Mysterious death of mother 'murdered' at a sleepover: Tamla Horsford died after 'falling from a balcony at 'football moms' slumber party' - six years on, her family are still looking for answers... Tamla Harsford, 40, died in mysterious circumstances in 2018 in Georgia READ MORE: Georgia cops reopen investigation into death of woman who 'accidentally' fell from a deck during an 'adult slumber party' after her family insisted she was 'murdered' and celebs including 50 Cent demanded action By MARIA CHIORANDO FOR MAILONLINE Published: 17:18 GMT, 24 March 2025 | Updated: 17:30 GMT, 24 March 2025 The unsolved death of a mother from Georgia who fell from a balcony at a 'moms' slumber party' in 2018 has left people baffled as it's picked up on TikTok six years later. Tamla Horsford, known as 'super mom' to her five children, was found lying face down in the backyard of a party hosted by a fellow 'soccer mom' in Forsyth County. Initially, authorities deemed her death accidental. But now, as Tamla's family continues to search for answers, new theories are emerging. According to Rolling Stone, the event was being held to celebrate the birthday of Jeanne Myers, who had invited a group of mothers (most of whom she'd met through a local youth football league). To avoid drinking and driving, the guests planned to stay the night, and Tamla arrived with a gift of a bottle of tequila and a small overnight bag. As the party started, the women drank as they watched an LSU-Alabama College Football game. Meanwhile, Jeanne Myers's boyfriend Jose Barrera and another guest's boyfriend, Tom Smith, watched football in the basement (despite that the party was supposed to be a women's only event). As the only habitual smoker, Tamla stepped onto the balcony several times for a cigarette, also smoking some marijuana (with reports saying Myers herself admitted teasing her for doing so and asking her to stop, branding her the 'female Bob Marley'). Tamla also drank some tequila, but did not, by all accounts, appear inebriated. Tamla Horsford died in mysterious circumstances while attending an adult slumber party in 2018 After watching the game, the men joined the women, with the group playing the game Cards Against Humanity. The guests who planned to leave started making their way home at 11:30pm, say reports. Police interviews say that Tamla was still awake after Meyers and Barrera retired to bed at around 1:30am. It is said that Bridget Fuller saw Tamla - the last person to see her alive - before Fuller was picked up by her husband at around 1:47am. Fuller claimed that Tamla was eating a bowl of gumbo, planned to have a final cigarette, then go to bed herself. Data from the the home security system shows that at 1:57am, the back door opened, closed, then opened again for the final time. It was not until the next morning, at around 8:45am, that Myers' live-in aunt, Madeline Lombardi, saw something in the garden: it was Tamla, who was unmoving and face down. Commentators have noted that rather than call 911, Madeline Lombardi said a prayer before waking Myers. Reports claim she told Myers there was something wrong with her 'friend from the islands' (Tamla, who had been born in the Caribbean moved to the US when she was just 11-years-old). The mother-of-five is said to have fallen off a balcony, but her friends and family believe her injuries are inconsistent with that conclusion It was not until around 9am when Forsyth County 911 was called, with both Meyers and Barrera speaking to the operator. The couple told the operator that Tamla was 'not breathing' and 'stiff', with Meyers adding: 'She was drinking, and […] I'm guessing maybe she fell off the balcony.' At the scene, Tamla was pronounced dead. Despite her body being sent for autopsy, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office (FSCO) started working on the theory that the death had been an accident. Her death did not become public knowledge until February 2019, court employee, Jose Barrera, accessed documents related to the case, according to reports. He would lose his job. After four months, on February 20, 2019, the FSCO closed the case, citing the toxicology report, which tested positive for THC (in line with reports that Tamla had smoked some marijuana) and a Blood Alcohol Content at .238. Investigators determined that Tamla went for a cigarette, and fell to her death from the balcony. According to the certificate issued by the coroner, the death was listed an accident. The coroner determined that Tamla suffered from multiple blunt force injuries caused by the fall, in addition to suffering from ‘acute ethanol intoxication'. A coroner determined that Horsford suffered from multiple blunt force injuries caused by the fall. She also suffered from 'acute ethanol intoxication,' they said However, the case being closed did not answer many of the questions Tamla's friends and family members still had: like how falling from a 15ft balcony could cause injuries including a laceration to Tamla's heart, broken neck, and