Third Suspect Arrested in Tasia Fortune Death After Autopsy Finds Hanging Scene Was 'Staged'

A third man has been arrested in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old mother of four whose body was discovered hanging from a tree in Jackson, Mississippi, in August. Eric Clark, 45, turned himself in to authorities on 25 September and was charged with murder, according to the Jackson Police Department. His initial court appearance was scheduled for 28 September.

Police later disclosed new details about the circumstances surrounding Fortune's death, including findings from the state medical examiner that indicated the hanging scene had been 'staged'. Authorities have not publicly identified which suspect, if any, they believe was responsible for placing her body in the tree.

Third Person Charged

Clark is now the third person facing a murder charge in the investigation. Jackson police previously arrested 51-year-old Jarques 'Jock' Ratliff on 11 September, followed by the arrest of 25-year-old Earnest Lloyd Jr. on 22 September. Both men have been charged with murder in connection with Fortune's death.

'The Jackson Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division will continue its investigation until all individuals believed to be involved are held accountable for their actions in connection with Ms. Fortune's death,' a news release from the police read.

Ratliff has pleaded not guilty and was being held without bond, while Lloyd was also denied bond following his initial court appearance. The investigation into the three men's alleged involvement in Fortune's death is still underway. The department has not laid out each defendant's alleged role, and Clark's arrest does not establish guilt.

The investigation remains active, with authorities indicating that further work is being carried out to determine whether additional people were involved.

What Investigators Say Happened

Fortune was found on 3 August behind a vacant property on Road of Remembrance in Jackson. Detectives have said they believe she was killed somewhere other than the location where her body was discovered.

During a preliminary hearing involving Ratliff, Jackson police Detective Samuel Dukes testified that investigators believe Fortune had already been dead for roughly two to three days before her body was found.

The detective also described a possible motive. According to Dukes, investigators believe Fortune's death stemmed from a dispute involving drugs. He told the court that interviews conducted during the investigation indicated Fortune fought with her attackers before she was killed. He also testified that, citing the medical examiner's opinion, investigators determined that 'the scene and the hanging were staged.'

Fortune's mother, Christy Spivey, had initially questioned the lack of information the police have provided to the family in connection with the investigation. She has also spoken about the circumstances surrounding her daughter's death and said she understood that Fortune had already died before her body was hung.

She described her daughter as a mother of four who had experienced homelessness and had been trying to put her life back on track. 'She was talking about, you know, maybe even coming home,' Spivey told the BBC.

At Friday's hearing, Ratliff said Fortune had been his friend, a statement Spivey later acknowledged while stressing that she wanted the investigation to establish what happened instead of seeing an innocent person imprisoned.