyard the next morning.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported at the time that Horsford suffered “severe injuries” to her head, neck, and torso, in addition to a laceration to her heart.
Alcohol and drugs, including Xanax, were found in Horsford’s system after a toxicology report was performed.
There was reportedly “heavy drinking” at the party while attendees played cards and watched football, a report from the sheriff’s office details. After others had turned in for the night, witnesses told authorities that Horsford went on the back deck to smoke a cigarette around 2 a.m. Later, a partygoer found her body and dialed 911.
At the time of Horsford’s death, the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office faced criticism over their initial findings from an investigation, which had them shutter the case in 2019.
“I’m not saying it wasn’t an accident, but I am saying it was a coverup,” Horsford’s husband, Lee Horsford, told WSB-TV in March. “I’m saying they made it look like something else ... I just want the truth to come out.”
On Tuesday, Forsyth County District Attorney Penny Penn confirmed there would be no charges in the case, claiming evidence “overwhelmingly indicated” Horsford passed away resulting from a “tragic accident.”
“There was no evidence that anyone else was responsible for Mrs. Horsford’s death or that foul play was in any way involved,” Penn told Forsyth County News in a statement. “Therefore, that concludes this office’s involvement in the matter.”