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A Jackson detective testified that Tasia Fortune was already dead when her body was hanged from a tree, a killing ruled a homicide and tied to a drug dispute. Two men face murder charges and a third is sought.
JACKSON, Miss. - Investigators believe Tasia Fortune was already dead before the Black woman's body was hanged from a tree behind an abandoned home in the Mississippi capital, a detective testified Friday.
The hanging of Fortune's body, found on Aug. 3, was staged, Jackson police Det. Samuel Dukes testified, citing the medical examiner's opinion. Authorities have not disclosed the exact cause of Fortune's death, but they ruled it a homicide. Two men, both Black, have been arrested on murder charges, and a warrant has been issued for a third person.
Dukes also testified that the motive for the killing appears to have been a drug dispute. He said interviews with others revealed that Fortune fought hard before she was killed. The case has attracted widespread attention because the scene recalled lynchings in the Southern state, which has a long and troubled history of racial violence. Authorities have not said why they believe the defendants hanged Fortune's body after she was already dead.
Investigation Reveals Staged Hanging and Drug Dispute Motive
Dukes testified at a hearing for Jarques Ratliff, 51, the first person arrested in the case earlier this month. Ratliff, who has pleaded not guilty, remains in custody in the Hinds County jail without bond. The purpose of the hearing, which will resume Sept. 30, is to determine if there is enough evidence to send the case to a grand jury for a possible indictment. Police arrested the second defendant, 25-year-old Earnest Lloyd Jr., this week.
During Friday's hearing, Ratliff said that Fortune had been a friend of his. Fortune's mother, Christy Spivey, has said her daughter, who had four children, struggled with homelessness in recent years. She said she was not sure where Fortune was living at the time of her death. Spivey said Fortune had talked about starting a cleaning business and was trying to get her life in order.
Mother Mourns Loss of Daughter Tasia Fortune
The Associated Press reported the hearing testimony and the family details. In a photo dated Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in Marion, Ky. , Spivey poses with a portrait of her late daughter. The investigation continues as authorities seek the third person named in the warrant.
Ratliff's next court appearance is set for Sept. 30, when the judge will hear more evidence in the case. No trial date has been set. White reported from Detroit. Ed White and Sophie Bates, The Associated Press.
CP24 
CTVToronto:Tasia Fortune’s hanging was ‘staged’ after her death in a drug dispute, Mississippi police sayThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Tasia Fortune Jackson Mississippi Staged Hanging Drug Dispute Murder Investigation
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