Sep 26·World
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Third arrest in death of Tasia Fortune; police say hanging was staged
A Mississippi judge set a $5 million bond for Eric Clark, 45, the third person charged in the death of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman whose body was found hanging in a tree in Jackson in August. Police say Fortune was killed in a drug dispute and her body was deliberately staged at the scene. The case initially sparked fears of racial violence before authorities disclosed the hanging was staged rather than a racially motivated crime.
Quick Facts
- Eric Clark charged with murder in connection with Tasia Fortune's death
- $5 million bond set for Clark
- Medical examiner determined hanging was staged
- Fortune killed in drug-related dispute
- Body placed at scene 2-3 days after death


A Mississippi judge set a $5 million bond Monday for Eric Clark, 45, the third person charged in the death of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman whose body was discovered hanging from a tree behind an abandoned home in Jackson on August 3. Clark turned himself in Friday after a warrant was issued for his arrest. According to Jackson Police Detective Samuel Dukes, Fortune was killed in a drug-related dispute before her body was placed at the scene. The medical examiner determined the hanging was "staged," meaning Fortune was dead before being positioned in the tree—between two to three days before discovery.
The case initially sparked widespread fear in Mississippi's majority-Black capital because the image recalled historical lynchings in a state with a documented history of racial violence. Some officials had called for a federal civil rights investigation before police disclosed the staged nature of the scene. Judge Jeffery Reynolds acknowledged the severity of the case, calling it "heinous" and noting that "people justifiably didn't know if we had a killer on the loose who might hang people for racial reasons." Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney stated that "props" were left at the scene "as part of the staging" and indicated more arrests were possible.
Two other men, Jarques Ratliff, 51, and Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, were previously arrested and charged with murder. All three defendants and Fortune are Black. Detective Dukes testified that Fortune "fought hard" with her attackers before being killed. Police have disclosed few details about how the suspects are connected to Fortune's death or the exact cause of her death. Investigators interviewed as many as 15 people during their investigation. Local reporting indicates Lloyd was accused of using a cable cord to hang Fortune's body, and that an alleged physical altercation between Lloyd and Fortune occurred shortly before her death.
Fortune's mother, Christy Spivey, told reporters that Clark approached her at the courthouse and said he was turning himself in for murder, though he did not admit to involvement in her daughter's death. Spivey has expressed confusion about the case's developments. While she initially found some relief learning her daughter died before being hanged, the revelation of the staged scene and lack of disclosed details about the cause and motive have left her with more questions. She acknowledged her daughter struggled with addiction and homelessness but rejected allegations that Fortune stole drugs. Fortune's four sons, ranging in age from one to seven, are now living with family members and friends, with two in the process of being adopted.
Brackney noted that the case's initial appearance—a Black woman hanging from a tree—had reinforced fears rooted in the nation's history of racial terror and lynching, particularly acute in the South. She indicated this imagery had caused additional harm to communities already dealing with trauma related to that history.
Why This Matters
A 29-year-old woman's death in Jackson, Mississippi, initially triggered fears of racially motivated violence across the state capital given the historical context of lynching in the region. Police investigation concluded the body was staged post-mortem after a drug-related killing, prompting the arrest of three individuals. The case affects community trust in law enforcement narrative accuracy and ongoing criminal proceedings with implications for Mississippi's criminal justice system; the outcome will also shape public perception of how authorities distinguish between staged crime scenes and actual hate crimes.
Timeline & Sources
Aug 3, 2026
WireTasia Fortune's body discovered hanging from a tree behind an abandoned home in Jackson, Mississippi
Sep 13, 2026
WireJarques Ratliff arrested and charged with murder
Sep 28, 2026
WireJudge Jeffery Reynolds sets $5 million bond for Eric Clark
Sep 28, 2026
WireJudge Jeffery Reynolds sets $5 million bond for Eric Clark
Sources
- Tasia Fortune Mississippi Hanging F19a6991be71c35c7eb10e4ed03058bfapWireSep 28, 2026
- Third person arrested in death of Tasia Fortune, as police say hanging was stagedThe GuardianMediaSep 26, 2026
- Mother of woman found hanging in tree shocked as police say body was stagedBBCMediaSep 26, 2026
- Tasia Fortune’s hanging was ‘staged’ after her death in a drug dispute, Mississippi police sayCNNMediaSep 25, 2026