Mississippi Police Arrest Suspect in Death of Tasia Fortune

Authorities in Mississippi have arrested Jarques Ratliff in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune, a Black woman found hanging last month. Police Chief RaShall Brackney announced the arrest during a news conference, revealing they had secured search and arrest warrants earlier.

Ratliff, age 51, was apprehended on a murder charge while walking on the street. Although Ratliff had an association with Fortune, specific details remain undisclosed. The arrest followed the state medical examiner’s classification of the death as a homicide, facilitating the execution of warrants.

The investigation continues, with police having interviewed nearly 15 individuals, gathered forensic evidence, and pursued various leads. Brackney emphasized the arrest as a significant step in what is still an active investigation.

Christy Spivey, Fortune’s mother, expressed gratitude and emotion upon learning of the arrest. “I just started crying and told them ‘thank you, thank you, thank you.'”

However, the motive behind the crime and any DNA connections remain undisclosed. Spivey, unfamiliar with Ratliff, is inquiring among her daughter’s friends about him. The family remains in “shock” and “disbelief” amidst ongoing efforts to uncover more answers.

Fortune’s body was discovered in Jackson on August 3, hanging in the backyard of an abandoned property.

Her death follows two other notable cases from the previous year. Trey Reed, a Black student at Delta State University, and Cory Zukatis, a White unhoused man, both died by hanging. Reed’s death was ruled a suicide by Cleveland police, a conclusion consistent with the Bolivar County coroner’s initial examination. Zukatis’s case similarly resulted in a suicide determination by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner.