JACKSON, MS – A Mississippi man has pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman who was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant home in Jackson last month.
Jackson police said the state medical examiner’s office later ruled the death a homicide, a finding Chief RaShall Brackney announced Friday. The case has drawn intense attention because of both the circumstances of Fortune’s death and the broader questions it has raised.
Police said the investigation is still active. Brackney said investigators have not finished following every lead, and she described the arrest of 51-year-old Jarques Ratliff as an important step rather than the end of the case.
Medical examiner rules the death a homicide after an August discovery
Fortune’s body was discovered on Aug. 3. Police said it was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant Jackson house.
Brackney said the body was in various stages of decomposition when it was found. Nearly a month passed after the autopsy before the state medical examiner’s office ruled the death a homicide, according to the police chief’s Friday update.
Police have not publicly identified an official cause of death, and they have not announced a motive. The ruling does, however, mark a significant development in a case that had already prompted concern and speculation.
Police arrest Jarques Ratliff after search warrants and an affidavit
Investigators arrested Ratliff after obtaining an arrest warrant and two search warrants, police said. He was later charged with murder and entered a not guilty plea Monday.
According to an affidavit obtained by WAPT, prosecutors allege Ratliff used a black cable cord to hang Fortune from the tree. Police said Ratliff had an “association” with Fortune, but Brackney did not describe the relationship further.
A judge denied Ratliff’s request for bond. Police also told the judge that Ratliff initially hid in a car when officers came to arrest him and was later taken into custody while walking down a street, WAPT reported.
Investigators say nearly 15 people have been interviewed so far
Brackney said detectives have interviewed nearly 15 people as they work the case. Investigators have also collected forensic evidence and continued pursuing leads, she said.
That work, according to police, is part of an effort to build the case carefully and to make sure any public statements are supported by evidence. Brackney said the department is trying to be deliberate about what it confirms while the investigation remains underway.
Police have indicated more than one arrest could still follow. Brackney said additional arrests will be pending, suggesting investigators believe others may be connected to the death.
Brackney says the case is being seen through a wider lens
In comments Friday, Brackney said the case has raised questions and a desire for answers because of Mississippi’s history. She said investigators understand the case is being viewed through a “broader lens” and a “global lens.”
At the same time, she said police cannot say more than the evidence allows. “We are taking them seriously,” Brackney said, while stressing the department’s responsibility to speak only when facts are supported.
Her remarks pointed to the tension in the case: public concern on one side, and the need for prosecutors and police to keep building a record that can hold up in court on the other.
Fortune’s family asks for patience as the case moves forward
Fortune was a mother of four, and her death has left her family waiting for more answers. On Monday, relatives said they were grateful “for the silence to be broken,” but asked the public to be patient as the remaining facts come out.
The family’s statement echoed the cautious tone police have taken since the homicide ruling was announced. While the arrest and murder charge marked a major step, the investigation remains open and unresolved.
For now, the case continues in court and on the streets of Jackson, where investigators are still searching for a fuller account of what happened to Fortune and whether anyone else should face charges.
