In a dramatic development in the investigation of Tasia Fortune’s death, Jackson police arrested a 51-year-old man Friday, Sept. 11, in the homicide of the 29-year-old Black mother of four whose body was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant home in the 500 block of Road of Remembrance in west Jackson on Aug. 3.
Chief RaShall Brackney told reporters at a news conference that officers executed search and arrest warrants and arrested Jarques (also reported as Jacques or Jacque) Ratliff, also known as “Jock,” after he was spotted walking on Capitol Street near the crime scene. He was not at the original location but was taken into custody when found on that street. The family of Tasia Fortune has been notified of the arrest.
“This is not closure,” Brackney said. “This is just one step as we continue to investigate this case, but it is a very important step.” She added that the investigation remains active, with additional arrests and warrants still expected to be executed.
Fortune, originally from Marion, Kentucky, and a resident of Powderly, Mississippi, was a strong-minded woman known for her generosity and love for her children, according to her mother, Christy Spivey. Spivey last saw her daughter on July 26, when Tasia traveled to Kentucky for a family reunion. The family has described her as being “at peace” and “better than I had seen her in a long time.” The children — Davion, Terence Jr., Tristian and Donté — are now in the family’s care, and a GoFundMe has been set up to support them.
Spivey expressed gratitude to police after the arrest but said she was “in disbelief” and “shock.” She did not know Ratliff personally and was seeking information from her daughter’s friends. Police have not released details about the nature of the “association” between Fortune and Ratliff or any motive, as is standard until charges are filed.
Investigators interviewed nearly 15 people, collected forensic evidence and obtained the required warrants after the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s office ruled Fortune’s death a homicide Thursday evening, allowing police to move forward with warrants they had prepared in advance.
A separate 65-year-old man living on the same street was interviewed as a person of interest; he admitted to an argument with Fortune but had no involvement in her death. He was later arrested on an unrelated charge of felon in possession of a firearm and was not charged in connection with the case. Jackson Police has clarified that it never publicly named a person of interest in this matter.
A makeshift memorial — including flowers, balloons, teddy bears and a framed photo — appeared in the backyard of the vacant home where Fortune was found. Her body was discovered hanging in the property, and the circumstances have drawn public attention amid Mississippi’s documented history of lynchings, though police have not commented on race or any potential racial motive.
Fortune was the mother of four children and had previously struggled with addiction, according to family statements.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Jackson Police Department at (601) 960-1234 or Crime Stoppers at (601) 355-8477. The case remains under active investigation as of Saturday, September 12, 2026, with no further public updates on additional arrests or developments.
