A death investigation is like a puzzle.
Two law enforcement agencies
investigated piece by piece.
The death of Tamela Horsford both
concluded she got so drunk at a party.
She fell from a balcony after
everyone else had gone to sleep.
Goodnight drinking and we
played Cards Against Humanity,
but her family insists that
narrative doesn't solve the puzzle.
You get all this information and and
you go wait. Nothing makes sense here.
Ralph Fernandez,
the attorney for Tammy's husband,
says he's gone through the evidence.
Every interview document and scene photo.
So has tamala's father and
friends like Michelle Graves. Why
not just let
this go? I, I cannot let this
go because I know that what they
said did not happen to her.
So we went through it all as well
to take you inside the investigation
to understand why the family
remains convinced police are still
missing pieces to this puzzle.
I know this was a homicide.
The problem is I can't pin it
on anybody because I don't have
a badge and I don't have a gun.
We also got access to something that is not
in the GBI's report for the first time.
The family is making their
independent autopsy public in it.
Doctor Adele Shaker says the dislocated.
Chris mentioned in the GBI's report is
actually a compound fracture and the fracture
in her spine isn't a fracture at all.
And to him what is most important is what
the GBI medical examiner did not find.
There is no. Evidence of any significant
injuries to the skull bonds.
In Doctor Shakey's report,
he says the lack of broken bones in
Tamela skull make him skeptical that
she died falling from the second
story of a building. Now at first,
deputies on the scene seem to agree.
They showed us the mulch and the
rocks and the mulch and showed where
you know, oh, she tripped and fell
over this little garden border.
From the homeowner to the
detectives there are statements
pushing back against the idea.
Tamala fell from the porch.
If you went to brace yourself with
your left hand and ain't nothing
there to brace yourself with you,
you spend, you know I'm saying,
and even more unusual,
how the homeowner and her
boyfriend found Tamlaght arms.
It's the weirdest thing she was faced down,
but like her arms were down
like she just face planted is
the best way I can describe it.
So her arms really by her side.
Yeah, they were by her side palms up.
And we heard several times in the
investigation because when you look
at the scene photos, Tamala's left
arm is actually off to the side,
bent, her fingers curled under.
Did you ever touch her arm?
Do you? Did you see anybody touch her
now other than you? No? To this day,
police can't explain the discrepancies,
at least not in a way that makes sense
to the family. They say despite
the yellow crime scene tape.
Was never treated like a crime.
Maybe she fell off the balcony
but she's stiff. Is she breathing?
No, no no. She sent down
Forsyth County deputies called
everyone that attended the sleepover
back to the House for questioning,
but it wasn't until the GBI got involved.
Two years later the police searched
for evidence on their phones.
By that time two people had new
ones and text messages and pictures
from other phones were gone
like an ambulance didn't come.
We just saw her come out in a body bag.
No one tried to roll tamela over
to render CPR, not even police
who called off EMS. There was no
effort whatsoever done to try
to save this woman's life.
The only one we know who touched Hamler's
body was the homeowner's boyfriend.
He declared her dead after touching her leg.
I had one that's about to
pull into your subdivision.
Then the destination is on your right.
Tammy's family believes
race also played a role.
The only black woman at the party.
In the county with few black people,
the lead investigator on the case,
Michael Christian is accused of
calling Tamala the porch lady
and making derogatory racial
remarks during the investigation.
I mean, that's horrific and the racist,
bigoted, sarcastic, funny way of this sick.
On top of that, some of the responding
officers knew the people at the party.
The man on that 911 call was a former
probation officer who at the time
worked in the county's court system.
And another woman worked
with an officer's wife.
I'm sure you're good.
This is my wife so well,
then you're more than good.
In the recordings we heard
police tell the family that when
the investigation is complete,
they can access all of the records
and the pieces will finally fit,
but they don't.
Legally. This case is this case is just
beginning as far as I'm concerned.
I haven't been able to grieve her
because I've been trying to fight
for her justice for three years.
Afternoon the truth.