Black Woman Found Hanging from Tree Was Dead Before Body Was 'Staged' - BBC News
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Black woman found hanging from tree was dead before body was 'staged', police say
Image source: [Source not provided in text]
By Sareen Habeshian and Brandon Drenon
Published 2 hours ago
Warning: This story contains distressing details
Police in the US state of Mississippi have stated that they believe a black woman, Tasia Fortune, was already dead before her body was "staged" and placed hanging from a tree.
This revelation came during a court hearing on Friday by a detective who also suggested that Fortune's death was linked to a drug dispute.
Fortune, a 29-year-old mother of four, was found hanging from a tree in August at an abandoned home grounds in Jackson.
The discovery sparked widespread concern within the majority-black city due to Mississippi’s history of racial violence and lynchings. Following weeks of speculation and demands for information, police made multiple arrests.
In a news release, police stated that the medical examiner determined after an autopsy that Fortune's death was a homicide and that "the scene and the hanging were staged."
The BBC has reached out to the court, the medical examiner’s office, and Fortune's mother, Christy Spivey, for further comment.
Officials have not disclosed the exact cause of Fortune's death or the reason they believe her hanging was staged.
Earlier this month, the medical examiner confirmed that Fortune’s cause of death was homicide and a murder charge was expected.
Speaking to reporters outside the Jackson Police Department on Friday, Fortune's mother expressed her belief in her daughter's fight for her life until the end:
"I know she did. I know my daughter," Spivey told reporters. She added that Fortune left behind four young children aged 7, 5, 4, and 1.
Wearing a shirt that reads "Justice for Tasia Fortune," Spivey emphasized her desire to avoid innocent people being incarcerated in the case.
"I just hope they have the right people," she said.
Three individuals have been arrested in relation to this case: Jarques Ratliff, 51, who was initially arrested and pleaded not guilty; Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, arrested this week; and Eric Clark, 45, who turned himself in on Friday and was charged with murder. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Fortune's death has been one of several recent cases prompting lawmakers to call for the US Justice Department and FBI investigations into all documented hanging deaths of Black individuals in the country.
In a September letter to Congress (external), Representative Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat from Massachusetts, cited at least 10 such incidents, among others.
The most recent incident occurred on Sunday in Prince George's County, a majority-black suburb near Washington DC, and was ruled a suicide.