Mississippi man pleads not guilty in Tasia Fortune's hanging death as judge denies bond
Jarques Ratliff, 51, pleaded not guilty on Sept. 14 in Jackson Municipal Court to a murder charge in the hanging death of Tasia Fortune, a case that has drawn national attention and renewed painful questions about race and justice in Mississippi.
A judge denied bond for Ratliff after finding he is a flight risk. Ratliff, who is also Black, was arrested Sept. 11 in connection with the death of Fortune, 29.
During the hearing, investigators pointed to an affidavit alleging that Ratliff used a black cable cord to hang Fortune from a tree. Fortune was found dead and hanging from a tree in the backyard of an abandoned house in Jackson, the state capital, on Aug. 3, authorities have said.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive. Ratliff's attorney, Toney Baldwin, said his client is innocent and that no evidence presented so far provides a complete picture of what happened.
“We ask the press and the public not to prejudge until we get the entirety of the evidence,” Baldwin told the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The case has become a flashpoint because the circumstances of Fortune's death evoked Mississippi's long history of lynchings and racial violence. Her death also came less than a year after two other highly publicized hanging deaths in the state, including Delta State University student De'Martravion “Trey” Reed and Cory Zukatis.
That context has shaped the public response and added pressure on authorities to explain their investigation. Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney addressed those concerns last week at a news conference.
“We understand the question and the desire for answers given Mississippi's history,” Brackney said. “We do not dismiss those concerns, we are taking them seriously.”
Fortune was found hanging from a tree in the backyard of a vacant house in a Jackson neighborhood, according to Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard. The discovery prompted calls for an investigation, including from prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
The Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office deemed Fortune's death a homicide on Sept. 10, and officers arrested Ratliff in connection with the death the following day, according to Brackney.
“With that determination, our investigators moved quickly,” Brackney said. “That arrest today is an important development in this investigation but it is not the conclusion.”
Police said Ratliff and Fortune had an association with each other, but they have not disclosed the nature of their relationship.
According to her obituary, Fortune was from Kentucky and had lived in Jackson for about a decade. She is survived by four young children, her parents and other family members.
“Tasia's path was not always easy, and there were highs and lows. She was intelligent and talented, having skipped her junior year of high school. She was also a star cross country athlete. But no matter what, she never lost her faith in God,” the obituary states.
Brackney said Ratliff was found walking Sept. 11 in Jackson and was arrested without incident. According to investigators, Ratliff attempted to hide inside a vehicle from authorities the day he was arrested.
Investigators have interviewed about 15 people, collected forensic evidence and followed various leads in the case, authorities said. Additional arrests are expected, according to Brackney.
During the Sept. 14 hearing, authorities revealed that Ratliff was previously charged with two counts of grand larceny and a possession of cocaine charge in an unrelated case. He also had around $3,000 in outstanding traffic fines.
Ratliff has had five judgments or liens placed against him, according to a public records search. A review of those records found no history of violent criminal offenses, the Mississippi Clarion Ledger reported.
The not-guilty plea means the case will move forward amid continued scrutiny, with Ratliff remaining jailed after the bond denial. Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Jackson Police Department or Crime Stoppers.
Contributing: Michael Loria, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi man pleads not guilty in hanging death of Tasia Fortune