More than a month later Tasia Fortune was found in a tree behind an abandoned home in Mississippi, investigators said she was dead before she was hanged.
detective Samuel Dukes of the Jackson Police Department testified in court Friday, Sept. 25, that he believed Fortune’s execution was “staged,” citing the medical examiner’s opinion Associated Press.
Authorities have not said how they believe 29-year-old Fortune actually died, but classified her Aug. 3 death as a homicide. Dukes said Friday that based on interviews, police concluded that Fortune, a black woman, fought hard before she was killed.
Dukes also testified that authorities believe the motive for Fortune’s death was a drug dispute.
Four more people were arrested last week in connection with the deaths of a missing Nebraska couple and their unborn baby after human remains believed to be theirs were found, police said. Authorities initially arrested 24-year-old Sterling James and his wife Sayde Titus in connection with the missing person case that turned into a murder (…)
Although they share the theory, authorities have not said why they believe the defendants hanged Fortune’s body even though she was already dead.
Since then, two men have been arrested on murder charges and authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a third person.
Jackson police made their first arrest in the case when they took Jarques Ratliff into custody on Sept. 11 and charged him with murder. At the time, police confirmed that Ratliff, 51, had a “connection” with Fortune, but did not elaborate on how the two knew each other.
However, Ratliff said during Friday’s hearing that he and Fortune were friends.
The second arrest came on Tuesday, September 22, when police took Earnest Lloyd Jr. into custody and charged him with murder. Lloyd’s relationship with Fortune is currently unknown.
Ratliff has pleaded not guilty, although it is currently unclear whether Lloyd, 25, has entered a plea.
It is not known whether any of the defendants sought legal representation after their arrest.
A woman in Dallas, Texas, was arrested for allegedly murdering her daughter after they argued over stolen alcohol. Dallas police responded to a 911 call on Green Cove Lane around 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2, according to a Dallas police affidavit viewed by Fox 4. The caller told dispatchers that (…)
The purpose of Friday’s hearing was to determine whether there was enough evidence to send the case to a grand jury for possible indictment. The hearing is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, September 30.
Fortune’s death shocked her loved ones and her family started a GoFundMe Page to financially support her children after the tragedy.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we as a family would like to thank everyone who helped our family during one of the most tragic moments of our lives. With your love, prayers and sacrifices, we will be able to bring our girl to her final resting place near her family,” the family wrote on the page. “We will also be able to bless her four beautiful children. We will also be able to take the next steps to bring justice and answers to Tasia and our family.”
The statement continued: “God will take care of this and thank you for allowing Him to bless our family so you can turn this chaos into a message. We will stay strong together through our ups and downs. Thank you again!”
