Tamla Horsford
Tamla Horsford, a Black mother of five, was found dead at a sleepover party at a white friend's home in Cumming, Georgia. Her death was ruled accidental but her family disputes this.
On November 4, 2018, forty-year-old Tamla Horsford, a Black mother of five, was found dead in the backyard of a home in Cumming, Georgia, following an adult sleepover party attended by approximately a dozen women—Tamla was the only Black attendee.
The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office quickly ruled her death accidental, concluding she had fallen from a second-floor balcony while intoxicated. Her blood alcohol level was elevated.
Tamla's family disputed the finding, citing injuries inconsistent with a simple fall and noting the speed with which the case was closed. They alleged that Tamla's injuries more closely resembled those from a physical assault.
After public pressure, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reviewed the case in 2020 but upheld the accidental death ruling. The case became a symbol of how deaths of Black individuals in predominantly white communities can receive insufficient scrutiny.
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