Georgia authorities have closed their investigation into the death of a mother of five whose mysterious demise has gripped the nation.
At a Wednesday press conference, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office announced they were closing the case of Tamla Horsford after investigators said they found no evidence of foul play in her death, local station WSB-TV reported.
Tamla Horsford’s family hired their own medical examiner and said the injuries she sustained aren’t consistent with what authorities claim. (Image courtesy of WSB-TV)
Horsford, 40, died Nov. 4, 2018, after allegedly falling 18 feet off the balcony of a Forsyth County home where she and seven other women had gathered for an adult slumber party. Her body was discovered the next morning in the backyard, police said.
A medical examiner’s report stated Horsford’s death was the result of an “accidental” fall from a deck that caused “multiple blunt force injuries” to her body, and that “acute ethanol intoxication” (alcohol poisoning) was a contributing factor.
“No evidence or injury patterns indicative of an assault, or foul play were noted by the detectives or the Forsyth County Coroner’s Office or the GBI Medical Examiner’s report,” Mayor Joe Perkins told reporters Wednesday, noting detectives interviewed 30 people, including those at the party that night, as part of the investigation.
911 calls from the incident appear to support claims that Horsford’s death was a tragic accident.
“We had people over last night,” the homeowner told 911 dispatchers, WSB-TV reported. “We were drinking. Most of us went to bed. One of them stayed on the balcony. She was drinking, and we just went outside and she’s facedown in the backyard. I’m guessing maybe she may have fallen off the balcony.”
“She’s laying in the yard, basically on the patio downstairs,” Jose Barrera, the homeowner’s boyfriend, also told dispatchers. “She’s not moving one bit. She’s not breathing”
Barrera, who was booted from his job as a Forsyth County probation officer for allegedly using his position to access files in the investigation, also noted a small cut on Horsford’s wrist, saying,”I don’t know if this cut was self-inflicted.”
Michelle Graves, a close friend of Horsford’s, has remained skeptical of the details surrounding her friend’s death and said she believes something else may have happened that night. Graves said the family has since hired their own medical examiner, who found extensive injuries all over Horsford’s body.
“They’re totally lying,” Graves told WSB-TV, saying she believes there’s more to the story. “They’re not out of the woods, because this was not an accident.”
Horsford’s father, Kurtland St. Jour, also spoke out following the sheriff’s announcement Wednesday, arguing his daughter’ injuries weren’t consistent with what authorities said.
“This is so fishy, I just don’t want it to get out of hand,” St. Du Jour told Atlanta radio personality Ryan Cameron, adding he suspects Horsford was thrown from the balcony. “Her wrist was cut, where the body was, there was no blood pool, which means she was already dead.”
Toxicology reports are expected to be released Thursday, authorities sad.
Horsford’s death has gained national attention in recent weeks and has sparked demands for justice from thousands on social media.
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