Black woman found hanging from tree was dead before body was 'staged' - BBC News                            (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwp933nzpp9ro)  (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwp933nzpp9ro)  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwp933nzpp9ro)  (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwp933nzpp9ro)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-36.413a37b227.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-48.010dc96bcf.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-57.1fcd0dc805.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-60.52f68a148f.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-72.f155fdb25f.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-76.cb5ee392d4.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-96.35ee2d1e20.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-114.7ccdf53cba.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-120.73e20442a9.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-128.060d346f09.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-144.e08bc23631.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-152.4de1981be0.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-180.1a18cb7b72.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-192.3ac042fa43.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-384.728e3a03d3.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-512.685da29e9e.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/favicon/news/favicon-16.8a240ceacc.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/favicon/news/favicon-32.5cf4e6db02.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/manifest.11b0cb15658c4719a2c19e25644577223adaa7b2.json)   (https://www.bbc.com)   BBC Homepage    (cwp933nzpp9ro@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#main-heading) Skip to content  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/) Accessibility Help          (https://account.bbc.com/account?lang=en-GB&ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticles%2Fcwp933nzpp9ro)    Your account       (https://www.bbc.com) Home  (https://www.bbc.com/news) News  (https://www.bbc.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.bbc.com/future/earth) Earth  (https://www.bbc.com/reel) Reel  (https://www.bbc.com/worklife) Worklife  (https://www.bbc.com/travel) Travel  (https://www.bbc.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.bbc.com/future) Future  (https://www.bbc.com/culture/music) Music  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl9m) TV  (https://www.bbc.com/weather) Weather  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds) Sounds   (cwp933nzpp9ro@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#global-navigation-more-menu)    More menu     (cwp933nzpp9ro@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#global-navigation-more-menu)   More menu    (https://www.bbc.com/search?d=NEWS_GNL)    Search BBC      (https://www.bbc.com) Home  (https://www.bbc.com/news) News  (https://www.bbc.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.bbc.com/future/earth) Earth  (https://www.bbc.com/reel) Reel  (https://www.bbc.com/worklife) Worklife  (https://www.bbc.com/travel) Travel  (https://www.bbc.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.bbc.com/future) Future  (https://www.bbc.com/culture/music) Music  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl9m) TV  (https://www.bbc.com/weather) Weather  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds) Sounds   (cwp933nzpp9ro@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#more-menu-button)   Close menu          (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news)   BBC News      (cwp933nzpp9ro@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#product-navigation-menu)    Menu  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news) Home   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cmj34zmwm1zt) Climate   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world) World   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/us_and_canada) US & Canada   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk) UK   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business) Business   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology) Tech   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science_and_environment) Science   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment_and_arts) Entertainment & Arts   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health) Health     (cwp933nzpp9ro@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#product-navigation-more-menu)    More     (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in_pictures) In Pictures   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/bbcverify) BBC Verify   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat) Newsbeat         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/us_and_canada) US & Canada           Black woman found hanging from tree was dead before body was 'staged', police say      (Tasia Fortune, 29, poses for a photo during a family reunion in Kentucky)    Image source,  Christy Spivey      By Sareen Habeshian  and Brandon Drenon     Published 25 September 2026        Updated 26 September 2026 02:24 BST       Warning: This story contains distressing details   Police in the US state of Mississippi have said that they believe a black woman was already dead before her body was "staged" and placed hanging in a tree. The disclosure was made in court by a detective on Friday, who also said they believed Tasia Fortune, a mother of four, had been killed in a dispute related to drugs. The 29-year-old's body was found hanging from a tree at an abandoned home in Jackson in August. 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 made multiple arrests.  In a news release, police said that the medical examiner had determined that Fortune's death was a homicide and that "the scene and the hanging were staged". Officials have not stated the exact cause of death or shared why they believe the hanging was staged. Fortune's mother told the BBC that she remembers the coroner telling her: "we're not treating this as [an] actual hanging." Her daughter, they told her, was dead before being placed in the tree.  