Man detained in US over death of Tasia Fortun
In Jackson, Mississippi, US police have detained a man in connection with the death of Tasia Fortun, a Black woman whose body was found dead in August, hanging from a tree on a lot next to an abandoned house. A medical examiner confirmed that the cause of death was homicide, BBC News reports.
Investigation continues
Jackson Police Chief Rashall Brackney said the detention is an important stage of the investigation but does not mean it has been completed. According to her, the suspect is to be charged with murder.
Brackney also said investigators may make additional detentions as they continue to examine the evidence. Law enforcement officers have already interviewed 15 people as part of the investigation.
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Statements from the family and community
The victim's mother, Christy Spivey, told the BBC that she cried when police informed her of the detention. She added that she hopes law enforcement detained the right person.
Earlier, Spivey and Jackson residents complained about a lack of information from local authorities and police. Fortun's mother said that over two weeks she tried several times to contact police and left voicemail messages but received no response. Brackney, in turn, said police had maintained constant contact with the victim's mother, stepfather and biological father.
Fortun's death caused concern in Jackson, where Black residents make up the majority of the population. More than 50 members of the US Congress sent a letter to the FBI and the Department of Justice this week calling for an independent investigation into the suspicious deaths of Black Americans. The letter said that at least 10 cases of Black people being hanged had been reported in the United States this year, while more than 70 lynchings were documented between 2000 and 2025.
