Additional Coverage:
Mississippi authorities have arrested a man in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune, a Black woman found hanging from a tree last month in Jackson.
Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney announced at a Friday news conference that officers had obtained search and arrest warrants for 51-year-old Jarques Ratliff. Police apprehended Ratliff while he was walking in the street.
Chief Brackney confirmed Ratliff had some form of association with Fortune but did not provide further details at this time. Ratliff faces a murder charge.
The state medical examiner’s office ruled Fortune’s death a homicide on Thursday evening, which allowed law enforcement to move forward with the warrants.
“This case remains active, and additional arrests are anticipated,” Brackney stated.
Police have interviewed nearly 15 individuals, gathered forensic evidence, and followed multiple leads during the ongoing investigation. “While today’s arrest is a significant development, we continue to work diligently to uncover the full circumstances surrounding this case,” the chief added.
Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, expressed her emotions after being informed of the arrest: “I just started crying and told them ‘thank you, thank you, thank you.’” She said police have not revealed a motive or whether DNA evidence played a role in the arrest.
Spivey said she did not know Ratliff personally and is reaching out to her daughter’s friends to learn more. The family remains in shock and is still seeking answers.
Tasia Fortune, 29, was found deceased on August 3 in the backyard of an abandoned home in Jackson.
Her death comes less than a year after two other hanging deaths in Mississippi: 21-year-old Trey Reed, a Black student at Delta State University in Cleveland, and Cory Zukatis, an unhoused White man in his 30s in Vicksburg. Authorities concluded both Reed’s and Zukatis’s deaths were suicides. Reed’s family has requested an independent autopsy and release of security footage related to the case.
The investigation into Fortune’s death is ongoing. Police continue to gather information as they work toward justice for her and her family.