Suspect arrested in Tasia Fortune murder; Mississippi woman found hanging from tree

Jackson County police have made an arrest in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman found dead last month.

Fortune’s body was found hanging from a tree behind an abandoned house off Road of Remembrance in Jackson on August 3, 2026.

The Mississippi medical examiner ruled her death as a homicide on Thursday evening, allowing the JPD to execute the arrest warrants.

Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney provided a major update on Friday, September 11, announcing the arrest of a 51-year-old man identified as Harques Ratliff aka “Jock.”

The murder of Tasia Fortune, a mother of four children, had drawn the spotlight nationwide in the recent days.

“This is not closure. This is just one step as we continue to investigate this case,” said Brackney.

However, the top state cop didn’t detail what circumstances led to the killing of Fortune, only that the suspect, Ratliff, 51, had been known to the victim.

She said the Jackson police officers made the arrest on Friday afternoon after they saw him (Ratliff) walking along Capitol Street, a road in west Jackson adjacent to the 500 block of Road of Remembrance, where Fortune’s body was found hanging with a tree.

Earlier in the week, Brackney informed the Jackson City Council that Fortune’s autopsy was concluded four weeks ago but JPD had yet to receive it.

The Mississippi state police chief made these comments after Fortune’s mother wrote a letter requesting autopsy results.