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.
- Status
- Unsolved
- Type
- Suspicious Death
- Date
- November 4, 2018
- Location
- Cumming, Georgia
- Age
- 40
- Gender
- Female
- Decade
- 2010s
- OpenUnsolved
- Partly resolved
- Charges or trial
- Closed
No one has been charged and the case remains open.
Case background and investigation
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 reopened the case in June 2020; in July 2021 it concluded that no criminal charges would be pursued. The case became a symbol of how deaths of Black individuals in predominantly white communities can receive insufficient scrutiny.
Timeline
-
November 4, 2018Tamla Horsford found dead at a party in Cumming, Georgia.
-
November 5, 2018Death ruled accidental; family disputes finding.
-
July 28, 2021GBI closes its reopened investigation with no criminal charges.
Sources
References used for this entry. ColdCaseIndex is an index of public information. To report an error, email info@coldcaseindex.com.
Have information about this case?
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- The police force or sheriff's office responsible for Cumming
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Entry last updated September 29, 2026.
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