Christy Spivey also recalled police telling her the incident was "drug related". Speaking to reporters outside the Jackson Police Department on Friday, Spivey described how she knows her daughter fought for her life till the very end. "I know she did. I know my daughter," Spivey told reporters. Fortune leaves behind four young children, ages 7, 5, 4 and 1, she added. Dressed in a shirt that reads "Justice for Tasia Fortune", Spivey stressed that she does not want to see any innocent people going to jail. "I just hope they have the right people," she said. Three people have so far been arrested in relation to the case, all of whom are black, including Jarques Ratliff, 51, who has pleaded not guilty. He remains in custody without bond. A second person, Earnest Lloyd Jr, 25, was arrested in the case this week. 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. The 29-year-old's death is one of several cases in recent years that has prompted lawmakers to call on the justice department and the FBI to investigate all hanging deaths of black people in the country.  Representative Ayanna Pressley, Democrat of Massachusetts, cites at least 10 documented incidents in (https://pressley.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Pressley-Congressional-Letter-to-DOJ-and-FBI-on-Black-People-Found-Hanging-1.pdf) her September letter to Congress, external  , which contained over 50 signatures from US lawmakers.  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.     Related topics  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/clm1wxp5njmt) Mississippi  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/c008ql151m5t) Policing  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cldy2dmy748t) Crime  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cx1m7zg01xyt) United States        More on this story (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqjkejq5750o) Arrest made over the death of black woman found hanged from tree in Mississippi     Published 12 September          (Tasia Fortune, 29, poses for a photo during a family reunion in Kentucky)          (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgwydke178o) Mother demands answers, weeks after black woman found hanging from Mississippi tree     Published 9 September          (A selfie taken by Christy Spivey of her and her daughter Tasia Fortune)                (vertical video collection) The video playlist   Watch our pick of standout clips from across the BBC      Previous     Next         0:47 'I'm angry they've behaved so badly' says Man City fan. 00:00:47, play video 'I'm angry they've behaved so badly' says Man City fan    (Woman with short grey hair with black glasses standing in a street)           1:30 Using AI to detect fake goods online. 00:01:30, play video Using AI to detect fake goods online    (Black leggings with a hole in the back)           1:10 Is it OK to take an iced coffee to a job interview? 00:01:10, play video Is it OK to take an iced coffee to a job interview?    (A woman in a white shirt drinks an iced coffee while holding a folder)           1:09 What are the charges against Man City? 00:01:09, play video What are the charges against Man City?    (Manchester City flag)           0:35 Rory Stewart on his viral Newsnight moment. 00:00:35, play video Rory Stewart on his viral Newsnight moment    (Rory Stewart is smiling at the camera. He is in a car and wearing a seatbelt. Only his face and shoulders are visible.)           1:08 Why is the Pope in France? 00:01:08, play video Why is the Pope in France?    (Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron standing with Pope Leo)           0:47 Should we ban the word 'awesome'? 00:00:47, play video Should we ban the word 'awesome'?    (Comedian Jon Culshaw looks enraged with his hands in the air.)           1:37 Question Time panel clash over welfare policy. 00:01:37, play video Question Time panel clash over welfare policy    (Journalist Ash Sarkar has long dark hair and is talking to someone off camera.)           1:06 BBC boss warns some channels and radio stations may close. 00:01:06, play video BBC boss warns some channels and radio stations may close    (BBC Director General wearing a dark coat over a white shirt. He has short grey hair.)           0:49 Greece urges UK to return Parthenon sculptures. 00:00:49, play video Greece urges UK to return Parthenon sculptures    (Some the Pathernon scul;tures.)           0:43 What was on the menu at the White House state dinner? 00:00:43, play video What was on the menu at the White House state dinner?    (A dinner table on which there is a red table cloth, white and gold plates, gold cutlery, glasses of champaign and a white menu with gold writing.)           1:02 How we know this is an altered photo. 00:01:02, play video How we know this is an altered photo    (President Xi and President Trump on a red carpet.)           0:47 Why Gen-Z are ditching cardio for weights. 00:00:47, play video Why Gen-Z are ditching cardio for weights    (Rear view of a woman in a black strappy top lifting heavy weights.)           1:09 Why has half of this house disappeared? 00:01:09, play video Why has half of this house disappeared?    (Aerial view of a semi-detached house with the plat to the right demolished.)           1:15 FA Cup assistant ref says tumours ended his career. 00:01:15, play video FA Cup assistant ref says tumours ended his career    (Dan Robathan has short blonde hair and is wearing a referee kit. He has a whistle in his mouth.)               Top stories (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c6d944ylqkkeo) Man City legal fight could spiral out of control - Purslow     Published 2 hours ago            (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6p3kk78l4l1o) British national among six dead in building explosion close to Acropolis in Athens     Published 32 minutes ago            (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwn8mn0rzkzlo) How long can Labour's feel-good factor last?     Published 1 hour ago                More to explore (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck9dww05y4p6o) Memorial for pupils contaminated with HIV and hepatitis      (A bronze statue of two boys on a stone plinth sculpted by Tom Murphy, outside Lord Mayor Treloar College in Alton, Hampshire.)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly7l4rn02vo) 'Our wedding present left us gutted': Couple join dozens in car seller dispute      (A wedding party is gathered outside a stone-fronted building as confetti is thrown into the air. Two people in formal wedding attire are walking hand in hand through a line of guests, with one carrying a bouquet of white flowers. Guests on either side are dressed in occasion wear and are tossing pink and white confetti.)