Mama Talks Crime

Tag: Suspicious Death

  • What Really Happened to Caylee Anthony?

    What Really Happened to Caylee Anthony?

    The 2008 case of Casey Anthony and the death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee Anthony is infamous. Arguably, anyone of a certain age and living in the U.S. with access to the internet is at least familiar with the case. It remains among the more perplexing cases because there’s no certainty; Casey is a habitual liar, which has been proven time and again, and what happened to Caylee is still heavily debated.

    More than seventeen years have since passed. Caylee would have been 20 years old today.

    As the trial unfolded, America watched in disbelief as Casey crafted a web of lies, and then created more lies to cover up the original lies. She was a master manipulator disguised in a petite form, which she played to her advantage. Many people found it perplexing that an attractive young woman was potentially capable of causing her daughter’s death—as if appearance is suggestive of culpability.

    It was disturbing to see photos of Casey dancing at night clubs, chasing men around, getting a tattoo and living life as if her daughter was never part of it, during the 31 days that Caylee’s disappearance went unreported. Parents nationwide couldn’t understand how Casey compartmentalized her daughter’s disappearance and slip on a mask that prevented anyone from suspecting something was array—until she was forced into a corner. But … did she act alone? Was her speculated involvement in Caylee’s death intentional?

    Welcome to what is probably one of the longer deep dives on this blog. Here, we’ll delve in to the case of Caylee Anthony’s disappearance and how Casey Anthony slipped through the (wide open) cracks of the justice system.

    Caylee Anthony Goes Missing: The Backstory

    Caylee Anthony.
    Photo from Facebook.

    Caylee Marie Anthony was born on August 9, 2005 in Orlando, Florida. Her mother, Casey Anthony, was 19 years old at the time. It’s been said that the name “Caylee” was a combination of Casey and her brother Lee’s names.

    Casey claimed her current boyfriend, Jesse Grund, was Caylee’s father; a DNA test proved otherwise. There were also rumors about the father being individuals named Eric Baker, Jesus Ortiz and “Josh.” Nonetheless, Caylee’s father was never named publicly. Casey has since claimed that Caylee’s father died in a motorcycle accident, was in the military, was a childhood acquaintance that passed away, and also that the pregnancy resulted from rape.

    The Anthony’s home at 4937 Hopespring Drive in Orlando, Florida.
    Photo from Google.

    After Caylee was born, she and her mom lived with Casey’s parents, Cindy and George Anthony, in a suburban area on Hopespring Drive in Orlando, Florida. George worked the swing shift as a security guard and Cindy worked day shifts as a nurse manager at a local hospital. By all accounts, they loved being grandparents and stepped in to help Casey with Caylee whenever possible. Both have described Casey as the light of their lives on numerous occasions.

    The grandparents overstepped their boundaries at times, which led to ongoing arguments between them and Casey, but particularly between Casey and Cindy. The arguments often related to expectations of Casey as a mother. Regardless, Caylee had family who genuinely loved her. Her bedroom was decorated in Winnie the Pooh, which she loved, and she even had a playhouse in the backyard complete with her own “address” and mailbox.

    Cindy and George Anthony.
    Credit: A&E Television /Mary Beth Koeth

    Caylee was bright, doe-eyed and charismatic. She loved watching SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, and swimming in the family’s aboveground pool. Impressively, Caylee was able to count to 40 in Spanish. She adoringly called George, “Jojo” and Cindy, “Cece.”

    By many accounts, Caylee and Casey shared a very close bond. For most of Caylee’s life, one was rarely seen without the other. Casey was known for being very attentive and loving, ensuring her daughter was clean, well fed and nurtured. But as time wore on, Casey began seeking the freedom that aligned more with a childless 22-year-old than a mother.

    In summer of 2008, Casey worked as an event planner at Universal Studios; a role that required her to work long hours, late nights and weekends. She previously worked for Kodiak (later Color Vision), a subcontractor for Universal Studios, from 2004 to 2006, which took and sold pictures of patrons on rides. (Despite having begun the manager trainee program, she was fired on April 24, 2006 for job abandonment.) The promotion to event planner was a step forward for Casey.

    Because she worked long hours, Casey needed help caring for Caylee. She learned of a local nanny through an ex-boyfriend, Jeffrey Hopkins, who once dated the nanny and and whose son, Zachary, was often left in her care. The nanny, Zenaida Fernandez Gonzalez, lived in Orlando, and quickly became someone Casey trusted with her daughter. Zenaida, known as “Zanny the Nanny,” remained Caylee’s nanny for nearly two years up until her disappearance. According to Casey, Zanny hailed from New York City, moved to Florida for college and settled in Orlando, having moved three times in the general area. She recently cut her hair short, drove a Ford Focus, and had a mother named Gloria, who was sickly, and a roommate named Raquel Ferrel. Casey told an acquaintance that she paid Zanny $400 a week to watch Caylee.

    In addition to working full time, in summer 2008 Casey started dating Anthony “Tony” Lazzaro, whom she met on Facebook. Lazzaro was a 21-year-old student studying music at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, and a promoter for Fusion Ultra Lounge; a sushi bar that became a martini bar at night. It wasn’t long before Casey introduced Lazzaro to Caylee, and mother and daughter went to his off-campus apartment a handful of times together, located at Sutton Place Apartments, also in Winter Park.

    The Lead-Up to Caylee’s Disappearance

    As you’ll learn in this post, Caylee Anthony was missing for a total of 31 days before Casey reported her missing. Below, you’ll discover what Casey was doing in Caylee’s absence.

    Sun., June 15, 2008

    Cindy and Caylee visit Cindy’s father—Casey’s grandfather—at Avante Mt. Dora Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for Father’s Day. Cindy and Caylee subsequently return home and swim in the pool. Meanwhile, Casey spends the day with Lazzaro.

    That evening, Casey and Cindy argue about Casey stealing money from her grandparents and/or her not spending enough time with Caylee. Cindy’s concerns about Caylee’s welfare reaches the point where she threatens to gain legal guardianship of her. Casey’s brother, Lee, describes the argument as so intense that Cindy chokes Casey. A neighbor overhears and witnesses Casey yelling, “Fuck you, Mom! I don’t want to hear it anymore.” Then, Casey goes for a jog.

    Mon., June 16, 2008

    Casey starts her day messaging with a former love interest, Ryan Green, on AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) from 7:56 am to 8:06 am. At 10:27 am, she uploads a photo of the interior of Fusian Ultra Lounge to her Photobucket account.

    George alleges that Casey and Caylee leave the Anthony home around 12:50 pm. in Casey’s white 1998 Pontiac Sunfire, with both of them wearing backpacks. Caylee wears a pink shirt, jean shorts, pink socks, white sandals, white sunglasses and a backpack, and has her hair pulled back.

    However, phone records show that Casey doesn’t leave the Anthony home until 4:16 pm. Computer usage at the home is heaviest between 2 pm and 3 pm. Both Cindy and George are at work, so it’s assumed that Casey and Caylee return to the home after George leaves, or perhaps they never left at all.

    From 4:11 pm to 4:25 pm, Casey calls several people, including her mother, whom she calls six times. At 5:57 pm, she arrives at Lazzaro’s apartment without Caylee, where she stays for the next few weeks. At 7:54 pm, Casey and Lazzaro are seen on surveillance renting movies at a Blockbuster. Lazzaro’s roommates, Nathan Lesniewicz, Cameron Campana and Roy “Clint” House, claim to see Caylee two to three times since Casey starts dating Lazzaro.

    Cindy reaches out to Casey shortly after her and Caylee leave to ask about their plans to return. Casey tells her mom that Caylee is with Zanny.

    Over the next month, Casey lies about a series of work engagements that prevent her and Caylee from returning home. Zanny lives close to Universal Studios, which makes it convenient for Casey to leave her there. While staying with Lazzaro, Casey helps him with his job as a promoter at Fusion Ultra Lounge, where oversees the shot girls. She also frequently cooks, cleans and does the men’s laundry.

