A 51-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the d£ath of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old mother of four whose body was found h@ng!ng from a tree behind an abandoned home in Jackson, Mississippi.
Jackson police identified the suspect as Jacques Ratliff, who was arrested on Friday after officers executed search and arrest warrants in connection with the case. Crime& Justice
The arrest came a day after the Mississippi State Medical Examiner officially classified Fortune’s d£ath as a h0m!cide.
Police Chief RaShall Brackney said Ratliff had an “association” with Fortune but declined to disclose the nature of their relationship. She also said the investigation remains active and that additional arrests are expected.
Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, said she broke down in tears after learning of the arrest, but noted that the family still has unanswered questions about the motive and evidence that led investigators to Ratliff.
Spivey last saw her daughter on July 26 during a family reunion in Kentucky, shortly before Fortune returned to Mississippi.
Fortune’s case has drawn national attention, partly because two other h@ng!ng d£aths occurred in Mississippi within the past year. Authorities ruled both those cases suicides.
Fortune, who had lived in Jackson for about 10 years after moving from Kentucky, was remembered by relatives as a religious, intelligent and athletic woman.