A man has been arrested in the death of Tasia Fortune, the 29-year-old Black woman who was found hanging from a tree in Mississippi last month, police announced Friday.
Jarques Ratliff was arrested Friday afternoon and will be charged with homicide, Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney told reporters. She said he had an “association” with Fortune, but did not disclose what kind.
Fortune’s body was discovered Aug. 3 behind an abandoned building in Jackson. Her family had previously said they did not believe Fortune died by suicide. The case sparked widespread alarm and media attention given Mississippi’s sordid history with racial violence.
Her death was officially classified as a homicide Thursday evening, Brackney said. That determination led police to secure two search warrants and an arrest warrant for Ratliff, she said.
Investigators served the search warrants Friday, but Ratliff was not found at the location. Officers heading back to headquarters later found him walking along Capitol Street and took him into custody, Brackney said.
“The arrest today is an important development in this investigation, but it is not the conclusion. This case remains active, and additional arrests will be pending as our investigators continue to follow the evidence wherever it leads,” she said, adding: “because Tasia and her children deserve nothing less.”
Ratliff, 51, was being held in the Hinds County jail Saturday. It’s not immediately clear whether Ratliff has retained an attorney.
Brackney said the Fortune family was immediately notified of the arrest.
Christy Spivey, Fortune’s mother, told The Associated Press that after she learned of the arrest, she “just started crying and told them ‘thank you, thank you, thank you.’”
Spivey, who did not know Ratliff, said the family is “in disbelief” and that they “still don’t have a lot of answers.” Police did not share a motive or whether DNA led to the arrest, she told the AP.
While Fortune’s death has been ruled a homicide, Brackney — who was cautious as she described Fortune as found “in a hanging position” — did not elaborate on the cause of death determination.
The chief acknowledged the scrutiny into the case, saying, “We understand the questions and the desire for answers given Mississippi’s history,” but stressed the case must be based on evidence and facts.
Fortune was originally from Kentucky, but had been living in Jackson for the last 10 years, according to her obituary.
She was remembered as an “intelligent and talented” woman, who was a cross country athlete in her younger years.
“Tasia’s path was not always easy, and there were highs and lows,” her obituary said. “But no matter what, she never lost her faith in God. She leaves behind a powerful legacy of resilience, rooted deeply in her unwavering faith.”
She leaves behind four children: Davion, 7, Terence Jr., 5, Tristian, 4, and Donte’, 1.
