Black woman found hanging from tree was dead before body was ‘staged’, police say
Police in the US state of Mississippi have said they believe a black woman was already dead before her body was “staged” by being placed hanging in a tree. The disclosure was made in court by a detective on Friday, who also said they believed Tasia Fortune, a mother of four, had been killed in […]
In a tragic case in Mississippi, police believe a black mother of four, Tasia Fortune, was already deceased when her body was staged to appear as if she had been executed by hanging. The 29-year-old's lifeless body was discovered hanging from a tree at an abandoned home in Jackson in August, sparking concerns due to the city's history of racial violence.
Detectives disclosed in court on Friday that the medical examiner had determined Fortune's death was a homicide and that the hanging was staged. Her mother, Christy Spivey, recounted how the coroner informed her, "We're not treating this as [an] actual hanging," and that Fortune had fought for her life until the very end. Three individuals, all black, have been arrested in connection with the case, including Jarques Ratliff, 51, who has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody without bail.
The death of Tasia Fortune has prompted calls for the justice department and FBI to investigate all hanging deaths of black people in the country.
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