    Tues., June 17, 2008

    Casey stays at Lazzaro’s apartment until 2 pm. She goes to her parents’ home, arriving at 2:45 pm, during which she backs her car into the garage. She remains at the home until 4:30 pm. No one is present but Casey.

    Wed., June 18, 2008

    Casey stays at Lazzaro’s apartment until 12:30 pm. She tells Cindy she has a work event at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, which keeps her and Caylee away for six days. Nonetheless, between 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm, Casey returns to her parents’ home again and asks a neighbor, Brian Burner, if she can borrow a shovel to dig up a bamboo root in the yard. Again, she backs her car into the garage.

    Casey tells her mother that Zanny comes on the trip to Tampa to watch Caylee while Casey attends meetings.

    Fri., June 20, 2008

    Casey Anthony participates in the Hot Body contest at Fusion Ultra Lounge.
    Photo from Reddit.

    Casey enters the infamous “Hot Body” contest at Fusion Ultra Lounge as a stand-in to encourage others to participate. She tells Cindy she is still attending a conference in Tampa, Florida.

    Sat. to Sun., June 21-22, 2008

    Casey tells a friend that Caylee is at the beach with Zanny. She continues telling Cindy that she’s in Tampa and staying at the Hard Rock Hotel.

    Mon., June 23, 2008

    Casey is at Lazzaro’s apartment until around 1:30 pm. Around 2:30 pm, she drives toward her parents’ home but calls Lazzaro at 2:45 pm when her car runs out of gas. Lazzaro finds Casey, picks her up, and brings her to the Anthony home. She asks Lazzaro to break the lock on George’s shed, so she can steal cans of gas.

    Tues., June 24, 2008

    George discovers his shed lock is broken and his gas cans are missing. He files a police report with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) about the theft.

    Around 2:30 pm, Casey goes to her parents and runs in to George. George says he needs to get something out of Casey’s trunk. Casey brushes past him, takes the gas cans and throws them at her father saying, “Here’s your fucking gas cans,” and then gets in her vehicle and leaves. She subsequently calls Cindy to talk about what happened.

    When Cindy asks why Casey is in Orlando when she claimed to be in Tampa, she says that Zanny is hospitalized after being in a car accident and she needed to retrieve Zanny’s insurance information from her home on her behalf.

    Wed., June 25, 2008

    Casey tells her friend Amy Hyzienga—whom she is looking for an apartment with—that her car has a foul smell, which she believes is coming from the engine.

    Thurs., June 26, 2008

    Casey spends most of the day at Lazzaro’s apartment. When she speaks with Cindy, Casey says Zanny was released from the hospital late and her and Caylee are spending another night at the Hard Rock Hotel in Tampa.

    Fri., June 27, 2008

    Fusion Ultra Lounge in Orlando, Florida. The restaurant/nightclub has since closed.
    Photo from Facebook.

    Casey is in the vicinity of her parents’ house around 11:30 am, where she remains for the next half-hour. She texts Hyzienga about an animal being plastered to the frame of her car.

    Casey’s car runs out of gas again, this time at an Amscott in University Boulevard in Orlando. She calls Lazzaro to pick her up. When he arrives, she is holding a large grocery bag of food she collected from her parents’ house.

    At 2:51 pm, Lazzaro and Casey are seen at J.C. Penny’s, where he purchases sneakers. That night, the couple goes to Fusion Ultra Lounge.

    Sat. to Sun., June 28-29, 2008

    Casey tells Cindy that she and Caylee are still at the Hard Rock Hotel in Tampa. Instead, Casey spends time with Lazzaro, during which they visit a Blockbuster and rent a movie.

    Mon., June 30, 2008

    Lazzaro has a planned trip to his home state of New York. Casey drives Lazzaro to the airport using his car and subsequently visits a Target store with Hyzienga.

    Later that day, Casey’s car is impounded and brought to Johnson’s Wrecker in Orlando.

    When Cindy asks for Caylee, Casey says she is working late and claims that Caylee is now with Jennifer Rosa, a relative of Zanny’s, and they are at Universal Studios.

    Tues., July 1, 2008

    With Lazzaro in New York, Casey spends the night at the apartment of her ex-fiancé, Jesse Grund. Caylee is not with her.

    She initially shows up at Grund’s apartment to shower around 4 pm or 5 pm, and then meets Huizenga at J.C. Penny’s and subsequently visits Ale House, a popular bar in Orlando.

    Wed., July 2, 2008

    Casey visits a Ross clothing store and makes a tattoo appointment. That night, she visits two night clubs, Club Voyage and Mako, and sleeps at Huizenga’s apartment. When Huizenga asks about Caylee, she says Caylee is at the park, which is also what she tells her mother Cindy.

    Thurs., July 3, 2008

    Casey Anthony’s “Bella Vita” tattoo.
    Photo credit: Yahoo

    Cindy drives to Universal Studios in attempts to get ahold of Casey and/or see Caylee, because Casey told her that Caylee was attending a character breakfast. After Cindy arrives, Casey tells her that she and Caylee are now in Jacksonville, Florida, visiting Jeffrey Hopkins to rekindle a relationship. She texts her ex-fiance Grund saying not to respond to potential texts from her family because they are “crazy.” She also goes shopping at the Florida Mall in South Orlando with an acquaintance, Melissa England.

    That same day, Casey gets the now-infamous tattoo, “bella vita” on her left shoulder blade. The tattoo is Italian for “beautiful life.”

    That night, Cindy shares a MySpace post titled, “My Caylee is missing.” Her only friend on MySpace is Casey and she makes the post to attract her attention. Cindy also reaches out to her son, Lee, for help tracking down Casey.

    Lee does some online sleuthing and discovers Casey will likely be at a night club in Orlando. He goes with his then-girlfriend (now wife) Mallorie Parker to look for Casey, but someone catches wind of Lee and tells Casey, who hightails it out of the area to avoid confrontation.

    Fri., July 4, 2008

    Casey tells Cindy that she and Caylee are still in Jacksonville, and tells Grund that Caylee is at SeaWorld.

    Rather, Casey is at the home of a new friend, William Walters, helping him and Hyzienga plan a Fourth of July party at Lake Lineola. She drinks, watches fireworks and has a great time.

    Sat., July 5, 2008

    Casey goes to IKEA with Walters, under the guise that she is looking for furniture for her and Hyzienga’s future apartment. She also has lunch with Walters. She then meets up with Lazzaro, who returns to Orlando, has dinner with him at Buffalo Wild Wings and watches a UFC fight.

    When Cindy calls, Casey tells her that her car broke down in Jacksonville, leaving her and Caylee stuck at Hopkins’ house for a few more days. She says Caylee is playing with Hopkins’ son, Zachary.

    Fri., July 11, 2008

    Casey goes to Fusion Ultra Lounge.

    Sat., July 12, 2008

    Casey goes to a Win Dixie at 9:30 pm.

    Sun., July 13, 2008

    Casey tells Cindy that she and Caylee have to stay in Jacksonville longer to attend the wedding of Hopkins’ mother, Jules.

    Tues., July 15, 2008

    Cindy and George receive a letter in the mail about Casey’s vehicle being impounded. Cindy and George retrieve Casey’s car and attempt to contact her without luck. By their accounts, the vehicle has a strong smell akin to garbage.

    Meanwhile, Casey drives Huizenga’s car, as she is in Puerto Rico on vacation. Casey calls the tattoo shop to make another appointment and cashes a check at Bank of America around 1:30 pm. She then drives to the airport to pick up Huizenga and Ricardo Morales—an ex-boyfriend she dated in winter and spring of 2008—all the while speaking to Erika Gonzalez, a shot girl at Fusion Ultra Lounge, and pretending she is with Caylee.

