JACKSON, Miss. — Police in Mississippi have arrested two people and have a warrant for a third in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune in Jackson, Mississippi.
Fortune was found hanging from a tree behind an abandoned home on Aug. 3, The Associated Press reported.
While she was found hanged, officials have not given an exact cause of death.
“Tasia Fortune was found in a hanging position, and I need to stay with that language to not jeopardize this case,” Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said, according to WLBT.
Jarques Ratliff was arrested on murder charges earlier this month. He pleaded not guilty and is in jail without bond.
Police also arrested Earnest Lloyd Jr. this week. He was also denied bond on Wednesday, WLBT reported.
They have also issued an arrest warrant for a third suspect, but have not released any information about who the person is or their connection to Fortune’s death. The warrant has been turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service. If they don’t find the person in the next few days, Brackney said she will release their name, the Mississippi Clarion Ledger reported.
Additional warrants are also expected.
No motive has been released in Fortune’s death. She and the two men who are facing charges are Black, but her death has also gained nationwide attention because she was hanged in the Southern state where many lynchings occurred in the past.
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