MOTHER OF FOUR FOUND HANGING FROM TREE WAS ALREADY DEAD, POLICE SAY — SCENE WAS “STAGED”

Tasia Fortune was already dead before her body was found hanging from a tree behind an abandoned home in Mississippi, according to investigators.

The 29-year-old mother of four was discovered on August 3, 2026, in the backyard of a vacant property on Road of Remembrance in Jackson.

The disturbing discovery initially raised fears that Fortune may have been the victim of a modern-day lynching, given Mississippi’s history of racial violence.

But investigators now say the hanging did not cause her death.

During a preliminary hearing on September 25, Jackson Police Detective Samuel Dukes testified that the medical examiner’s findings indicated that the scene and hanging had been “staged.” Investigators believe Fortune was killed somewhere else before her body was moved and placed in the tree.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed her exact cause of death or explained why her body was subsequently hung.

POLICE LINK THE KILLING TO A DRUG DISPUTE

According to Detective Dukes, investigators believe Fortune’s death stemmed from a disagreement involving drugs.

He also told the court that Fortune fought hard before she was killed.

However, these details come from police testimony and remain part of an ongoing criminal investigation. Authorities have not released all of the evidence behind their theory.

Mississippi Today reported that investigators believe Fortune was likely killed at another location before her body was taken to the vacant property where she was found.

Police have also said that Fortune had been dead for approximately two to three days before her body was discovered.

THREE MEN NOW FACE MURDER CHARGES

The investigation has resulted in murder charges against three men.

Jarques Ratliff, 51, was arrested on September 11 and charged with murder. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody without bond.

Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, was arrested on September 22 and also charged with murder.

Then, on September 25, Eric Clark, 45, surrendered to authorities after police issued a warrant for his arrest. He was charged with murder and was expected to appear in court on September 28.

Police have not publicly established what role each defendant allegedly played in Fortune’s death.

The case against Ratliff was the subject of the September 25 preliminary hearing, which is expected to resume on September 30 to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to send the case to a grand jury.

Ratliff’s attorney has maintained that his client was not involved in the killing.

HER MOTHER SAYS TASIA FOUGHT FOR HER LIFE

Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, has been seeking answers since her daughter’s death.

Spivey said she already knew that her daughter had died before her body was found hanging. But she said the way Fortune’s body was discovered brought even greater attention to the case.

“What bothered me was they said Tasia fought for her life. I know she did. I know my daughter,” Spivey said outside court.

Spivey has described her daughter as someone who had struggled with homelessness in recent years but was trying to rebuild her life.

She said Fortune had talked about starting a cleaning business and was attempting to get her life back on track.

WHY WAS HER BODY PLACED IN THE TREE?

That remains one of the biggest unanswered questions.

Police have confirmed that Fortune’s body was not discovered at the location where investigators believe she was killed.

They also say the hanging itself was staged.

But authorities have not explained why they believe her body was placed in the tree or whether the people responsible intended to create a particular appearance.

The Associated Press specifically reported that investigators have not said whether the alleged killers intended to make the scene resemble a lynching.

That distinction is important because the circumstances immediately evoked the history of racial terror lynchings in Mississippi.

Fortune and all three men charged in connection with her death are Black.

Police Chief RaShall Brackney has previously said investigators understand why the case has attracted such intense attention, but emphasized that authorities must rely on evidence rather than speculation.

A FAMILY STILL WAITING FOR ANSWERS

Fortune leaves behind four children.

Her family is now waiting for investigators to determine exactly what happened in the days leading up to her death and who was responsible.

Police have interviewed as many as 15 people during the investigation, and authorities have indicated that additional developments could follow.

For Fortune’s mother, the arrest of multiple suspects has provided only part of the answers.

The central questions remain:

Where was Tasia Fortune killed? What exactly caused her death? Why was her body moved? And why was it left hanging from a tree?

Those questions remain unanswered as the investigation continues.

The three men charged with murder are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.