    Cindy searches Casey’s car for clues about what’s going on. In the car she finds Casey’s work bag, which contains Huizenga’s contact information. Cindy never met Huizenga, but nonetheless calls her, tells her what’s going on and asks to pick her up. Huizenga agrees and confirms that Casey is in Orlando living with Lazzaro, and she never left the area in past month as she claimed.

    Cindy goes to Lazzaro’s apartment with Huizenga, where she finds Casey but not Caylee. She demands Casey take her to see Caylee, and they drive around for two hours before Cindy calls the police.

    Caylee is Reported Missing; Casey is Arrested and the Investigation Begins

    Below is the timeline that follows Cindy Anthony’s phone call to 9-1-1.

    Tues., July 15, 2008

    Cindy places several calls to 9-1-1. First, she asks police to arrest Casey for grand theft auto. Next, she reports Caylee missing.

    During one of these phone calls, she makes the now-infamous statement:

    “There is something wrong. I found my daughter’s car today and it smells like there’s been a dead body in the damn car.”

    Cindy puts Casey on the phone at the request of the 9-1-1 operator. Casey sounds agitated. Casey tells her mother and the operator that Zanny took Caylee, and that she spoke with Caylee briefly that day, but the phone number is no longer in service. When asked why she waited 31 days to report her daughter missing, Casey says:

    “I have been looking for her and have gone through other resources to try and find her, which is stupid.”

    Casey later tells investigators that she was introduced to Zanny through Hopkins, who uses the nanny’s services for his son. Investigators identify an individual named Jeffrey Hopkins, a former middle school acquaintance of Casey’s, who lives in Orlando. Though Hopkins worked for Universal Studios in 2002, he doesn’t recall seeing Casey there. In fact, Hopkins has no children, doesn’t know anyone named Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez, doesn’t have a trust fund (as Casey told her mother), never dated Casey, and never lived in Jacksonville.

    Wed., July 16, 2008

    Casey Anthony’s white 1998 Pontiac Sunfire.

    Police seize Casey’s vehicle. Cadaver dogs pick up the scent of human decomposition in Casey’s trunk and in the Anthony’s backyard, near Caylee’s playhouse. Forensic testing confirms the presence of decomposition in Casey’s trunk the next day.

    Casey is arrested on charges of child neglect, giving false statements and obstruction for lying about Caylee’s whereabouts. She is brought in for questioning and speaks with Detective John Allen, former sergeant with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division. While Casey fills out paperwork she and Detective Allen engage in small talk, during which she mostly speaks of her aspirations to become a personal trainer. She does not speak about Caylee.

    Zanny and Hopkins Don’t Exist

    Casey tells Detective Allen that Caylee was last seen with Zanny. Police ask Casey to direct them to Zanny’s residence and she brings them to a unit at the Sawgrass Apartments that was vacant for 142 days. (Casey is familiar with the complex because it’s where her former best friend, Annie Downing, once lived.) She is unable to provide Zanny’s phone number because she claims to have lost her phone at work.

    Police learn that no one named Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez ever lived at the Sawgrass Apartments. A woman with the same name is located in Orlando, but police confirm there no connection to Casey or Caylee. The real Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez had filled out a visitor form to look at an apartment in the complex, but she never lived there. Having found that Casey created a fictional version of Hopkins, they are highly suspicious of her statements about Zanny.

    Casey Doesn’t Work at Universal Studios

    Detective Yuri Melich contacts Leonard Turtya, assistant manager at the Loss Prevention Department at Universal Studios, to inquire about Casey’s job. It’s determined that Casey is not an employee and never was, though she worked for Kodiak (later Color Vision), a subcontractor of Universal Studios, from 2004 to 2006. Police also learn that other colleagues Casey mentioned did not work there either, including Juliette Lewis and Cheryl Davis, and perhaps never existed.

    Detective Allen and Detective Appling Wells pick up Casey to bring her to Universal Studios. She meets with Detective Melich and and Turtua in the employee parking lot. Casey leads them to a building and down a hallway, all the while waving to other people working there. When she reaches the end of the hallway, Casey turns around, puts her hands in her pockets and, with a smile, declares she she doesn’t work there. She is subsequently brought into a conference room, where she is interrogated.

    Casey Anthony’s mugshot photo.
    Photo credit: Orange County Police Department.

    Casey is arrested and charged with child neglect, making false official statements, and obstructing an investigation. Bail is set at $500,000, with her father’s claims of Casey’s vehicle smelling like a dead body—George Anthony previously worked in law enforcement—serving as incriminating evidence.

    Wed., Aug. 20, 2008

    The high-profile nature of the case draws the attention of Leonard Padilla, a bounty hunter from California. Padilla pays Casey’s bond with the intent that if Casey is not in jail, she can better aid in the search for Caylee.

    Fri., Aug. 29, 2008

    The bond is rescinded when Casey is arrested for stealing and cashing four checks worth about $650 from Huizenga.

    Tues., Oct. 14, 2008

    Casey is indicted on seven criminal charges, including first-degree murder. She enters a not-guilty plea.

    Fri., Jan. 23, 2009

    Due to the stress wrought on George by the investigation—the loss of his granddaughter coupled with Casey’s allegations of sexual abuse, which he has and continues to refute—George is hospitalized after a suicide attempt. He is found in a Daytona Beach, Florida, hotel, alongside a five-page suicide note and under the influence of medication and alcohol.

    Caylee’s Remains are Found

    The area where Caylee’s body was found was decorated by community members to honor her memory.

    On December 11, 2008, five months after Caylee disappeared, her skeletal remains are discovered in a wooded area off Suburban Drive, less than 0.3 miles from the Anthony home and within site of the local elementary school. Her body is discovered by Roy Kronk, a meter reader for Orange County, Florida. Deputy Edward Turso reports to the scene and confirm skeletal remains.

    Because Caylee’s body was exposed to the elements for six months, it wasn’t possible to determine the cause of death; nonetheless, many clues were still gathered at the scene. On December 20, 2008, the medical examiner rules Caylee’s death a homicide due to the handling and location of the body.

    Caylee is found with three pieces of overlapping duct tape covering her nose and mouth, and wrapped around her jaw. Overtop the duct tape that is placed on her mouth is a heart sticker. The same brand of duct tape, which is not widely available, is found in the Anthony home and on gas cans in the garage. Stickers matching the one on the duct tape are found in the Anthony home. The body is wrapped in a Winnie the Pooh blanket—the same blanket that was missing from the Anthony home—and placed inside two plastic bags, which are placed inside a laundry canvas bag and put behind a rotting log. The laundry bag comes in a set of two, and the matching bag is located in the Anthony home.

    Curiously, Kronk initially contacts the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) on August 11, 2008 to report a suspicious gray bag in a wooded area off Suburban Drive. An officer arrives at the scene, but doesn’t thoroughly investigate. Plagued by a bad feeling, Kronk calls again on August 12, 2008, to report the same gray bag. This time, Deputy Elizabeth Collins responds, but she does not enter the wooded area. Determined, Kronk calls again on August 13, 2008 and meets with Deputy Richard Cain, who briefly searches the area but claims the bag is trash.

    Because of the failure to thoroughly investigate the scene earlier, an internal investigation is launched into Deputy Cain.

    The Murder Trial

    Casey Anthony at the Florida vs. Casey Anthony trial.

    The trial of Florida vs. Casey Anthony begins on May 24, 2011. It is heavily watched, publicized and scrutinized.

    Finding jurors is a major challenge because most people are familiar with the case. Instead of finding jurors who never heard of Casey or Caylee Anthony, the court selects jurors who state they are unbiased. The trial goes on for six weeks and is overseen by Belvin Perry, former chief judge in Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit.

    The Prosecution

    The prosecution, led by Assistant State Attorney Linda Drane Burdick and supported by Assistsnt State Attorneys Frank George and Jeff Ashton, paint a picture of Casey as a young mother who wants to freely party, date, and live on her own accord, and who intentionally killed her daughter via suffocation to relieve herself of the responsibilities of motherhood. Having found searches for “chloroform” and “neck breaking” on the family’s computer when Casey was home, the prosecution alleges that Casey used chloroform to suffocate Caylee, after which she placed duct tape on her nose and mouth.

