Mississippi woman’s death ruled homicide after staged hanging, police say

A Mississippi detective testified Friday that Tasia Fortune was likely already dead before her body was hanged from a tree behind an abandoned home in Jackson in August. 

Authorities have ruled her death a homicide and arrested two men, while a third suspect remains on the loose.

Police believe the killing may have stemmed from a drug dispute, reports said.

The case has drawn national attention because the staged hanging recalled the history of lynchings in Mississippi.