Man arrested in connection with death of Tasia Fortune in Mississippi
Police in Jackson, Mississippi, have arrested Jarques Ratliff in connection with the homicide of 29-year-old Tasia Fortune. The case had previously drawn significant attention due to concerns regarding racial violence in the region.
Why it matters
Addresses a high-profile criminal investigation involving racial sensitivities and public trust in law enforcement.
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.
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