An Accident...?
The death of Tamla Horsford remains a mystery. She was full of life the night before but was found lifeless the next morning. There are many theories surrounding her death, but two theories are more prominent. One of the theories is that her death was simply a tragic accident. However, the other theory that would explain the strange conditions she was found in involves other partygoers.
The first theory, one that Forsyth County sticks to, is that her death was simply a tragic accident. In an article by Rolling Stone, it states, “The GBI largely sided with the Forsyth County investigators, concluding that Horsford’s death was caused by an accidental fall from the balcony” (Cappello, New Docs Detail Cops' Bungling Response in Tamla Horsford Death). While it is possible she might have fallen, Forsyth County refuses to believe in any other possibility. Is it not strange that out of all the guests the only one that died was a Black woman? Not in Forsyth County, the county is known for its animosity towards Black people (1). Several cases like the lynching of Rob Edwards, the public hanging of Earnest Knox and Oscar Daniel, the 1912 ‘racial cleansing’, and the 1987 reckoning show the animosity (Keefe and Basye).
Racial Tension in Forsyth County
Forsyth County has a history of racism and animosity towards Black people. Let us discuss Forsyth County’s most prominent case of racism and the events that followed. On September 9th, 1912, a young woman named Mae Crow was found beaten and sexually assaulted (Cep). Prior to her assault, another young woman claimed a Black man tried to rape her, which led to hysteria within the town and heightened their response to the second attack (1). Two men named, Robert Edwards and Ernest Knox were arrested without any solid evidence (1). In the book, Blood at the Root, it states, “The lynching of Rob Edwards involved a very large crowd gathering outside of jail, dragging him out, beating him with crowbars, dragging his body around town behind a wagon, and then hoisting his corpse to a telegraph pole while everyone took turns shooting into his body” (Keefe and Basye). Out of the thousands of people that participated in the lynching, none were held accountable (1). Edwards died a painful death that could have been prevented had a proper investigation been done.
Although Edwards’ death happened years ago, it is significant when examining Tamla’s death. Similarly to Edwards, Tamla was not given a proper investigation. Before investigators even gathered their findings, they worked with the assumption her death was accidental (Cappello, New Docs Detail Cops' Bungling Response in Tamla Horsford Death). The scene of the crime was not preserved right away, and interviews were not conducted immediately (1). In an article by 11Alive, it states,” The GBI only took five photos, an unusually low number for a death investigation” (Lindstrom et al). Investigators assuming her death was accidental, may have cost her, her justice. At the scene of the crime, a lighter and unlit cigarette were found, but were moved by the homeowner’s boyfriend, Jose Barerra (Cappello, New Docs Detail Cops' Bungling Response in Tamla Horsford Death). Those pieces of evidence were never tested for fingerprints and could have been crucial pieces of evidence (1). Although it is not routine, according to GBI Public Affairs Director Nelly Miles, a sexual assault kit and fingernail clippings were not collected from Tamla (1). The way the investigation played out, along with conflicting statements from witnesses, left Tamla’s family unsatisfied.
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