Man arrested in death of woman found hanging from tree in Mississippi
A man has been arrested and will be charged with homicide in connection with the death of a 29-year-old Black woman whose body was found hanging from a tree in Mississippi last month, police announced Friday.
Tasia Fortune, a mother of four, was found dead "in a hanging position" on a tree behind a vacant home in Jackson on Aug. 3, police said.
Her death has been ruled a homicide, Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said during a press briefing on Friday. The medical examiner's office made the classification on Thursday, a month after her autopsy was completed, she said.
"With that determination, our investigators moved quickly," Brackney said.
Police secured two search warrants and an arrest warrant for the suspect, who was taken into custody Friday afternoon, she said.
Police said the suspect had an "association" with Fortune but declined to provide additional details.
More arrests are expected in the case, the police chief said.
"That arrest today is an important development in this investigation, but it is not the conclusion," Brackney said. "This case remains active, and additional arrests will be pending as our investigators continue to follow the evidence wherever it leads."
Fortune's body was found in various stages of decomposition, Brackney said. The police chief did not say how Fortune was killed, only saying she was "found in the position of hanging."
Brackney acknowledged that the case has "raised questions and the desire for answers given Mississippi's history."
"We understand this case is being viewed through a broader lens, a global lens, and we do not dismiss those concerns. We are taking them seriously," she said. "At the same time, we do have a responsibility to make sure that what we say publicly is supported by our evidence and facts."
