A 51-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black mother found hanging from a tree in Jackson, Mississippi, on Aug. 3. The Jackson Police Department identified the suspect as Jacques Ratliff. Police Chief RaShall Brackney stated at a press conference that there was an "association" between Ratliff and Fortune, but did not elaborate on the nature of their relationship. Brackney indicated that additional arrests may be possible.
Investigators executed two search warrants on Friday, the day of Ratliff's arrest. He was apprehended on Capitol Street. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Fortune’s death a homicide. Brackney emphasized that the arrest is a significant development but not the end of the investigation, urging the public against speculation and stating, "We owe it to Ms. Fortune, to her family and to the integrity of this investigation to let the evidence guide us."
Tasia Fortune was described by her aunt, Etta Avolio, in a GoFundMe campaign as a "strong-minded, big-hearted, vibrant young woman" and a mother of four. The family expressed their belief that justice would be served.
Fortune's death occurs in the context of other recent cases in Mississippi involving individuals found hanging. In September 2025, Trey Reed, a 21-year-old Black student at Delta State University, was found hanging on campus. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a suicide, but his family pursued an independent autopsy. In July, the family stated that civil rights attorney Ben Crump, involved in their case, had not been in contact for months and had not shared the results of the independent autopsy.
Separately, a 35-year-old unhoused white man named Cory Zukatis was found dead, hanging from a tree in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on the same day Reed was discovered. Authorities stated Zukatis's case was not connected to Reed's, and his death was also ruled a suicide.
Another case that has drawn attention is that of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells. His friends reported him missing after a Fourth of July boat trip to Horn Island, an island located eight miles off Mississippi’s coast. His parents have called for "honesty and transparency" regarding the circumstances of his disappearance.