Content note: This story contains distressing details.
A Mississippi detective testified that investigators believe 29-year-old Tasia Fortune was already dead before her body was placed hanging from a tree behind an abandoned home in Jackson.
Police said the medical examiner ruled Fortune’s death a homicide and concluded that the scene and hanging had been staged. Authorities have not publicly disclosed her exact cause of death or explained why they believe the body was placed in the tree.
The discovery drew intense attention in Jackson because of Mississippi’s history of racial violence and lynchings.
Investigators describe a drug-related dispute
Jackson police detective Samuel Dukes testified that investigators believe Fortune was killed in a dispute connected to drugs. That is an investigative theory presented in court, not a final judicial finding.
Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, told reporters that she had previously been informed her daughter was dead before being placed in the tree. She also said she wanted investigators to be certain they had identified the right people.
Three people have been arrested in connection with the case. Jarques Ratliff, 51, has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody without bond. Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, was arrested during the week. Eric Clark, 45, turned himself in on Friday, was charged with murder and was scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
No conviction has been reported, and the criminal case remains ongoing.
Wider scrutiny
Fortune’s death has renewed public discussion about hanging deaths of Black Americans and the need for careful investigation of such cases.
US Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts led a September letter signed by more than 50 lawmakers calling on the Justice Department and FBI to examine hanging deaths of Black people nationwide.
Fortune, a mother of four, was found on 3 August. Her family has continued to call for a thorough investigation and accurate prosecution of those responsible.