    Assistant State Attorney Linda Drane Burdick tells the court:

    “As difficult as it may be for anyone to accept that a mother would intentionally kill her own child — from the evidence you will hear in this case there is no other conclusion that can be drawn,” Burdick said. “No one but Casey Anthony had access to all the pieces of evidence in this case … no one else lied to their friends, to their family, to the investigators. No one else benefited from the death of Caylee Marie Anthony.”

    The prosecution notes several others points of evidence, which include:

    • human hair found in the trunk of Casey’s car, which is traced to the Anthony’s female lineage via mitochondrial DNA testing: the hair displayed root banding, which is a distinct band of discoloration consistent with decomposition
    • a high presence of chloroform in the trunk of Casey’s car, although it is uncertain whether it was used to subdue Caylee or was simply present in cleaning products
    • a stained paper towel found in the trunk of Casey’s car, which contained fly pupa; the stain is identified as grave wax, produced from the decomposition of human fat
    • the presence of 41 of 424 compounds associated with decomposition in the trunk of Casey’s car
    • the fabrication of Zanny the Nanny
    • the same duct tape used to cover Caylee’s mouth also found in the Anthony household
    • several computer searches on the Anthony family computer for “chloroform”, “neck breaking”, “hydrogen peroxide death”, “how to make chloroform”, “household weapons”, “inhalation chloroform,” “alcohol acetone”, “hydrogen peroxide death”, “shovel”, “making weapons out of household objects”, and “chloroform habit” on various dates in March 2008

    On June 23, 2011, Cindy Anthony takes the stand to refute some of the prosecutor’s arguments. She testifies that she searched “chloroform” on the family computer—despite her being at work at the time. She claims that her dogsn ate bamboo leaves and she was curious if there were any ill effects.

    The Defense

    The defense, led by Attorney Jose Baez—who later defended Aaron Hernandez and Harvey Weinstein—and co-counsel James Cheney Mason, claim that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family pool and George helped cover up her death. To argue their point, the defense notes the following:

    • Zanny the Nanny was fabricated and Casey lied to police throughout the investigation as a result of having learned to lie throughout her life from her father, George Anthony, who sexually molested her as a child
    • no fingerprints are found on the duct tape found on Caylee’s person
    • no blood seen or found on Casey’s belongings

    It is evident that Casey lied throughout the investigation and for years prior, and the defense doesn’t dismiss her behavior patterns; however, reasoning is given as to why Casey lied so often. During the trial, Casey claims her father and older brother, Lee, sexually abused and molested her as a child. The claims are never proven and George and Lee denied them claims and have ever since. Casey claims these memories resurfaced when she was incarcerated and awaiting trial. To support her claim, she says that she never allowed Caylee to be alone with George (false) and she ensured Caylee slept with her so George didn’t have access to her. Casey also claims George assisted her with disposing Caylee’s body, which he has also adamantly refused.

    Casey is Found Not Guilty

    On July 5, 2011, after 10 hours of deliberation, Casey is found not guilty of first-degree murder, manslaughter or child abuse. She is convicted on four counts of lying to police; all misdemeanor charges. On July 7, Casey is sentenced to four years in jail and a $4,000 fine, one for each charge, and she is ordered to pay the $213,000 to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to pay for the cost of the search for Caylee. Because Casey was previously incarcerated and earned reduced time for good behavior, she is released from Orange County Jail just 10 days later. Casey is free to go.

    Casey’s Inconsistencies

    Below are some inconsistencies in Casey’s statements that are worthy of note:

    • Casey claimed memories of George sexually abusing her resurfaced in jail—but she also claimed that Caylee was never alone with him and slept with Casey, with the door locked, so George wouldn’t have access to her—which was before the memories “resurfaced.” She also believed George “was with” Caylee during the entire 31 days she was “missing,” and told George on a jailhouse phone call that he was “the best grandpa.” So, which one is it?
    • Casey claimed George took and disposed of Caylee’s body, but how does this explain the presence of chloroform, coffin flies, decomposition material, and a hair with root banding inside of Casey’s trunk, coupled with the smell, if Caylee was never inside?
    • Casey claimed that Caylee drowned in the pool, but she was found with duct tape over her mouth and nose, in what appeared to be a staged homicide. If her death was accidental, why the attempt to make it look intentional?
    • Casey claimed the last time she saw Caylee was when she dropped her off at the bottom of the stairs at the Sawgrass Apartment Complex leading up to Zanny’s apartment. She later claimed that she met Zanny in a park, and Zanny aggressively threw her down and took Caylee from her. (Either way, Zanny was fictional.)
    • Casey claimed to have slept late on the morning of Caylee’s alleged disappearance because she didn’t feel well, but phone and computer records showed she was up late texting and talking to Lazzaro, and awake early messaging on AIM and using the internet.
    • Casey claimed in Part I of the 2022 Peacock documentary that there “is no such thing as good sleep for her.” In a 2017 interview with the Associated Press, she stated, “I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks of me. I never will. I’m OK with myself. I sleep pretty good at night.”

    “Most-Hated Mom in America”: The Aftermath

    Even though Casey was found not guilty, she remains guilty in the eyes of public opinion and across social media. Her case occurred at a unique time when social media, particularly MySpace, was extremely popular, which allowed people to post and share about their thoughts on the trial.

    After the trial, Casey went into hiding, avoiding public places due to the intense scrutiny and obvious hatred from the general public. Even though the jury determined there wasn’t enough evidence to convict her, the public remained convinced that Caylee’s disappearance and death was Casey’s fault—and her behavior through the investigation and trial didn’t dissuade their beliefs.

    After the trial ended, Casey’s defense team was worried about her safety. She had nowhere to go and wasn’t going to return to living with her parents due to the allegations made against George and extreme family divide. Instead, Casey stayed with Patrick McKenna, the lead investigator on her case, and worked for him for the next 10+ years. McKenna, a high-profile private investigator, previously worked on the OJ Simpson case.

    2015

    The real Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez, a 42-year-old mother of six, filed a defamation lawsuit against Casey in 2008, claiming her reputation was smeared. In 2015, the lawsuit was dismissed.

    2016

    In 2016, Casey launched her own photography business, Case Photography, LLC in West Palm Beach, Florida. The business shut down three years later.

    2017

    In March, Casey gave an interview to the Associated Press. In the interview, she said: “I’m OK with myself, I sleep pretty good at night.”

    Casey also said, “I understand the reasons people feel about me. I understand why people have the opinions that they do. I’m still not even certain as I stand here today about what happened.”

    2020

    In December 2020, Casey submitted paperwork to start a private investigation business, Case Research & Consulting Services LLC. Her paperwork was denied, as Casey didn’t have a private investigator license to operate in the state of Florida and wouldn’t be able to obtain one due to formerly being charged with a felony.

    2022

    Casey appears in a three-part docuseries that aired on Peacock, Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies. In the docuseries, she claims that Caylee drowned in the pool and George helped to cover up the accident.

    2024

    On January 24, 2024, Cindy and George agree to take polygraph tests on camera as part of an A&E series Casey Anthony’s Parents: The Lie Detector Test.

    2025

    Casey resurfaced on TikTok, announcing the launch of her TikTok and Substack newsletter, and her status as a legal advocate.

    Caylee’s Law

    In the aftermath of Caylee’s death and the subsequent trial, the term “Caylee’s Law,” was created in reference to various states making it a felony for parents and/or caregivers to fail to report a child missing if there is awareness or speculation of the child being in danger.

