Mississippi police arrest man in Tasia Fortune homicide investigation

Police in Jackson, Mississippi, have arrested a man after the death of Tasia Fortune was officially ruled a homicide.

Jarques Ratliff, 51, has been charged with murder in connection with the death of Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman who was found hanging from a tree outside an abandoned house on August 3.

“Last night, the medical examiner’s office officially classified Miss Fortune’s death as a homicide. With that determination, our investigators moved quickly,” Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said Friday, according to CNN.

Police obtained two search warrants and an arrest warrant before officers found Ratliff walking along a city street and arrested him.

She said additional arrests could be made as the investigation continues.

“That arrest today is an important development in this investigation but it is not the conclusion,” Brackney said.

Police have interviewed nearly 15 people, gathered forensic evidence and followed several leads in the case.

“We owe it to Miss Fortune, to her family and the integrity of this investigation to let the evidence guide us,” Brackney said.

The investigation remains active, with Brackney stressing: “This is not closure. This is just one step as we continue to investigate this case.”