JACKSON, Mississippi — Authorities believe the hanging of Tasia Fortune was staged and that she was possibly murdered elsewhere before being found behind an abandoned house in Mississippi, a detective said in court Friday. New details about Fortune’s death were revealed last month during a court hearing for Jarques Ratliff, one of two men arrested and charged with murder. At a court hearing earlier this month, Ratliff, 51, was denied bail after he pleaded not guilty. Fortune, a 29-year-old black woman, was found hanging from a tree behind the Jacksons’ home on August 3. Authorities believe she may have been dead for two or three days before she was found. The motive for the murder and the cause of death have not been revealed. A detective said at Friday’s hearing that there may have been a problem with missing illegal narcotics. The detective declined to reveal additional details because the grand jury has not received all the evidence. Ratliff, 51, told the court that Fortune was his friend. His attorney, Toney Baldwin, said he wants “the truth about what happened to come to light.” “My client said he’s not involved and that’s absolutely what I believe,” he said. Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, said she wants to know what evidence police have. The other man arrested and charged in Fortune’s death is Earnest Lloyd Jr. Police also obtained a warrant for a third suspect. Both Lloyd and Ratliff are black. Lloyd, 25, allegedly got into a physical altercation with Fortune days or minutes before her death, NBC affiliate WLBT of Jackson reported. He was accused of hanging Fortune with a black wire, according to the news station. Bracey Harris reported from Jackson, Mississippi, and Minyvonne Burke reported from Pittsburgh.