    The following states have enforced an iteration of Caylee’s Law:

    • Alabama
    • Connecticut
    • Florida
    • Illinois
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • New Jersey
    • North Carolina
    • Oklahoma
    • South Dakota
    • Virginia
    • Wisconsin
    Sources
  • The Suspicious Death of Tamla Horsford

    The Suspicious Death of Tamla Horsford

    Tamla Horsford, a 40-year-old wife and mother of five, was found deceased in the backyard of a residence in Cumming, Georgia, on Sunday, November 4, 2018. Tamla spent the prior evening with 12 acquaintances at a sleepover party to celebrate the 45th birthday of Jeanne Meyers, the homeowner.

    Tamla was the only Black woman at the party.

    With Forsyth County having a long history of racism, many questions have surrounded the investigation, the individuals involved and the ultimate ruling of Tamla’s death as “accidental” despite evidence suggesting otherwise.

    Tamla Horsford with her husband Leander Horsford.
    Photo from Facebook.

    In this post, we’ll dive in to the death of Tamla Horsford, the surrounding suspicion, and the hazy timeline.

    The Sleepover

    Tamla attends a sleepover party on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018 at the residence of Jeanne Meyers at 4450 Woodland Court in Cummings, Georgia, 40 miles outside of Atlanta. She knows Jeanne and the other nine women in attendance through their sons’ youth football league. The women refer to themselves as “football moms.”

    4450 Woodland Court in Cummings, Georgia.
    Photo Credit: RedFin.com

    Tamla and Jeanne met recently in August 2018, and only spent time together on Saturdays during their sons’ games. Tamla went to Jeanne’s home for the first time a few weeks prior for a pumpkin-carving party with their children.

    Stacey Smith was the party host and sent Evites through Facebook. The sleepover was intended to eliminate any risk of drinking and driving. Jeanne held the party at her house to celebrate her 45th birthday and the end of another successful kids’ football season, and also because she was a Louisiana State University (LSU) fan and there was an LSU-Alabama football game that night.

    Tamla Horsford is pictured with seven other women at the overnight house party on November 3, 2018.
    Credit: Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

    In the timeline, we will refer to the partygoers by their first names to reduce confusion, but all parties, with the exception of Tamla, will otherwise be referenced by their last names in the duration of this post.

    8:30 pm, Saturday, November 3, 2018

    The party starts at 7 pm, but Tamla arrives around 8:30 pm. Before heading over, she makes dinner for her family and prepares a breakfast casserole for them to have the following morning.

    Tamla joins nine women and three men, though it was previously stated that men would not be in attendance. Rather, the party was initially held with a “no boys allowed” sort of theme. All the women are present when she arrives, with the exception of Paula Seals, who arrives later on.

    The women at the party and their ages at the time of the case are as follows:

    • Jeanne Meyers, 45, the homeowner; now Jeanne Gunter
    • Nichole Lawson, 39
    • Marcy Hardin, 33
    • Bridget Fuller, 43
    • Jennifer Morrell, 46
    • Sarah Cockerham, 36
    • Paula Seals, 46
    • Stacey Smith, 40, the party host
    • Madeline Lombardi, 63, Jeanne’s aunt, who also lives at the residence; now Madeline Verdi

    The men at the party and their ages at the time of the case are as follows:

    • Jose Barrera, 27, Jeanne’s boyfriend
    • Michael Pallerino, husband of Jennifer Morrell, 55
    • Thomas Smith, 41, husband of Stacey Smith

    Jose is expected to leave the home but complains of stomach issues. He promises Jeanne he will stay in the basement and keep to himself.

    At the last minute, Thomas “Tom” Smith, Stacey’s husband, joins Jose. Stacey’s sister, Jamie, hosted her gender reveal party at their home that evening, and prompting Tom to join Stacey at Jeanne’s party. While the men stay downstairs and watch the LSU-Alabama game, the women watch the same game upstairs and drink alcohol. (Michael Pallerino strictly drove his wife Jennifer Morrell to and from the party, but is mentioned in the police report, so he is identified here.)

    A photo of Tamla and two partygoers.
    Credit: Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

    Nichole Lawson and Sarah Cockerham are the only women who aren’t drinking because they plan to drive home. Tamla allegedly takes a shot of Fireball whiskey upon arrival, and then alternates between water or Mountain Dew mixed with tequila, which she brought. Everyone at the party is alleged to drink responsibly, including Tamla, with no mentions of outward intoxication aside from Jennifer Morrell.

    Tamla brings a bottle of tequila to the party and a small overnight bag. Upon arrival, she changes into her pajamas: a white onesie with paw prints on it. She is alleged to arrive in a great mood and is both friendly and social.

    The bottle of tequila, imported from Mexico, is brought as a gift for Jeanne. Jeanne expresses her disgust of tequila and her refusal to drink it. When Tamla goes outside for a cigarette, Jeanne says the smell of tequila causes her to “throw up in her mouth.” Because of Jeanne’s refusal, Tamla is the only person who drinks the tequila that night.

    Tamla is allegedly the only cigarette smoker at the party and periodically smokes on the balcony, which faces the backyard. Tamla also smokes marijuana on the balcony with Madeline and Stacey, though Jeanne asks her to stop, stating that Jose, her boyfriend, was a probation officer. She jokes, calling Tamla “the female Bob Marley.”

    At halftime, the men come upstairs to eat—Jeanne had cooked gumbo—and the group finishes the evening watching the game.

    A photo of Tamla and two partygoers.
    Credit: Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

    9:30 – 9:45 pm

    Sometime between 9:30 and 9:45 pm, Paula Seals arrives at the party and the group has birthday cake.

    Tamla FaceTimes her children twice—her husband and children around 10 pm and her stepdaughter around 12:30 am, when she happily shows off her pregnancy to the partygoers. After the football game ends, the group plays Cards Against Humanity, a card game typically associated with drinking, until after midnight.

    11:30 pm

    Nichole Lawson and Sarah Cockerham leave the party—allegedly due to childcare.

    12:45 am, Sunday, November 4, 2018

    Marcy Hardin puts an intoxicated Jennifer Morrell to bed upstairs. The friends reportedly watch Shrek and fall asleep shortly afterwards.

    1:15 am

    The remaining partygoers talk about going to bed and their sleeping arrangements. Tamla states she wants to go home. Jeanne, Stacey, and her husband Tom discourage Tamla from driving because she had been drinking. Tamla reluctantly agrees to spend the night, though she doesn’t feel ready for bed and asks other group members to stay up with her.

    Tamla is allegedly upset that she doesn’t have a “sleeping buddy,” because everyone at the sleepover is sleeping in pairs. Stacey leaves her cell phone downstairs with Tamla so “their phones could have a sleepover.” Tamla is the only person who sleeps downstairs.

    A photo of Tamla and two partygoers.
    Credit: Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

    1:47 am

    Bridget Fuller leaves the party. She is picked up by her husband, Gary Fuller. Bridget leaves because she has anxiety, stating that she feels she has to sleep with “one eye open” if she is at someone else’s house.

    Bridget is allegedly the last person to see Tamla alive. Tamla eats gumbo downstairs and says she will have one more cigarette before bed.

    1:49 am

    The back door to the house opens.

    1:50 am

    The back door to the house closes.

    1:57 am

    The back door to the house opens—and never closes.

    2 am

    Tamla allegedly smokes a cigarette or attempts to do so on the back porch.

    4:10 am

    Marcy Hardin leaves the residence to get ready for work. She was starting a new job at a Coach retailer in an outlet mall. However, her shift didn’t start until 10 am.

    7:30 am

    Madeline, the homeowner’s aunt, wakes up with plans to make coffee. She lives on the first floor apartment of the home. When Madeline walks past a window, she sees Tamla lying face-down in the backyard. She kneels down, says a prayer, and then goes upstairs to Jeanne and Jose’s room.

    Madeline knocks on their door and hears running water. Wondering if the couple is showering, she returns downstairs to look again at Tamla’s body. Then, she goes back upstairs and knocks on the door again, no longer hearing the running water. Madeline specifically asks to speak to Jose, but ultimately tells both Jeanne and Jose, “Your friend from the islands is dead.” She claims to have forgotten Tamla’s name because they only met recently.

