Overview
- Tasia Fortune, 29, was found hanging behind an abandoned house in Jackson on Aug. 3 and her death drew immediate public concern.
- The Mississippi State Medical Examiner officially classified Fortune’s death as a homicide Thursday evening, which shifted the probe into a criminal investigation.
- Police arrested Jacques Ratliff on Friday and said he will be charged with homicide; authorities said Ratliff had an unspecified association with Fortune.
- Investigators executed search warrants after the ruling, described the case as active, cautioned that details are limited and said more arrests may follow.
- Fortune’s family has rejected a suicide finding, pressed for transparency, and local leaders have highlighted Mississippi’s history of racial violence as they seek fuller answers.