Jackson Police arrested 51-year-old Jarques Ratliff on murder charges following the death of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman found hanging from a tree in Jackson, Mississippi. The arrest came after the state medical examiner ruled Fortune's death a homicide. While police chief RaShall Brackney noted Ratliff had an association with Fortune, the investigation remains active with more arrests expected. Fortune's family welcomed the arrest and strongly rejected suicide, while the case has drawn intense scrutiny due to Mississippi's history of racial violence.
Tasia Fortune homicide investigation
- ▪Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney declined to comment on the motive, the cause of death, or how long Tasia Fortune had been at the location where her remains were found
- ▪Jackson Police discovered the body of 29-year-old Tasia Fortune hanging in the backyard of an abandoned home in Jackson, Mississippi, on August 3, 2026
- ▪Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney announced that additional arrests are expected in the active investigation into the death of Tasia Fortune
Jarques Ratliff murder arrest
- ▪Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney stated that Jarques Ratliff had an "association" with Tasia Fortune, though she declined to elaborate on their relationship
- ▪Jackson Police arrested 51-year-old Jarques Ratliff on September 11, 2026, on a murder charge in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune
- ▪Jackson Police officers apprehended Jarques Ratliff on the street after failing to locate him at the address listed on their warrants
Medical examiner homicide ruling
- ▪The Mississippi state medical examiner's office determined on September 10, 2026, that the death of Tasia Fortune was a homicide
- ▪The homicide ruling by the state medical examiner allowed Jackson Police to execute the search and arrest warrants they had on hand for Jarques Ratliff
Family reaction to arrest
- ▪Christy Spivey and other family members stated they do not believe Tasia Fortune died by suicide, asserting she loved life and would have fought back
- ▪Christy Spivey stated that she did not know Jarques Ratliff and that police did not share a motive or whether DNA evidence led to his arrest
- ▪Christy Spivey, the mother of Tasia Fortune, expressed gratitude to the police upon learning of Jarques Ratliff's arrest, stating she cried and thanked them
Victim's life memorial
- ▪Christy Spivey stated that Tasia Fortune was a mother of four children and had been struggling with homelessness in Jackson, Mississippi, in recent years
- ▪An obituary for Tasia Fortune posted by Tucker Funeral Home in Central City, Kentucky, described her as a star cross-country runner and a woman of strong faith
Mississippi lynching history
- ▪According to the NAACP, Mississippi is estimated to have had the most lynchings in the United States between 1882 and 1968, with at least 581 recorded incidents
- ▪Tasia Fortune's death occurred less than a year after the hanging deaths of 21-year-old Black student Trey Reed in Cleveland, Mississippi, and Cory Zukatis in Vicksburg, Mississippi
Debatable claims
- ▪Jackson police should disclose the suspected motive in Tasia Fortune's death
- ▪Hanging deaths of Black Mississippians should be viewed through the lens of historical lynchings
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