The mother of a 29-year-old Black woman found hanged from a tree in Mississippi is publicly rejecting the possibility of suicide, stating she has unwavering faith that her daughter would not have taken her own life. Tasia Fortune, a mother of four, was discovered on Aug. 3 behind an abandoned home in Jackson, Mississippi.
Christy Spivey, Fortune's mother, last saw her daughter on July 26 when Fortune visited a family reunion in Kentucky from Mississippi, where she had lived for over a decade. Spivey described her daughter as being in a good state of mind during their last encounter, stating, “She was better than I had seen her in a long time. She was at peace.”
Authorities have not officially determined Fortune's cause of death, and her family is awaiting autopsy results. Investigators have not labeled the death as suspicious but have stated they are actively working to determine the circumstances surrounding it.
“This has just devastated us,” Spivey told ABC News. “Tasia was strong-minded, she was full of laughs and love, she had faith in God… She had so little and gave so much.”
Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes has requested assistance from Mississippi U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger, referring to Fortune as a murder victim in his letter. Jackson police have released limited information, and no suspects have been identified. Terrence Anderson, who reportedly argued with Fortune, was interviewed by police. Anderson denied any involvement in her death and disputed claims that he and Fortune were in a relationship.
Fortune's death occurs amidst national attention on suspicious deaths in Mississippi. Earlier in July, 18-year-old college athlete Nolan Wells was found dead on Horn Island, days after friends reportedly left him there during a Fourth of July celebration. His parents have stated that the circumstances of his death remain a mystery with conflicting accounts. Additionally, there have been two other hanging deaths in Mississippi over the past year involving Trey Reed, a Black student at Delta State University, and Cory Zukatis, a white homeless man. Both of those deaths were ruled suicides by local authorities.
Concerns have been amplified by some, including Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., who have urged for thoroughness and transparency in the investigation, referencing Mississippi's history of lynchings. Spivey has expressed that she does not want her daughter's name associated with racially motivated circumstances, while others point to the broader historical context and call for justice.