A 51-year-old man has been charged with murder after Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman, was found hanging from a tree behind an abandoned house in Jackson, Mississippi.
Jarques Ratliff was arrested on Friday after the state medical examiner classified Fortune’s death as a homicide. Police said he was detained while walking along Capitol Street after officers had executed search warrants connected to the investigation.
Jackson police chief RaShall Brackney said Ratliff had an “association” with Fortune but did not provide further details about their relationship. She said investigators had interviewed nearly 15 people and collected forensic evidence during the case.
“The warrants executed today and the arrest of Mr Ratliff are significant steps, but there is still an ongoing investigation,” Ms Brackney said.
She added that further arrests were expected, stressing that Ratliff’s arrest did not mark the conclusion of the inquiry.
Investigation into Tasia Fortune’s death remains open
Fortune’s body was discovered on 3 August in the backyard of a vacant property off Road of Remembrance in west Jackson. Her mother, Christy Spivey, has said she was certain her daughter did not take her own life.
Ms Spivey said police had not told her the motive for the killing or whether DNA evidence had led investigators to Ratliff. She said the family remained in shock but had been grateful to learn that an arrest had been made.
“We still don’t have a lot of answers,” Ms Spivey said.
Ratliff, who is from Jackson, was listed in Hinds County jail records as facing a murder charge. It was not immediately clear whether he had a lawyer, and a court appearance was expected by Monday morning.
Fortune’s family has described her as a mother of four, a talented cross-country runner and a woman of strong faith. Her obituary said she had lived in Jackson for about a decade and had been trying to rebuild her life before her death.
Ms Spivey said her daughter had spoken about starting a cleaning business. “Say her name. Keep it going,” she said. “Because I’m not going to stop until I get answers.”
