Police chief defends ‘hanging position’ language after court disclosure
A Jackson, Mississippi detective disclosed in court on Friday that investigators believe 29-year-old Tasia Fortune had been killed before her body was “staged” and placed hanging from a tree in August, according to US media reports. The detective also said investigators believe Fortune was killed in a dispute related to drugs, the reports said.
Fortune’s body was found hanging from a tree on the grounds of an abandoned home in Jackson in August, the reports said. The discovery sparked widespread fears in the majority-Black city, given Mississippi’s history of racial violence and lynchings, and prompted weeks of community demands for information before police made multiple arrests.
The medical examiner confirmed earlier this month that Fortune’s cause of death was homicide and said a murder charge would be filed. Jackson police arrested Jarques Ratliff, 51, who pleaded not guilty and remains in custody without bond, according to the BBC. Earnest Lloyd Jr, 25, was arrested this week in the case, while a third person was reportedly being sought by authorities.
Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney defended the department’s language on Friday, telling the BBC: “Our language has been consistent…Ms Fortune was found in a hanging position. We have not released any information contrary to that statement.” Brackney did not immediately respond to additional questions about the detective’s court disclosure, the BBC reported.
The BBC said it had contacted the court, the medical examiner’s office, and Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, for comment.
Officials have not stated the exact cause of death or explained why they believe the hanging was staged. The community in Jackson had been left in shock and fear by the limited information released about the case since August, the BBC reported, and Mississippi’s documented history of racial violence and lynchings shaped the community response to Fortune’s death.