Jackson Police arrested Jacques Ratliff and Earnest Lloyd Jr on murder charges in the death of Tasia Fortune, a Black mother of four whose body was found hanging from a tree behind an abandoned home in Jackson on August 3.
Police detective Samuel Dukes testified that the hanging appeared staged, citing a medical examiner who said Fortune had died before her body was hung. The scene, reminiscent of Mississippi's history of lynching, drew national attention.
Ratliff, 51, pleaded not guilty and remains in Hinds County jail without bond; a preliminary hearing on September 30 will decide whether prosecutors can move the case to a grand jury. Lloyd, 25, was arrested this week and faces similar murder charges.
Fortune's mother, Christy Spivey, told reporters that her daughter had fought for her life and that she had been trying to rebuild, even planning a cleaning business, before her disappearance. She said she knew the body had been hung after death.
Authorities have not released the exact cause of death or why the body was displayed, but investigators link the killing to a drug dispute. Further evidence will be presented in the upcoming court proceedings.
The case will be heard in September, and the outcome may shape how the city addresses racially charged crimes in the region. The preliminary hearing is set for September 30, after which the case will go to a grand jury if enough evidence is found.