Forsyth teen dies after sleepover; probe leads to unrelated charges

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By Christian Boone

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Forsyth County deputies are investigating the death of a 15-year-old found unresponsive Monday morning in the back yard of a friend's house following a sleepover.

Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Robert Lancaster has been charged with second-degree cruelty to children.

Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Laura Lancaster, of Walnut Cove Court in Gainesville, has been arrested and charged with second-degree cruelty to children.

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The teen never regained consciousness after being transported to Northside Hospital Forsyth, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy is being performed by the GBI Crime Lab, Forsyth sheriff's spokesman Tim House said.

Meanwhile, the homeowners, Robert and Laura Lancaster, of Walnut Cove Court in Gainesville, have been arrested and charged with second-degree cruelty to children due to the "deplorable condition" of their lakefront residence, House said.

"You'd never know it from the outside," said House, who described the Lancasters' home as "really nice."

Inside, it was a different story.

Investigators found a decaying opossum and "a lot of feces" piled throughout the home, House said.

"There was a lot of food that had been sitting out for a long time," he said. Bugs were everywhere.

The Lancasters have two juvenile children who have been turned over to other family members, according to Forsyth authorities.

Robert Lancaster, 46, is the chief financial officer of a Roswell nursing center, according to public documents.

Investigators don't believe the conditions inside the home contributed to the unidentified teen's death.