Mississippi Police Make 2nd Arrest in Death of Black Woman Found Hanging From Tree, Seek 3rd Suspect
Sophie Bates, AP News, September 23, 2026
Police in Mississippi have arrested a second man in the death of a Black woman found hanging from a tree and have issued an arrest warrant for a third suspect.
Jackson police said late Tuesday that they arrested 25-year-old Earnest Lloyd Jr. in the death of 29-year-old Tasia Fortune, whose body was found hanging behind an abandoned home in the city on Aug. 3.
Like Fortune and the first man arrested, 51-year-old Jarques Ratliff, Lloyd is Black. {snip}
According to local TV station WLBT, investigators said witnesses directed them to Lloyd, who had allegedly had a physical altercation with Fortune days or minutes before she was killed. Police contend that Lloyd hanged Fortune with a black cable cord, and three co-defendants are also suspected of being involved in her death, the station reported.
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Police said in a statement that they issued an arrest warrant for a third suspect, but gave no details about that person’s identity or alleged link to Fortune’s death. {snip}
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