JACKSON, MS — A Jackson detective testified Friday that Tasia Fortune was apparently killed in a drug dispute before her body was hung in a tree in what investigators believe was a staged scene behind an abandoned home.
Detective Samuel Dukes told the court that Fortune fought hard with her attackers before she died. He also said the medical examiner concluded the hanging was staged. Authorities have not publicly said exactly how Fortune died or explained why her body was placed in the tree afterward.
Fortune’s Aug. 3 death drew broad attention in Mississippi because the image of a Black woman found hanging in the state recalled the history of lynching and racial violence, even as police have said the case is being investigated as a homicide.
Police say investigators linked the killing to a drug disagreement
Dukes said Fortune was killed during a disagreement involving drugs. In his testimony, he described a violent struggle before her death, saying she fought her attackers hard.
Jackson police have not disclosed all of the evidence behind their conclusions. But the detective’s account gave the clearest public explanation yet for why investigators believe the hanging did not reflect the actual manner of death.
The case has remained under close scrutiny because of the circumstances in which Fortune was found. The body was discovered in the capital city behind an abandoned home, and the scene set off intense concern in the community.
Two men face murder charges as the case moves toward a grand jury
Police have arrested two men in connection with the homicide. Both are Black, and both have been charged with murder.
Jarques Ratliff, 51, was arrested in mid-September and has pleaded not guilty. He remains jailed without bond. During Friday’s hearing, the court was considering whether prosecutors have enough evidence to send the case against him to a grand jury for a possible indictment.
A second defendant, 25-year-old Earnest Lloyd Jr., was arrested this week. A 45-year-old man also turned himself in Friday after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was charged with murder and is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
Fortune’s mother says the hanging drew attention to the death
Outside the courtroom, Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, said she had understood that her daughter died before her body was hung. She said the hanging itself is what brought widespread attention to the case.
“What bothered me was they said Tasia fought for her life. I know she did. I know my daughter,” Spivey told reporters.
Spivey said Fortune had four children and had struggled with homelessness in recent years. She said she was not sure where her daughter was living at the time of her death, but that Fortune had talked about starting a cleaning business and was trying to get her life back on track.
Ratliff told the court he and Fortune were friends
During the hearing, Ratliff interrupted proceedings and said that he and Fortune were friends. Spivey later said the comment sounded sincere and noted that her daughter had many friends.
“I hope if he is innocent that he can prove he’s innocent,” she said. “We don’t want any innocent people going to jail.”
Ratliff’s stepdaughter, Lashuna Jones, attended court in support of him. “He didn’t do it, and I’m behind him,” she said.
The hearing will resume Sept. 30 as Jackson investigators continue their case
The Friday hearing was only one step in the legal process. It was designed to determine whether the evidence against Ratliff is strong enough for a grand jury to consider an indictment.
The proceeding is scheduled to resume Sept. 30. At that point, the court is expected to continue weighing the case built by Jackson police and prosecutors.
For now, the questions that remain in public are focused on the details of Fortune’s death, the injuries she suffered before she died, and the reason her body was hung after the killing. Police have not answered those questions publicly, even as the case moves forward in court.
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