    7:45 am

    Paula Seals leaves the residence.

    8:30 am

    Thomas and Stacey Smith leave the residence. Before she leaves, Stacey goes into the living room to grab her phone, and remembers seeing Tamla’s phone and being happy that she decided to stay the night.

    8:59 am

    Jose, the homeowner’s boyfriend, calls 9-1-1. During the call, Jose describes Tamla as lying face-down and not breathing, with a small cut on her wrist. He suggests the cut may be self-inflicted. A woman is overheard in the background suggesting Tamla may have been pushed off the balcony.

    9:07 am

    Police arrive on scene.

    At some point after police arrive, Jennifer is woken by the commotion.

    Who Was Tamla Horsford?

    Tamla and Leander Horsford.
    Photo from Facebook.

    Tamla “Tam” St. Jour was born on October 10, 1978 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, an island in the Caribbean. In 1989, when Tamla was 11, her family moved to the Bronx, New York.

    As an adult, Tamla moved to Florida, where she met her husband Leander “Lee” Horsford. Leander had one daughter from a prior marriage, who Tamla accepted as her own. Together, Tamla and Leander also had five sons, the youngest of whom was only 4 years old at the time of Tamla’s passing. The Horsford’s moved to Cumming, Georgia, around 2012 for Leander’s job.

    In the fall of 2018, Tamla and Leander were looking forward to the birth of their first grandchild. Leander’s daughter was pregnant. Sadly, Tamla never had the chance to meet her precious grandchild.

    Tamla is remembered for her warm soul and love for life. She enjoyed dancing, singing, going to the beach and cooking. She actively participated in her sons’ schooling and regularly attended their sporting events.

    The First Investigation

    The site where Tamla’s lifeless body was discovered. Credit: Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

    Tamla’s case was investigated by the Forsyth County Major Crimes Unit. Lieutenant Andy Kalin oversaw the case and Corporal Michael Christian was the lead investigator.

    The partygoers who saw Tamla’s body described her as lying face-down with her arms by her side and her palms facing upwards. However, police discovered Tamla’s body with her left arm bent, as if she were waving.

    When discovered, Tamla’s legs were straight with her feet pointed down. The tips of her feet were about 1 foot, 10 inches from the edge of the downstairs patio, and her head faced toward the back of the yard. She had abrasions on her shins, which were consistent with a metal landscape divider in the yard. Despite being directly face-down, Tamla suffered no injuries to her face. When police arrived, her body was stiff and rigor mortis had set in, suggesting that she was deceased for several hours.

    Tamla’s body was taken in for an autopsy that day. The first autopsy revealed multiple blunt-force injuries, which police presumed resulted from a fall from the home’s 14-foot, 10-inch-high balcony.

    A view of the second-floor balcony where Tamla Horsford is alleged to have fallen from.

    Police break the news to Leander. When they arrive at the Horsford residence, they ask, “Is your name Lee?” He responds, “What does this pertain to?” Police repeat their question twice more, with increasing intensity, and then state, “It’s about your wife. She’s deceased.” The police refused to allow Leander to go to the scene. Police also stated that Tamla passed from falling off the balcony—despite there not yet being an investigation.

    Tamla’s death was ruled accidental due to multiple blunt-force injuries caused by her falling off the balcony as a result of alcohol intoxication and/or suffering a “medical event.” No autopsy photos were taken and the crime scene was not secured. Jeanne had rechargeable cameras in her backyard, but none of them were functioning on the night of Tamla’s death.

    Between Nov. 9, 2018 and Nov. 20, 2018, interviews were held, not at the police station, but at Jeanne’s house. The partygoers were not separated from each other, thus affording them time to possibly develop consistent storylines. Holiday music played in the background. Advocates for Tamla dub this group of partygoers the “Forsyth 12.”

    Unsatisfied with the first autopsy, Tamla’s family requested a second autopsy to be performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI). The second autopsy revealed that Tamla suffered severe injuries to her head, neck and torso—which included a broken neck, a compound fracture to her wrist and four types of hemorrhages in the skull and brain—as well as superficial cuts to her face, wrist, hand and lower legs, a laceration to the right ventricle of her heart—which caused internal bleeding into the sack surrounding the heart—and a fracture to her second cervical vertebrae. Despite being discovered face-down, Tamla’s face didn’t sustain the same level of injuries as her body. Also, although a bone was physically sticking out of Tamla’s wrist, very little blood was found at the scene, leading to speculation about the body being moved. Michael Christensen, the lead detective, stated that it appeared more like Tamla fell at ground level as opposed to off the balcony.

    The toxicology report showed a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .238–three times the legal limit—trace amounts of THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana, and Alprazolam (Xanax), a medication prescribed to treat anxiety. Nonetheless, Tamla never appeared drunk or out of control. She was not known to take Xanax and was not prescribed it. Xanax wasn’t yet metabolized by her liver, which meant she took it shortly before her death. It must be noted that Bridget—who described herself in interviews as a “Mother Hen”—was prescribed Xanax for her anxiety, and even wore an apparatus that contained the medication around her neck.

    Despite the results of the second autopsy and the suspicions surrounding Tamla’s death, Major Joe Perkins of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office announced the case was closed on Feb. 20, 2019, and ruled it an accidental death. Of Tamla’s death, Major Joe Perkins said:

    “It was a party. They were drinking. She was drinking. Most of the partygoers had gone to bed at that time, and she was on the deck alone.”

    Other Mitigating Circumstances

    1. Improper Preparation of Tamla’s Body

    When Leander went to see Tamla’s body at McDonald & Son Funeral Home in Cumming ahead of the viewing, he saw that his wife’s face was covered in dark makeup that resembled shoe polish. Tamla was light-skinned, but her makeup was that of someone with a much darker complexion. Leander equated her appearance to blackface; an observance that only adds to the potentially racially-fueled nature of her suspicious death.

    2. Lead Detective Mike Christian is Fired

    Michael Christian.
    Photo from AJC News.

    Corporal Michael “Mike” Christian, the lead detective on Tamla’s case, resigned from his position with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office in October 2020 in the midst of an internal affairs investigation. He ultimately lost his certification to work as a police officer for violating his oath of office.

    Two women came forward stating that Christian shared confidential information with them, including crime scene photos of Tamla’s case and others. He also spent hours on the phone with one of the women while he was on duty, engaged in inappropriate relations in his vehicle with one of the women while on duty, and sent both women confidential information via his work email address. He used SnapChat as a major point of communication, which he used to send photos and updates. He claimed to have sent photos and shared information to keep the women interested in him. He had been married 15 years at the time.

    Throughout Tamla’s investigation, he referred to her as “porch lady” so much, that one of the women forgot Tamla’s name.

    Christian resigned before the internal investigation was completed.

    3. Jose Barrera Leaks Information

    Jose Barrera.
    Photo credit: Forsyth County News.

    Michelle Graves, one of Tamla’s closest friends, was unsatisfied with the investigation. From the start, she created a total of 13 Facebook posts which detailed what happened to Tamla and listed the names of all involved. Her posts were viewed more than 100,000 times.

    Shortly after making these Facebook posts, Graves filed a police report stating that she believed Jose Barrera, Meyers’s boyfriend, accessed her personal information through his job (as a probation officer), and shared it with the partygoers. The Forsyth Counry Sheriff’s Office placed Barrera on leave as they carried out an investigation. Jose was subsequently fired on Dec. 20, 2018, as it was found that he did, indeed, access Tamla’s incident report on Nov. 7 and again on Nov. 20, and shared the confidential information with five people.

    In February 2019, Graves compiled a nine-page report about Barrera’s actions—after which the media picked up Tamla’s case. Barrera’s actions led to major suspicions concerning possible foul play and segued into the spread of hash tag #TamlaHorsford and #JusticeForTamlaHorsford across social media. Despite being fired, no legal action was taken against Barrera.

    4. Further Retaliation Against Michelle Graves

    Michelle Graves and Tamla Horsford.
    Photo from Facebook.

