Mississippi police say woman's hanging was staged — BBC News

In Jackson, Mississippi, USA, police said that 29-year-old Tasya Fortune was dead before her body was placed in a tree to stage a hanging. The woman’s body was found in August on the grounds of an abandoned house. BBC News reported this, citing court hearing materials and police statements.

Investigators’ findings

During a hearing on Friday, a detective told the court that investigators believe Fortune was killed during a drug-related conflict. Police had previously said that, following an autopsy, the medical examiner classified the woman’s death as a homicide and considered the scene and the hanging to have been staged.

Earlier this month, the medical examiner also said that murder charges would be filed in the case. At the same time, officials did not disclose the exact cause of death or explain why they believe the hanging was staged.

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People detained in the case

Three people were detained as part of the investigation. They include 51-year-old Jarkes Ratliff, who pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond, as well as 25-year-old Ernest Lloyd Jr., who was detained this week.

Forty-five-year-old Eric Clark voluntarily surrendered to authorities on Friday. He was charged with murder and is due to appear in court on Monday. After the hearing, the victim’s mother, Christy Spivey, said she has even more questions than before. According to her, Fortune is survived by four children aged 7, 5, 4 and 1.