New and disturbing details have emerged in the death of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman found hanging from a tree behind an abandoned Jackson, Mississippi home in early August. Investigators now believe the scene was deliberately staged and that Fortune was likely killed at a separate location before her body was moved.
A detective testified Friday during a court hearing for Jarques Ratliff, 51, one of two men charged with murder in connection with Fortune’s death. The detective told the court that authorities believe Fortune may have been dead for two to three days before she was discovered on August 3.
Investigators also revealed that a dispute over missing illegal narcotics may have played a role in the killing. The detective declined to provide further specifics, citing an ongoing grand jury process that has not yet received all available evidence.
Ratliff appeared in court and told the judge that Fortune was his friend. He previously pleaded not guilty and was denied bond at an earlier hearing. His attorney Toney Baldwin maintained that his client had no involvement in the crime and said he wants the full truth to be brought to light.
The second man charged in the case is Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25. According to NBC affiliate WLBT in Jackson, Lloyd allegedly had a physical confrontation with Fortune either days or minutes before she died. He is accused of using a black cable cord to hang her. Authorities have also obtained an arrest warrant for a third unnamed suspect.
Fortune’s mother Christy Spivey has been pressing investigators for answers and wants to understand exactly what evidence law enforcement has gathered in the case. A cause of death and an official motive have not yet been publicly released by authorities.
The case drew widespread attention amid initial concerns about whether Fortune’s death could be racially motivated. Investigators have since focused their attention on the two arrested suspects, both of whom are Black, and the possible connection to illegal drug activity.