    Jeanne Meyers and other partygoers—Nichole Lawson, Stacey Smith, Thomas Smith, Bridget Fuller, Marcy Hardin, and Jose Barrera—filed a lawsuit, Meyers et al. v. Graves—sued Graves for causing “irreparable damage” to their reputations as a result of the statements she shared on social media. The partygoers claimed to have received death threats. Meyers filed her own temporary order of protection against Graves on November 20, the month after Tamla’s body was found. Graves also allegedly received a cease and desist letter on Dec. 15, 2018, which she interpreted as an intimidation tactic and effort to silence Graves.

    In 2023, Graves published a 264-page book about Tamla’s death and investigation, Search for the Truth: Black Woman Failed by the State of Georgia.

    5. Persisting Racism

    Coroner Chris Shelton performed the autopsy. He was also fired in from a previous job as a police lieutenant with the Brookhaven Police Department in 2014 for taking a photograph of himself and a subordinate holding racist Mammy dolls—dolls meant to depict Black Americans as servants for white families—and sharing the photos with fellow officers via text.

    Chris Shelton and another unidentified individual holding the handmade racist Mammy dolls.
    Photo from Facebook.

    Chris Shelton was allegedly told by Chief Coroner Lauren W. McDonald, his superior, to either not photograph or take limited photographs of Tamla’s autopsy. Coincidentally, Lauren McDonald also owns McDonald & Son Funeral Home, the only family-owned funeral home in Cumming, which ill-prepared Tamla’s body and held her funeral services.

    Sheriff Ron Freeman.
    Photo credit: Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

    Chris Shelton has direct ties to Sheriff Ron Freeman of Forsyth County. Freeman began his employment with the sheriff’s department in 1987; the same year Forsyth County had a civil rights protest to advocate for fair treatment and fair housing for Blacks, which drew some 20,000 participants.

    In 2016, Freeman became the Sheriff of Forsyth County, but two years earlier, in 2014, he was hired by the city of Brookhaven. Freeman was soon forced to resign due to his involvement in the attempted cover-up of a colleague’s racial actions. Specifically, Freeman was caught trying to alter a file for a colleague who shared racial photos—and that colleague? Chris Shelton. Freeman then appointed Shelton as the deputy coroner in Forsyth County.

    The Second Investigation

    Tamla’s case received renewed attention after an onslaught of racially fueled tragedies, such as the 2020 murder of George Floyd and subsequent anti-police brutality protests, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

    On June 5, 2020, Ralph E. Fernandez, the Horsford family attorney, wrote a letter to Tamla’s husband, Leander, stating that his team’s investigation of the case strongly suggested homicide. He explained that Tamla’s body showed signs of a struggle but the absence of initial autopsy photos prevented a definite conclusion. In the letter, the attorney also stated:

    “Witness statements are in conflict. A potential subject handled the body as well as the evidence prior to law enforcement arriving. Evidence was disposed of and no inquiry followed. The scene was not preserved.”

    A few days later, an Atlanta journalist published the letter, which brought renewed attention to Tamla’s case. Protestors gathered in Cumming with signs that read Tamla’s name, along with the names of other Black individuals who faced maltreatment and/or were killed by police in recent years. A Change.org petition was started, which called for the case to be reopened. The petition received more than 709,000 signatures. The case was also shared by celebrities, including celebrities 50 Cent, T.I., Kim Kardashian and Gabrielle Union, who asked for the case to be reopened.

    In response to pushback from the media and public, Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman sent a letter to the GBI on June 12, 2020, asking for Tamla’s case to be reopened. The GBI agreed to reopen the case on June 18, 2020, but did not specify when the investigation would begin.

    A year later, on July 28, 2021, the GBI closed the second investigation, reiterating the first ruling of Tamla’s death as accidental.

    Worthy of Mention

    Jeanne Meyers

    When investigators interviewed Madeline Lombardi, Meyers’s aunt, Meyers interrupted the interview to offer investigators Dunkin’ Donut gift cards. The detectives declined. Nearly two years later, in December of 2020, Meyers updated her Facebook profile picture to one of her, Stacey Smith and Nichole Lawson, wearing Dunkin’ Donut masks, with the caption, “The best masks! EVER! #iykyk”

    The day after the sleepover, Meyers posted a Facebook status that read, “There was no fall from my deck,” which she subsequently deleted.

    When Meyers was asked if Tamla ever made it to bed, she immediately responded “no”—despite Meyers having allegedly gone to bed at 1:30 am. She then followed up with an explanation about how the bed was still made, which is what “she meant.”

    Meyers sold her home in June 2019 for $389,000 to a Forsyth County police officer.

    Bridget Fuller

    Bridget Fuller was the only known partygoer who was prescribed and regularly known to take Xanax, which was found in Tamla’s system. Fuller told officers that she was so dependent on the medication to function that she wore it in a necklace. She also claimed the medication made it “impossible for her to lie.”

    Despite such a statement, evidence was found in some of the partygoers’ cell phone records that Fuller shared her medication with friends at least twice prior to Tamla’s death and once on the day of Tamla’s death. When questioned, the women admitted this was true, but stated it was only because Fuller knew them well, and that she did not know Tamla well.

    Racial History of Forsyth County

    Tamla’s death occurred in Forsyth County, Georgia, which is notorious for its racist past.

    Perhaps the most concerning of many troubling details is the county being known for having one of “the most successful examples of racial cleansing” in U.S. history.

    In 1912, white mobs forced out the population of 1,098 Black Americans due to a case that wasn’t proven. Mae Crow, 18, was beaten and left unconscious in a wooded area, where she succumbed to her injuries. The only three Black men who lived in the area where Mae’s body was found, were blamed for her death. There was no evidence linking them to the crime, aside from a forced confession from one of the men.

    To say the public response was outrageous and tragic is an understatement. One of the accused, Rob Edwards, 24, was arrested. The next day, he was dragged from his cell by a lynch mob. The mob tied a noose around his neck, attached him to the back of a wagon, and drove him to the downtown square in Cumming, where he was hung from a telephone pole. Members of the lynch mob then took turns shooting his lifeless body. The other two suspects, who were only teenagers—Ernest Knox, 16, and Oscar Daniel, 18–were publically hanged after one-day trials with all-white jurys.

    From then on, every Black person in Forsyth County faced death threats if they didn’t leave immediately. Forsyth County became known as a sundown town, which meant that Black people were forced out of the area by sundown through intimidation and violent tactics. In just three weeks, nearly all of Black population left, and it largely remained that way until the 1990s.

    Racial events continued to take place in Forsyth County for years afterwards.

    • 1968: a group of 10 Black children and their counselors went camping at Lake Lanier, only to be forced out by a group of white men, who harassed them until they left.
    • 1980: Miguel Marcelli, a Black firefighter, was fatally shot by two white men after attending a company picnic.
    • 1987: two civil rights march, known as the Brotherhood March, attracted some 20,000 participants and became one of the largest civil rights demonstrations in U.S. history. The march also included more than 3,000 police officers and 1,000 members of the National Guard. It was met by counter efforts from white supremacist groups, like the Ku Klux Klan, and other individuals who wanted to keep Forsyth County “racially pure.” The march was mostly peaceful and ignited changes regarding fairness, fair housing and overall equality.

    In 1990, the U.S. Census reported that of the 44,083 people who lived in Forsyth County, 43,573 were white and only 14 were Black.