dislocated wrist and death. Reports claim the scene was. not preserved, not were witnesses immediately interviewed. Some have questioned whether Tamla's ethnicity played a role in what they saw as oversights in the investigation. Among them was Tamla's best friend, Michelle Graves, who did not accept the coroner’s findings, noting that Tamla had suffered injuries all over her body, according to the medical examiner. Speaking at the time, Michelle said: 'It's impossible to get the injuries that she had from one fall,’ she said. Due to the lack of news coverage over the death of Tamla, a black woman, there was outrage on social media after it was made public, with the hashtags # and #JusticeforTamla trending for several days afterwards. Among the outraged posts, was one on X (formerly Twitter), which said: ‘40 year old black football mom tammy went to a "football mom" sleepover with 7 white women & she was found dead beaten up. also, 3 men were also at the sleepover.. WHERE IS THE NEWS COVERAGE OF THIS STORY?!’ ‘We're glad we're not the only ones who feel there's something awry with the story and with how she lost her life,’ Michelle Graves said. Around this time, a lawyer presenting Barrera's girlfriend released a statement which read: ‘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 tragic 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. ‘According to the coroner, the official cause of death was determined to have been caused by an accident fall from a residential deck. ‘In addition, the death certificate also states that acute ethanol intoxication was a significant condition contributing to Mrs. Horsford’s death.' It 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 “murder.” Nothing could be further 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.’ However, friends and family feared Tamla may have been murdered and demanded a new investigation. Suspicions around racism had been further inflamed in 2014, when Sheriff Ron Freeman, had had to resign from a nearby force when he shared photos of himself posing with racist dolls. While he is believed to have worked at the Forsyth County Coroner’s Office, a 2020 statement made by the Forsyth County Coroner’s Office to Rolling Stone, by Forsyth County Attorney Ken Jarrard said Shelton did not work on the Horsford case. It was noted also that 'the Forsyth County Coroner’s Office is an independent agency, not affiliated with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office'. In 2020, Georgia police launched a new investigation into the death following the launch of an online petition which was supported by prolific people including T.I. and 50 Cent, who lobbied for the new investigation as part of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement. Speaking in 2020, the sheriff said the new probe was being launched mid renewed requests for a second investigation. He said it was best that an independent agency take over and pledged his department's support. The sheriff's decision came as an online petition calling for the new investigation had been signed by some 600,000 people. The petition at Change.org started by Ashley Harris had a goal of reaching 1 million petitioners. Ashley expressed relief upon learning that cops are revisiting Tamla's death. 'What we've been asking for this entire time has happened,' she tells WSBTV. Petitions have been launched to re-open the case. A 2021 petition yielded no results, but another was shared in 2022 The new probe had drawn support from rap stars T.I. and 50 Cent. Both rap artists posted an image of Tamla and her family claiming she was 'murdered'. 'Tamla Horsford was murdered while she attended a sleep over and with 7 white women. She was beaten and thrown off a balcony. This was the LAST Picture she took before her death. Did anyone forget this? #Black Lives Matter,' said the post shared by both rappers. The posts referred to the Black Lives Matter movement which had spread across the country at the time, following the police-related killing of George Floyd. By July 2021, it was reported that new findings did not support criminal charges in the case, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). A GBI spokesperson released a statement saying: 'The DA review determined the facts and investigative findings do not support pursuit and prosecution of criminal charges. Forsyth County District Attorney Penny Penn added: 'There was no evidence that anyone else was responsible for Mrs. Horsford’s death or that foul play was in any way involved. Therefore, that concludes this office’s involvement in the matter.' However, according to reports, a petition released by the family the following year, in 2022, attracted more than 500,000 signatures, prompting the GBI to once again look at the mysterious case. At the current time, it appears the family and friends of Tamla are still awaiting answers in the baffling case - and do not appear ready to back down in their pursuit of justice. 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