Mississippi police arrest man in connection to death of black woman found hanging in tree

Mississippi police officials announced Friday that they have made an arrest in connection to the death of Tasia Fortune, a black woman who was found hanging in a tree in Jackson last month. 

Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney identified the man as Jacques Ratliff, but did not release details about what led to the arrest. It comes after the state medical examiner’s office determined Thursday that the death was a homicide.

"That arrest today is an important development in this investigation but it is not the conclusion," Brackney said. "This case remains active and additional arrests will be pending as our investigators will be continuing to follow the evidence wherever it leads."

Police discovered Fortune’s body hanging in the backyard of an abandoned home in Jackson on Aug. 3, and her death comes less than a year after another Mississippi resident was found hanging in Vicksburg. His death was ruled a suicide.

Christy Spivey, Fortune’s mother, said she started crying and thanked the police when they told her about the arrest. She also said police did not provide a lot of answers, including a motive or whether DNA led them to the arrest. 

Spivey also said that she did not personally know the man who was arrested but that she is reaching out to her daughter's friends to see whether they know him, according to the Associated Press.

Brackney said there was an "association" between the Ratliff and Fortune but did not provide more details. 

The police chief also acknowledged the painful history of lynching and hangings in Mississippi and assured the public that her team is working hard to get answers for the hanging.

"We understand the question and the desire for answers given Mississippi’s history," Brackney said. "We do not dismiss those concerns, we are taking them seriously."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.