    Details of Note

    In discussing Tamla’s case, there are several facts worthy of reiteration:

    • Tamla was the only Black person at the sleepover
    • Tamla was the only person set up to sleep downstairs and without a sleeping buddy
    • Tamla expressed wanting to go home but was discouraged from doing so. It was 2018. Why wasn’t she suggested to call an Uber or her husband to pick her up?
    • Tamla’s injuries were inconsistent with a fall from a balcony. There are suspicions she was killed and later placed in the backyard.
    • Despite Tamla being found in the backyard, no one at the party heard signs of a struggle—and neither did neighbors?
    • Tamla had of Xanax in her system that was not yet processed by her liver. Where did the Xanax come from? No one ever admitted to providing Tamla with the Xanax, despite several of the women stating they received Xanax or Klonopin, another anti-anxiety medication, from Bridget Fuller in the past.
    • The positioning of Tamla’s body was described differently by the partygoers versus police. Why is there a discrepancy?
    • The former lead investigator, Michael Christensen, lost his job for sharing confidential information about crime scenes for his own personal gain: attention from women. If the lead investigator couldn’t be trusted with respecting the case and others, and was found to make racial slurs about Tamla, why should anyone trust that he handled ANY of the case appropriately?
    • Forsyth County is a historically racist area.

    My 2 Cents

    I’ve been pouring over research on this case to gain as thorough of an understanding as possible. But still, I can’t come to any conclusions about what I suspect happened.

    I can say, however, that I don’t believe Tamla fell off the balcony and died. It simply doesn’t make sense considering the condition of her body. I don’t know what any of the partygoers would have to gain by Tamla’s death, or why they may or may not have been involved, but I believe someone knows something.

    Law enforcement appears to have mishandled this case from the start. As it happens sometimes, and most unfortunately so, it seems the officers determined what happened to Tamla without an investigation, and ran with that idea. I can only assume the racial past of Forsyth County left them less than inclined to dedicate themselves to Tamla’s case, but that is merely speculation. Also, it’s clear the lead detective was distracted throughout and did not handle Tamla’s case with respect for the deceased.

    I hope that this case can be solved one day, and that Tamla’s loved ones can find peace.

    Sources

  • Graduate Student Eliotte Heinz Found in Mississippi River

    Graduate Student Eliotte Heinz Found in Mississippi River

    In a college town, where drinking is often accepted, encouraged and done to excess, it can be hard to walk the line between buzzed and blackout.

    When preparing for a night out, most college students probably assume (or hope) their worst outcome will be a bad hangover. However, for many young people each year, the aftermath of a night spent drinking heavily can look darkly grim. Tragically, one of these catastrophes is exactly what police suspect happened to 22-year-old Viterbo University graduate student Eliotte Heinz.

    Sometime on the evening of Saturday, July 19, 2025, Elliott went to Bronco’s Bar in La Crosse, Wisconsin, with friends. In the early morning hours of Sunday, July 20, 2025, she was last seen walking at the 500 Block of Front Street South in La Crosse, in front of the Weber Center for the Performing Arts, at 3:22 am. She was seen on surveillance walking alone, and is believed to have been headed toward her apartment, which was less than a mile away. This specific location is immediately adjacent to the Mississippi River.

    Four days later on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, her body was discovered at 10:28 am by a fisherman along the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota. Eliotte’s last known location was not far from the Mississippi River and Brownsville is 13 miles downstream from that location. Eliotte was lying face-down and her body was wrapped in duckweed, a type of free-floating aquatic plant. Friends later located her cell phone on a sign at Courtyard La Crosse Downtown/Mississippi Riverfront, which is 0.4 miles from Bronco’s Bar.

    Currently, police don’t believe there is evidence of foul play. However, the full autopsy report will not be available for months.

    Many questions remain:

    What was Eliotte doing between 2:30 am and 3:22 am on Sunday, July 20, 2025?

    During these 52 minutes, was she speaking to someone on the phone?

    Did she meet up with someone?

    What route did she take from the bar the 500 Block of Front Street South, where she was last seen?

    Did Eliotte intend to leave her cell phone behind or was foul play involved?

    What did her last cell phone conversations consist of?

    Remembering Eliotte Heinz

    Eliotte Heinz.
    Photo from Facebook.

    Eliotte Heinz of Stevens, Wisconsin, was enrolled in Viterbo University’s graduate mental health counseling program. Born on June 8, 2003, she was the eldest of three children. Eliotte graduated from from University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in 2024, where she was on the Board for the Psychology Club, and was an aspiring mental health therapist.

    Eliotte was 5’4” tall and weighed approximately 120 lbs., with blonde hair and blue eyes. The last time she was seen, she was wearing jean shorts and a white t-shirt.

    WISN reported that Eliotte’s family released the following statement about their daughter:

    “She was smart, funny, caring, and loved fiercely by us. 

    “We don’t know why we were so blessed to have her as a daughter or why we are unable to keep her. She is amazing and would have continued to amaze us. We are devastated that she is no longer with us. Our family will forever have a missing piece. 

    “We cannot thank our family, friends, the La Crosse community, Viterbo University, or the La Crosse PD enough for showing up for Eliotte. They were an amazing light in an incredibly dark space. Eliotte’s walk home is finished. Unfortunately, our family’s walk down this new hard path is just beginning. We love you, Eliotte.”

    An Eliotte Heinz Memorial Fund has been established through Community First Credit Union. Those interested in donating can do so at any Community First Credit Union branch, or via mail to: N1230 County Road CB, Greenville, WI 54942. Donations must include a note indicating the contribution is intended for the Eliotte Heinz Memorial Fund.

    Alcohol, Walking Alone, and the Mississippi River

    La Crosse, Wisconsin, is a city known for its bar scene. Its downtown area is home to more than 20 bars, and combined with Onalaska, another city that borders La Crosse, there are more bars than any other U.S. metropolitan region, reports WTMJ. On its own, La Crosse is also a college town, home to some 20,000 college students attending its three largest universities—University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, Viterbo University, and Western Technical College—and more than 51,000 residents.

    The city is sits on the Mississippi River, otherwise known as the “Mighty Mississippi.” The Mississippi River is the second-largest river in the U.S., running from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. It’s known for its strong undercurrents, with some areas more dangerous than others. Swimming in the river is not recommended for safety concerns.

    Bringing the focus back to Eliotte’s untimely death, there are questions surrounding the location that her body was found. Eliotte was found 13 miles downstream from her last location, just over the Wisconsin-Minnesota border in Brownsville, Minnesota. Based on the currents, there is speculation that Eliotte’s body would have been more likely to travel towards Goose Island, not towards Minnesota.

    If Eliotte did, indeed, pass away from drowning in the river, she wouldn’t be the first in the La Crosse area. Between 1997 and 2006, 10 college-aged men drowned in the river, according to University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. Alcohol intoxication was a factor in all 10 deaths. As a result, Operation: River Watch, a public safety effort, was established by University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity and Student Association, Viterbo University, and the City of La Crosse Police Department.

    Operation: River Watch appoints volunteers from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo University, and Western Technical College, to monitor Riverside Park—a public park located on the waterfront in downtown La Crosse—Thursday through Saturday from 11 pm to 2 am throughout the school year. The park closes at 11 pm, and volunteers ensure that no one subsequently enters the park. In 2011 alone, volunteers turned away more than 1,300 people from entering the park after hours, though it’s unknown how many of these people were under the influence, reports News 8000.

    According to the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse website, many of the individuals who are turned away from the park are intoxicated, and believe they are walking in the direction of their homes.

    In response to the number of fatalities involving drunkenness and drowning, the city of La Crosse also outlawed public intoxication in 2007, making it an offense punishable by the law. A first offense occurs a penalty of $250. Nonetheless, binge drinking and alcohol-related offenses remain problematic in La Crosse. According to La Crosse County, 26.7% adults in the city drink to excess, and more than 1,040 emergency room visits and 740 inpatient hospitalizations are associated with alcohol each year. Further, it’s estimated that alcohol costs the city $60 million in lost productivity annually

    With La Crosse being a college town, walking home alone is also generally commonplace, particularly when heading back from bars and especially during the summertime. Operation: River Watch is not operational during the summer months, despite there being students attending graduate school.

    NOTE: We will continue reporting on Eliotte Heinz’s case with relevant updates as such becomes available. Eliotte’s story needs to be heard and if foul play was involved, she deserves justice.

    Sources