Police rule Black mom’s death accidental after “adult sleepover,” medical examiner says otherwise
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office ruled the death of Tamla Horsford, mother of five, as “accidental” after she was found dead at an “adult slumber party” in November 2018.
According to the police, Jose Barrera called them after finding Horsford lying down in the backyard. Barrera believed she fell from the balcony.
WSB reports that Barrera told dispatchers, “She’s lying in the yard, basically on the patio downstairs… She’s not moving one bit. She’s not breathing. I’m noticing a small cut on her right wrist. She’s not breathing whatsoever. I don’t know if this cut was self-inflicted.”
While the coroner’s death certificate stated Horsford’s injuries were due to a possible balcony fall, her best friend Michelle Graves disagreed. Horsford’s family hired a medical examiner who found multiple bodily injuries. Graves told WSB, “It’s impossible to get the injuries that she had from one fall.”
Horsworth’s father, Kurtland St. Du Jour, told Atlanta DJ Ryan Cameron, “Her injuries were not consistent with what they’re saying. This is so fishy, I just don’t want it to get out of hand. Her wrist was cut, broken. Where the body was, there was no blood pool, which means she was already dead. ”
Forsyth County News also reported Barrera was placed on leave from his job as a pre-trial services officer for an “investigation pertaining to you using your position to access confidential files on a current investigation surrounding a death in which you were a witness.”
https://twitter.com/MPetchenikWSB/status/1095089969746661376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1095089969746661376&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsbtv.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fforsyth-county%2F-shes-not-moving-911-calls-detail-morning-mother-of-5-was-found-dead-at-party%2F922892852
While Horsford’s death has been ruled as an accident, many online are sharing their support with the hashtag #JusticeForTamlaHorsford.
https://twitter.com/iTerryTommy/status/1098369738294681600