MAN ARRESTED AFTER TASIA FORTUNE, 29, WAS FOUND HANGING FROM TREE — HER DEATH IS NOW OFFICIALLY RULED A HOMICIDE

More than a month after Tasia Fortune was found behind a vacant home in Mississippi, investigators have made an arrest — but her family says they still have far more questions than answers.

A 51-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old mother of four whose body was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant home in Jackson, Mississippi.

Police identified the suspect as Jarques Ratliff.

The arrest came after the Mississippi state medical examiner officially classified Fortune’s death as a homicide, giving investigators the authority to execute search and arrest warrants they had already secured.

But authorities have stressed that the investigation is far from over.

TASIA FORTUNE WAS FOUND ON AUGUST 3

Fortune was discovered on August 3 behind an abandoned property in Jackson.

Her death quickly drew widespread attention, particularly because of the circumstances in which her body was found and Mississippi’s long history of racial violence.

For weeks, investigators continued working to determine exactly what happened.

Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said investigators interviewed nearly 15 people, collected forensic evidence and pursued multiple leads before the latest breakthrough.

THE MEDICAL EXAMINER’S DECISION CHANGED THE CASE

According to police, the state medical examiner’s office officially classified Fortune’s death as a homicide on Thursday evening.

That determination allowed investigators to move forward with warrants they had already obtained.

Police then encountered Ratliff walking on a street in Jackson and took him into custody.

Authorities said Ratliff had an “association” with Fortune, but the police chief did not publicly explain the nature of their relationship.

The motive has also not been disclosed.

HER FAMILY STILL DOESN’T HAVE THE ANSWERS

Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, said police informed her of the arrest on Friday.

Her reaction, she said, was immediate.

She described the family as being in disbelief and shock, while emphasizing that investigators still had not provided answers about the motive or what evidence led them to Ratliff.

Spivey said she did not know Ratliff personally and was asking her daughter’s friends whether they knew him.

She has also repeatedly rejected the idea that her daughter would have taken her own life.

POLICE SAY THE CASE IS NOT OVER

Chief Brackney described the arrest as an important development — but not the conclusion of the investigation.

Authorities say additional arrests may be possible as detectives continue following the evidence.

The chief also acknowledged the intense public interest surrounding the case, particularly given Mississippi’s history.

But she cautioned against speculation.

Police have not publicly disclosed how Fortune died beyond confirming that the medical examiner classified the death as a homicide.

They also have not announced a motive.

A MOTHER’S LAST MEMORIES

Spivey said the last time she saw her daughter was in late July.

A planned family reunion in Kentucky had been canceled, but Fortune came to see her mother anyway.

Spivey recalled feeling an unusually strong connection during that final visit.

Now, she says, the family is determined to keep Fortune’s name in the public eye until the unanswered questions surrounding her death are resolved.

“Say her name. Keep it going,” Spivey said.

The investigation remains active, and Ratliff is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.