The Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined that no criminal charges would be filed in the case of a Black married mother of five who died at an adult sleepover in 2018.
Authorities said there was no supporting evidence to file charges in the death of Tamla Horsford after a second investigation was launched.
“The DA review determined the facts and investigative findings do not support pursuit and prosecution of criminal charges,” Nelly Miles, a spokesperson for the GBI said in a statement this week.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office originally ruled Horsford’s death an accident, claiming the 40-year-old had fallen from the second floor balcony of the home where she was staying. Investigators reportedly found high levels of alcohol in Horsford’s blood and traces of marijuana and Xanax.
Controversy surrounding police findings began as details about the sleepover were released. Horsford was the only Black guest in attendance at the party, raising questions about if race had been a factor in the mystery surrounding the circumstances of her death.
The investigation into Horsford’s death was first closed in February 2019, but the case and circumstances around the mother’s death received renewed attention during social justice protests last year. A petition circulated, attracting celebrity support, and state authorities reopened the case.
“We just want justice, the boys, I just want justice,” Elizabeth Potts, Horsford’s mother told 11 Alive.
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