Mississippi Police Arrest Second Man in Death of Woman Found Hanging

JACKSON, Miss. – Police in Jackson, Mississippi, have arrested a second man in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune, a Black woman whose body was found hanging from a tree on Aug. 3. Authorities have also issued an arrest warrant for a third suspect.

Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, was arrested late Tuesday and faces charges in Fortune's death. Lloyd, like Fortune and the first man arrested in the case, Jarques Ratliff, 51, is Black. Ratliff was arrested in September and has pleaded not guilty to murder charges. He remains jailed without bond.

Details regarding the identity of the third suspect for whom an arrest warrant has been issued have not been released.

Following Ratliff's arrest, Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney stated that Ratliff had an "association" with Fortune but did not provide further specifics. Police have not yet disclosed a motive for the killing or indicated whether race played a role.

The circumstances of Fortune's death have drawn significant attention due to the manner in which her body was discovered, which has been compared to the historical practice of lynching in the Southern United States.

Fortune, a native of Kentucky, had four children and had lived in Jackson for approximately a decade, according to her relatives. Her mother, Christy Spivey, mentioned that Fortune had recently been experiencing homelessness and was working to improve her life circumstances. Fortune had also expressed intentions to start a cleaning business.