Jackson police arrested a second suspect in the hanging death of Tasia Fortune and said more arrests may follow.
Story Highlights
- Police arrested 25-year-old Earnest Lloyd Jr. on a murder charge in Fortune’s death.
- A judge denied Lloyd bond after he pleaded not guilty at his first court hearing.
- Investigators previously arrested 51-year-old Jarques Ratliff in the same case.
- Police said the case is active and a third suspect is being sought.
Second Arrest And Court Appearance
Jackson Police Department officers arrested 25-year-old Earnest Lloyd Jr. on September 22, 2026, and charged him with murder in the death of Tasia Fortune, according to local reports citing police. The next day, Lloyd appeared in court, pleaded not guilty, and was denied bond by a judge, keeping him in jail while the case proceeds. Police did not describe the evidence behind the arrest in public statements, and no charging affidavit was released in the coverage reviewed.
Police said the investigation remains active and that additional arrests are possible. Local coverage reported that officers obtained a warrant for a third suspect, but did not release a name. One outlet reported police believe Lloyd acted with other co-defendants, though other reports referenced only a third suspect, leaving the total number of alleged accomplices unclear in public reporting. Officials have not described how the suspects may know one another or the victim.
First Arrest And Case Timeline
The September arrest of Lloyd followed the earlier arrest of 51-year-old Jarques Ratliff on September 11, 2026, also on a murder charge tied to Fortune’s death. Police and news reports state that officers found Fortune in a hanging position behind a vacant or abandoned home on Road of Remembrance in Jackson on August 3, 2026. The state medical examiner classified the death as a homicide, and police leadership said the department treated it as a homicide from the start, pending that ruling.
Chief RaShall Brackney publicly emphasized that detectives were pursuing multiple leads, interviewing numerous people, and coordinating with prosecutors as the case developed. Officials did not confirm the exact medical cause of death and stayed with the phrasing that Fortune was “found in a hanging position,” which is how several outlets described the scene in August and September reports. Authorities have not shared forensic details such as DNA, phone records, or surveillance video in the reporting reviewed.
Public Interest, Media Framing, And What We Know
This case drew national attention because a Black woman was found in a hanging position, which many people see through the lens of America’s history with racial violence. Major outlets covered the second arrest and the search for another suspect, centering police statements and court actions. Research has shown that homicide coverage often surges when a case seems unusual and can lean on early police narratives before affidavits or lab reports are public.
Mississippi police make second arrest in death of Black woman found hanging from tree, seeking third suspect
Jackson police said late Tuesday that they arrested 25-year-old Earnest Lloyd Jr. in the death of 29-year-old Tasia Fortune, whose body was found hanging behind an…
1/2 pic.twitter.com/srY668JuNZ— ˶˃ News Reader Cat 📰🗞️NO DMs˂˶ (@typocatCAv2) September 24, 2026
For readers sorting fact from noise, the verified checkpoints are clear: Fortune’s body was found on August 3 in Jackson; the death was ruled a homicide; Ratliff was arrested September 11; Lloyd was arrested September 22; a judge denied him bond September 23; and police say more arrests may come. Details that remain undisclosed in public reporting include the exact cause of death, the evidence tying each suspect to the crime, and the suspects’ relationship to one another.
Sources:
twitchy.com, wjtv.com, people.com, wlbt.com, jackson.binnews.com, clarionledger.com
