A Mississippi police detective testified Friday that Tasia Fortune fought hard before she was killed in an apparent drug dispute and that her body was then hung from a tree in a staged scene. Hours later, police announced a third murder charge in her death.
Detective Samuel Dukes cited the medical examiner’s opinion in describing the hanging as staged. Authorities have ruled Fortune’s death a homicide but have not disclosed its exact cause.
Police said Eric Clark, 45, was arrested on Friday and was charged with murder. He is expected to appear in Jackson Municipal Court on Monday. Jarques Ratliff, 51, and Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, were charged earlier in Fortune’s death.
Dukes testified during a preliminary hearing for Ratliff that Fortune had been dead for two to three days when her body was found Aug. 3 behind a vacant home in west Jackson. He said investigators had a witness who could testify about Ratliff’s alleged involvement and believed Fortune was killed over an allegation that she took drugs belonging to him, according to WLBT’s courtroom report.
“What really got me was when he said Tasia put up a big fight,” Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, told reporters after the testimony. “I know my daughter, so she fought for her life.”
Ratliff pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing. His attorney, Toney Baldwin, pressed Dukes for evidence Friday, while the detective declined to disclose some details during the ongoing investigation.
During Friday’s hearing, Ratliff blurted out in court that he and Fortune were friends.
“It sounded sincere. Tasia had a lot of friends,” Spivey said later. “I hope if he is innocent that he can prove he’s innocent. We don’t want any innocent people going to jail.”
Judge Lilli Bass recessed the hearing until Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. Ratliff remains jailed without bond. Lloyd has also denied bond, and Clark was arrested on Friday.
“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,” it stated. “But no matter what, she never lost her faith in God. She leaves behind a powerful legacy of resilience, rooted deeply in her unwavering faith.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
