Police in Jackson, Mississippi, have arrested 51-year-old Jacques Ratliff in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune. Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney-Wheelock announced Friday that the arrest took place after police secured search and arrest warrants and encountered Ratliff walking on the street.
Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman, was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant house last month. The state medical examiner ruled her death a homicide on Thursday, leading to the subsequent arrest.
Mississippi police stated on Saturday that they are continuing to investigate the killing. Loved ones remember Fortune as a mother, athlete, and woman of faith, noting their hope that she will not be remembered solely for her horrific death.