Police in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, have arrested a 51-year-old man and charged him with murder in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old black mother of four whose body was found hanging from a tree behind an abandoned home in August 2026.
Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney announced the arrest of Jarques Ratliff after the state medical examiner officially classified Fortune’s death as a homicide. Police had already secured search and arrest warrants before taking Ratliff into custody after officers encountered him walking along Capitol Street.
Brackney said Ratliff had an association with Fortune but declined to provide details about their relationship or discuss a possible motive. Investigators have interviewed nearly 15 people and the chief indicated that further arrests could follow.
“This is not closure,” Brackney said, describing the arrest as an important step in an active investigation.
Fortune was discovered on August 3, prompting widespread concern in Jackson, particularly because of Mississippi’s history of racial violence and lynching. The case has since attracted national attention, with civil rights figures and members of Congress calling for greater scrutiny of deaths involving Black people found hanging.
Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, said the arrest brought some relief but left the family seeking answers about what happened to her daughter.
“We still don’t have a lot of answers,” Spivey said.
Authorities have stressed that the investigation remains ongoing as detectives continue examining the evidence and circumstances surrounding Fortune’s death.
