Tamsla Horsford Was the Only Black Woman at a Slumber Party That Ended in Her Death

In March 2023, a Reddit user posted about the death of Tamla Horsford in the True Crime Discussion Subreddit. "This case haunts me and needs to really be looked into," wrote user Forward_Sky_923. A couple of people replied with similar stories about knowing people who lived in Forsyth County, Georgia, who had not heard of Horsford. "We need some vigilante people putting fliers in everyone’s mailbox," said one person. "Flood the down with pictures and info so no one can forget it."

What kind of tragedy would have so many strangers convinced that something was not right? It's the kind of heartbreaking tale that involves the mysterious death of a mother of five who happened to be the only Black woman at a slumber party filled with women described as "football moms." Did Horsford's race play a role in her passing, or was it truly an accident? Here's what we know.

According to the Forsyth County News, Horsford arrived at the home of Jeanne Meyers around 10 p.m. on Nov. 23, 2018, for a slumber party that included other women whose sons were in a youth football league together. Horsford brought a bottle of tequila that police believe contributed to her high BAC of .238, per Rolling Stone. That was nearly three times the legal limit.

Witnesses later told investigators that Horsford went out to the back porch to smoke a cigarette at 2 a.m. after most of the partygoers had gone to sleep. Other witnesses also confirmed that Horsford had smoked some marijuana earlier in the evening. The next morning, Horsford's body was found "motionless" beneath the back porch. There were cuts to her face, wrist, hand, and lower legs. An autopsy revealed a "laceration to the right ventricle" of her heart. Meyers called 911 at 8:59 a.m.

Investigators said the mother of five fell 14 feet from the porch and died on impact. Horsford's death was ruled an accident, though skeptics began asking questions after discovering that one witness worked in the Forsyth County court system and used his credentials to access information about Horsford's case. Jose Barrera was dating Meyers, and this unethical behavior led to his immediate firing.

Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, a wave of civil unrest reached Forsyth County, where a Change.org petition demanded Horsford's case be reopened. The 600,000 signatures forced Ron Freeman, who was the sheriff at the time of Horsford's death, to take another look that July.

Ralph E. Fernandez, an attorney for the Horsford family, sent a letter to Horsford's husband, Leander, stating there were "conflicting witness statements, a tampered crime scene, mishandled evidence, and 'unheard of' absence of autopsy photos, while Horsford’s injuries were 'consistent' with being in a physical struggle," per the Forsyth County News. "The truth never had a chance here," wrote Fernandez.

In May 2021, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) concluded its investigation and said there would be no charges in relation to Horsford's death. The GBI mostly agreed with the original investigation, stating Horsford died from injuries sustained from the fall from the balcony. As of September 2021, Fernandez was working on his own report.