Forsyth teen dies after sleepover; probe leads to unrelated charges
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.
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.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
