Mississippi woman's hanging was 'staged' after murder linked to drug dispute: detective
Investigators believe Tasia Fortune was killed during a drug dispute before her body was hanged from a tree behind an abandoned home in Mississippi this summer in a "staged" scene, a police detective testified.
Det. Samuel Dukes, of the Jackson Police Department, on Friday said the state medical examiner concluded that Fortune, 29, was already dead before her body was hanged. Her body was found on August 3.
Authorities ruled Fortune's death a homicide, but have not disclosed the exact cause of death. Dukes said witness interviews indicated Fortune fought for her life before she was killed.
Police charged Jarques Ratliff, 51, and Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, with murder in connection with the case. Ratliff pleaded not guilty and remains in the Hinds County jail without bond. Authorities also issued a warrant for a third person.
Dukes testified during a preliminary hearing for Ratliff, scheduled to resume on September 30. The hearing will determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to present the case to a grand jury.
Police have not said why investigators believe Fortune's body was placed in the tree after her death.
The killing drew national attention because its scene evoked the history of racist lynchings in Mississippi. Fortune, Ratliff, and Lloyd are Black. Authorities have not said whether race played a role.
Fortune was a mother of four who had struggled with homelessness in recent years, her mother, Christy Spivey, has said. Spivey said Fortune had been trying to rebuild her life and hoped to start a cleaning business.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.