Black woman found hanging from tree was dead before body was 'staged', police say

BySareen Habeshian and Brandon Drenon. Warning: This story contains distressing details.

Key points

• Representative Ayanna Pressley, Democrat of Massachusetts, cites at least 10 documented incidents in her September letter to Congress, external.
• Speaking to reporters outside the Jackson Police Department on Friday, Fortune's mother described how she knows her daughter fought for her life till the particularly end.
• A third, 45-year-old Eric Clark, turned himself in to authorities on Friday and was charged with murder.
• The most recent incident happened in Prince George's County, a majority-black suburb near Washington DC, on Sunday.
• The 29-year-old's body was discovered hanging from a tree on the grounds of an abandoned home in Jackson in August.

According to Police in the US state of Mississippi have, they believe a black woman was already dead before her body was "staged" and placed hanging in a tree.

For context, the disclosure was created in court by a detective on Friday. This person additionally noted they believed Tasia Fortune, a mother of four, had been killed in a dispute related to drugs.

Meanwhile, the 29-year-old's body was discovered hanging from a tree on the grounds of an abandoned home in Jackson in August.

Notably, the discovery sparked widespread fears in the majority-black city, due to the state's deep history of racial violence and lynchings. After weeks of speculation and demands for information, police created multiple arrests.

In a news release, police remarked that the medical examiner had determined after an autopsy that Fortune's death was a homicide and that "the scene and the hanging were staged".

Notably, the BBC has contacted the court, the medical examiner's office and Fortune's mother, Christy Spivey.

Authorities have not stated the exact cause of death or shared why they believe the hanging was staged.

In practice, the medical examiner confirmed earlier this month that Fortune's cause of death was homicide and remarked there would be a murder charge.

"I know she did. I know my daughter, " Spivey remarked to journalists. Fortune leaves behind four young children, ages 7, 5, 4 and 1, she continued.

Dressed in a shirt that reads "Justice for Tasia Fortune", Spivey stressed that she does not want to see any innocent individuals going to jail. "I just hope they have the right people, " she remarked.

Three individuals have been arrested in relation to the case, including Jarques Ratliff, 51. This person was arrested and pleaded not guilty. He remains in custody in without bond.

For context, a second person, Earnest Lloyd Jr, 25, was arrested in the case this week.

Notably, a third, 45-year-old Eric Clark, turned himself in to authorities on Friday and was charged with murder. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

Notably, the 29-year-old's death is one of a number of cases over recent years that has prompted lawmakers to call on the justice department and the FBI to investigate all hanging deaths of black residents in the country.

Representative Ayanna Pressley, Democrat of Massachusetts, cites at least 10 documented incidents in her September letter to Congress, external. It contained over 50 signatures from US lawmakers.

Meanwhile, the most recent incident happened in Prince George's County, a majority-black suburb near Washington DC, on Sunday. It has been ruled a suicide.

In short, black woman found hanging from tree was dead before body was ' staged' , is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.