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Jackson police arrest second suspect in Tasia Fortune homicide
Jackson police have arrested a second suspect in the homicide investigation of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman whose body was found hanging from a tree behind an abandoned home on August 3. Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, has been charged with murder. Police allege that Lloyd used a black cable cord to hang Fortune and that he had a physical altercation with her shortly before her death.
Lloyd joins 51-year-old Jarques Ratliff, who was arrested in September and charged with murder. Ratliff has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody without bond. Authorities have also issued an arrest warrant for a third, unnamed suspect, and the U.S. Marshals are assisting in the search.
The case has drawn significant attention due to the manner in which Fortune was discovered, which many observers noted evoked the history of lynchings in the American South. While investigators have not officially labeled the death a hate crime or confirmed a specific motive, the imagery has caused distress within the community. Fortune's mother, Christy Spivey, expressed relief at the arrests but maintained that her daughter would never have taken her own life.
Entities
Earnest Lloyd Jr. · Jackson Police Department · Jackson, Mississippi · Jarques Ratliff · RaShall Brackney · Tasia Fortune
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 11 SOURCES] Earnest Lloyd Jr. has been arrested in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune. srnnews.com · www.brandonsun.com · www.bangordailynews.com · www.independent.co.uk · pulptastic.com · +6 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The victim's mother, Christy Spivey, stated that her daughter would not have taken her own life. www.independent.co.uk
- [DISPUTED] Jarques Ratliff, 51, was previously arrested on murder charges and remains jailed without bond. srnnews.com · www.brandonsun.com · www.bangordailynews.com · www.independent.co.uk · pulptastic.com · +6 more
- [● 16 SOURCES] An arrest warrant has been issued for a third suspect, though no identity details were provided. srnnews.com · www.brandonsun.com · www.bangordailynews.com · www.independent.co.uk · pulptastic.com · +11 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] Tasia Fortune's body was discovered hanging from a tree behind an abandoned home on August 3. srnnews.com · www.brandonsun.com · www.bangordailynews.com · www.independent.co.uk · pulptastic.com · +6 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] Police contend that Earnest Lloyd Jr. hanged Tasia Fortune with a black cable cord. www.fox5atlanta.com · sandrarose.com
- [DISPUTED] Jarques Ratliff, 51, was arrested on murder charges and remains jailed without bond. pulptastic.com · 1053rnb.com · 92q.com · classixphilly.com · internewscast.com · +12 more