No defamation. She’s dead.
And, by the way, don’t ask too many questions about how she unexpectedly turned up dead at the ripe old age of 41 before she would have had to tell from whence the lies came.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32033303/the_atlanta_constitution/
She died “peaceably in her sleep” in September 2001 and , BTW, she reportedly had undisclosed health issues. Almost sounds like the Georgia equivalent of Arkincide. Wonder what the real back story it?
It sounds like there is another movie to be made here—who killed her?
The paper won’t sue. Why: discovery.