Overview
- Tasia Fortune, 29, was found hanging behind an abandoned house in west Jackson on Aug. 3, and her body was described by police as being in a hanging position.
- An autopsy was performed on Aug. 11 and the Mississippi State Medical Examiner formally classified the death as a homicide in the days before the arrest.
- Jackson police arrested Jacques Ratliff on Sept. 11 and said he will be charged with homicide after officers served two search warrants and obtained an arrest warrant.
- Authorities stressed the probe remains active, have not disclosed a motive, and warned additional arrests may follow as investigators continue to gather evidence.
- Fortune’s family has pressed for more information and the case has drawn national attention because hangings in Mississippi evoke a long history of racial violence and prompted calls for federal scrutiny.