Key Takeaways
- Jackson police say Tasia Fortune was killed before her body was placed in a tree and that the hanging was staged.
- Jarques Ratliff, Earnest Lloyd Jr. and Eric Clark face murder charges. Ratliff pleaded not guilty, Lloyd was denied bond, and Clark’s bond was set at $5 million.
- Investigators allege a drug dispute and expect more arrests and conspiracy charges. Fortune’s mother said she knew her daughter fought for her life.
The investigation into Tasia Fortune’s death looks much different than it did when her body was discovered hanging from a tree in Jackson, Mississippi, in August.
According to ABC 7, three men — Jarques Ratliff, 51, Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, and Eric Clark, 45 — have been arrested and charged with murder. Police now say Fortune was killed before her body was placed in the tree and that the hanging was staged. Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney described the investigation Monday (Sept. 28) as “a drug case gone very wrong.”
She added, “So at this time, we do know the manner of death was homicide. We also are confirming that this was a staged event, and often we know that these events are staged so that we can derail the investigation, pointing in another direction.”
The latest findings provide new context to a case that initially raised concerns about possible racial violence. As REVOLT previously reported, Fortune, a Black woman, was discovered Aug. 3 behind a vacant home on Road of Remembrance. Jackson Councilman Kenneth Stokes subsequently called for federal involvement, pointing to Mississippi’s history of lynching while authorities worked to determine what happened.
Police have not said that those charged intended for the scene to resemble a lynching. AP News reported that Detective Samuel Dukes testified that the medical examiner determined Fortune had already been killed when her body was hanged. Authorities have not publicly disclosed her exact cause of death.
What’s next in the investigation into Tasia Fortune’s death?
Ratliff was arrested Sept. 11 and pleaded not guilty Sept. 14. Lloyd was taken into custody Sept. 22 and denied bond. Clark turned himself in Sept. 25, and a judge set his bond at $5 million Monday. It remains unclear whether Lloyd and Clark have entered pleas, per ABC 7.
Court testimony has also shed more light on what investigators believe happened before the 29-year-old mother of four's death. Dukes testified that police have a witness who is expected to link Ratliff to the case and alleged that Fortune was killed over illegal narcotics belonging to him. The detective also recounted statements allegedly made by Ratliff about Fortune fighting back.
“What bothered me was they said Tasia fought for her life. I know she did. I know my daughter,” Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, told reporters, per AP News.
The case is far from over. Brackney said investigators expect additional arrests and anticipate conspiracy charges as the investigation continues.