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6evwmzxdn4do) Your child has left home. Here's why it's time to stop checking up on them      (A father hugs his son outside the family as the mother looks on from the door frame, smiling)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/cmp8dr34rz0yo) When and how to see the Harvest Moon in 2026      (A pink-coloured full Harvest Moon rises behind Salisbury Cathedral spire. There are hills and trees in the distance and streaks of grey cloud across the Moon)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv62k9p1rz4do) Could an iced coffee freeze you out of the job market?      (Composite picture. On the left: Hanad, wearing a glasses and a black T-shirt and holding an iced coffee, smiles as he stands outside a shop in London. On the right: Katy, who has blonde hair and is wearing a dark jacket, smiles at the camera in a central London street.)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm5ydvww0erdo) The treasured 'eternal snow' on this tropical island is about to disappear forever      (An aerial view of the Sudirman mountain range in Papua - a small patch of snow is visible on one of the mountains)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpd7zw43wexo) How the bare nails trend became a class issue      (Manicure withut coloured nail varnish)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckrerpx4wz7xo) Indie and punk music made me feel I was betraying my race      (Stephanie Phillips has long braided hair. She is wearing glasses and hooped earrings with a black and white printed dress with a black bomber jacket over. She is standing in front of a colourful mural painted on the wall.)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsletters/zgmn46f) US Politics Unspun: Cut through the noise with Anthony Zurcher's newsletter      (A cut of of Anthony Zurcher wearing a suit and tie in front of a red, black, grey and blue graphic background featuring the US Capitol Building)             Elsewhere on the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00304nj?at_mid=j1DqZnRRaM&at_campaign=Mothers_Instinct&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=iplayer&at_brand=m00304nj&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Film&at_bbc_team=BBC&at_creation=Mothers_Instinct) Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain star in a psychological thriller        (Mothers' Instinct)        (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct8k7g?at_mid=BvJJeKKSxy&at_campaign=CrowdScience_How_many_dead_people_are_on_the_internet&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=sounds&at_brand=p04d42rc&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=CrowdScience_How_many_dead_people_are_on_the_internet&at_bbc_team=BBC) How many dead people are on the internet?        (CrowdScience)        (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0030h3m?at_mid=lY1JpR1Yca&at_campaign=In_Our_Time_Thomas_Moores_Utopia&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=iplayer&at_brand=m0030h3l&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=In_Our_Time_Thomas_Moores_Utopia&at_bbc_team=BBC) The hit podcast explores Thomas More's iconic text 'Utopia'        (In Our Time: Thomas More's Utopia)        (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0032jxk?at_mid=yw39dB8utx&at_campaign=Disclosure_Investigates_Killer_on_the_Ward&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=SCT&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=sounds&at_brand=p0hrmv27&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Disclosure_Investigates_Killer_on_the_Ward&at_bbc_team=BBC) Was Colin Norris wrongly convicted of killing his patients?        (Disclosure Investigates)            Most read 1 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c60m334grx9vo) Met to re-examine CCTV from Jill Dando murder case       2 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6p3kk78l4l1o) British national among six dead in building explosion close to Acropolis in Athens       3 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm5yww993n10o) Prince Harry says it is 'great' to be back in Britain after six years in US       4 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpd7zw43wexo) How the bare nails trend became a class issue       5 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmkg7p10p56vo) Mystery of concrete ring 'solved after 30 years'       6 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv62k9p1rz4do) Could an iced coffee freeze you out of the job market?       7 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm5ydvww0erdo) The treasured 'eternal snow' on this tropical island is about to disappear forever       8 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckjrxx22wqgdo) Legal challenge to Drumcree parade decision under way        9 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwn8mn0rzkzlo) How long can Labour's feel-good factor last?       10 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c962jjl18g3ro) Republic of Ireland confirm rescheduled news conference before controversial Israel game               BBC News Services  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10628994)    On your mobile  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/help-50068132)    On smart speakers  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10628323)    Get news alerts  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/20039682)    Contact BBC News     (https://www.bbc.com) Home  (https://www.bbc.com/news) News  (https://www.bbc.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.bbc.com/future/earth) Earth  (https://www.bbc.com/reel) Reel  (https://www.bbc.com/worklife) Worklife  (https://www.bbc.com/travel) Travel  (https://www.bbc.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.bbc.com/future) Future  (https://www.bbc.com/culture/music) Music  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl9m) TV  (https://www.bbc.com/weather) Weather  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds) Sounds   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/usingthebbc/terms) Terms of Use  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc) About the BBC  (https://www.bbc.com/usingthebbc/privacy) Privacy Policy  (https://www.bbc.com/usingthebbc/cookies) Cookies  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility) Accessibility Help  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/guidance) Parental Guidance  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact) Contact the BBC  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/careers) Careers  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcnewsletter) BBC emails for you  (https://www.bbc.com/advertisingcontact/) Advertise with us    Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidance/links-and-feeds) Read about our approach to external linking.         ()