Tasia Fortune, 29, was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant home in the 500 block of Road of Remembrance in west Jackson on Aug. 3, authorities said, and police are investigating her death.
Authorities told Mississippi Today they have identified a person of interest who is being held on an unrelated charge, but officials have not released an explanation of how Fortune died and said autopsy results have not been released.
Fortune’s family described her as a loving woman who struggled with homelessness and addiction. Her mother, Christy Spivey, told Mississippi Today she does not believe her daughter would have taken her own life and said she does not think race was a factor in the death.
The case has drawn national attention because of the manner in which Fortune, a Black woman, was found. Jackson State University history professor Robert Luckett told Mississippi Today that public reaction taps into the state’s history of racialized violence. He said that context helps explain why the case has provoked widespread concern.
Family members said Fortune ran away from foster care at 16 and lived much of the last 13 years in Jackson. Her sister, LaToni Fortune, told Mississippi Today the siblings had recently reunited in Kentucky. A makeshift memorial has been left at the vacant house, and a GoFundMe account has been established to cover burial costs and care for Fortune’s children, Mississippi Today reported.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
