# Woman found hanging was killed before body staged

> Police say Tasia Fortune, 29, was dead before her body was placed in a tree in Mississippi, likely in a drug-related dispute.
- Title: Woman found hanging was killed before body staged · BBC News
- Summary: Police say Tasia Fortune, 29, was dead before her body was placed in a tree in Mississippi, likely in a drug-related dispute. Mississippi police say Tasia…
- Keywords: tasia fortune, mississippi, jackson, hanging death, homicide, police investigation, news, world, Woman, found, hanging, killed
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwp933nzpp9ro
- Published: 2026-09-25T21:16:59.821+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: tasia fortune, mississippi, jackson, hanging death, homicide, police investigation, news, world
## Body found hanging in August
The 29-year-old's body was found hanging from a tree at an abandoned home in Jackson in August. The discovery sparked widespread fears in the majority-black city due to the state's deep history of racial violence and lynchings.
## Police say she was already dead
A detective disclosed in court on Friday that Tasia Fortune was already dead before her body was staged by being placed hanging in a tree. Police believe she was killed in a dispute related to drugs.
## Medical examiner confirms homicide
Police said the medical examiner determined Fortune's death was a homicide and that the scene and the hanging were staged. Officials have not stated the exact cause of death or shared why they believe the hanging may have been staged.
## Mother confirms daughter was dead first
Fortune's mother, Christy Spivey, told the BBC the coroner said they were not treating it as an actual hanging. Her daughter was dead before being placed in the tree and left behind four young children, aged seven, five, four and one.

> We're not treating this as [an] actual hanging.
## Three arrested in connection with death
Three people have been arrested, all black. Jarques Ratliff, 51, pleaded not guilty and remains in custody without bail. Earnest Lloyd Jr, 25, was arrested this week. Eric Clark, 45, turned himself in Friday and was charged with murder, scheduled to appear in court Monday.
## Case prompts calls for federal investigation
Fortune's death is one of several cases prompting lawmakers to call on the justice department and FBI to investigate all hanging deaths of black people. Representative Ayanna Pressley cited at least ten documented incidents in her September letter to Congress with over fifty signatures from US lawmakers.
## Key takeaway

Mississippi police say Tasia Fortune, 29, was killed before her body was staged hanging from a tree, likely over drugs, sparking calls for federal investigation of black hanging deaths.