7/10/2020 More at link:
The Unanswered Questions of Tamla Horsford's Death
Snips:
The party, held the evening of November 3rd, 2018, was originally meant to be all women. But Meyers’ boyfriend, Jose Barrerra, and Tom Smith, the husband of another attendee, ended up sticking around. In the end, the group — who advocates for Horsford would later dub the Forsyth 12 — included nine women, two men, and one husband who, according to police interviews, only dropped off and picked up his wife. Out of these 12, eight were planning to spend the night — as was Tamla.
While the women drank, socialized, and watched the LSU-Alabama game upstairs, Barrerra and Smith watched football in Meyers’ finished basement. During this time, Horsford — the only habitual smoker at the party — regularly stepped out to the balcony for cigarettes. She also smoked marijuana that evening, but Meyers asked her to stop. According to Meyers’ own statement, she had teased Horsford during the conversation, calling her the “female Bob Marley,” and reminding her that Barrerra worked as a pre-trial officer and did not approve. Eventually, the men joined the party and the group played Cards Against Humanity; photographs and videos captured during the game show Horsford smiling, happy. She had been drinking tequila, and would later be found to have a significant BAC, but according to photos, videos, and witness accounts, Horsford didn’t appear particularly drunk that evening. Guests who weren’t spending the night began to leave around 11:30pm, while those who were staying trickled off to bed over the next couple of hours.
Horsford was Bridget Fuller, who was picked up by her husband at 1:47. In her statement, Fuller says that Horsford was eating a bowl of gumbo, and had said she planned to smoke a cigarette and head to bed. Over the next ten minutes, the home security system registered the back door opening, closing, and then opening again — for the last time — at 1:57 a.m.
Around 8:45 the next morning, Madeline Lombardi, Meyers’ aunt who lived at the house, headed into the kitchen to make her morning cup of coffee. In her interview with police, Lombardi describes seeing something chilling through the window, in the backyard: The white dog-print onesie. It was Horsford, face down in the grass, not moving. After saying a prayer, Lombardi headed upstairs to find Meyers, telling her something appeared to be wrong with her “friend from the islands.” (Horsford was born in the Caribbean but moved to the U.S. when she was 11.)
