Key Facts

• Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman and mother of four, was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant house in Jackson, Mississippi.
• The state medical examiner ruled her death a homicide on Thursday.
• Police arrested 51-year-old Jacques Ratliff after securing search and arrest warrants.
• Ratliff is known to the victim, but police have not disclosed a motive.
• The case has drawn national attention because of Mississippi’s history with racist violence and lynchings.
• Police are continuing the investigation and said more arrests may happen.
• Fortune’s mother expressed shock and sadness but thanked police for the arrest.
• This killing follows recent similar deaths of two other people found hanging in Mississippi within the last year.