Police investigate death of Tasia Fortune, found hanging from tree, as a homicide

Police Investigate Death of Tasia Fortune as Homicide

Healfromzero.com – Police investigate death of Tasia Fortune as a homicide while Jackson authorities await final findings from Mississippi’s medical examiner. Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman, was found hanging from a tree outside an abandoned home last month.

Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney told the Jackson City Council that detectives have treated the case as a homicide since the investigation began. The department had initially described the case as a death pending investigation.

“Jackson Police Department has been investigating this case from day one as a homicide, until we hear otherwise from the medical examiner’s office,” Brackney said.

Family Calls for More Information

Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, wrote a letter that was read at the council meeting. She said the family had received few meaningful updates from detectives as the investigation continued.

“I have no more answers from one day of this investigation,” Spivey wrote. “The detectives are like they are on a prerecorded message, just saying the same thing over and over. And now it’s gone to silence.”

In a Thursday post on the family’s GoFundMe page, Spivey said she contacted Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes because she believed police had been unresponsive and discourteous. She said the council meeting resulted in a public statement that the case was being handled as a homicide, which she said the family already understood privately.

Brackney said police had remained in regular contact with Spivey and her husband. She said investigators must wait for the medical examiner’s conclusions on the cause and manner of death before key questions can be resolved.

Medical Examiner’s Report Remains Pending

The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office conducted Fortune’s autopsy on August 11. At the time of the council meeting, Jackson police had not received a completed report or a final determination.

Alex Gibert, a spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, said autopsy reports are not considered overdue until more than 90 days have passed. The department oversees the state medical examiner’s office and said its average completion time is below that threshold.

Officials do not publicly discuss the status or conclusions of individual autopsies. Reports can take additional time as examiners review testing, observations and other evidence before reaching final findings.

As police investigate death of Tasia Fortune, detectives can continue gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses and examining potential criminal conduct while forensic findings are pending.

No Arrests Reported in the Case

No arrests have been announced in connection with Fortune’s death. Police said in August that their investigation had not led to an arrest tied to the case.

The father of one of Fortune’s children was arrested shortly after her body was found, but that arrest involved unrelated weapons charges. Jail records show that he remains in custody.

Spivey said Fortune’s children have had their futures secured as the family continues seeking justice. Their public comments have focused on obtaining answers and seeing the investigation reach a transparent conclusion.

Brackney urged residents not to treat incomplete information as established fact while the investigation remains open.

“There is a lot of misinformation out there about this case and other ones,” Brackney said.

Officials Stress a Complete Investigation

City Council President Vernon Hartley said the case should be pursued fully regardless of where the evidence leads. The circumstances have also drawn concern in Mississippi, where the history of racial terror and lynching makes deaths involving hangings especially painful for many residents.

“We need to pursue (Fortune’s) investigation to its final conclusion and whatever the results, we need to address those results,” Hartley said.

Stokes said residents in his ward were troubled by the limited public information. Police investigate death of Tasia Fortune amid continuing calls from relatives and city leaders for clear answers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tasia Fortune’s death being investigated as a homicide?

Yes. Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said the department has handled the case as a homicide investigation from the beginning, pending findings from the medical examiner.

Has the medical examiner issued a final ruling?

No. The autopsy was performed on August 11, but a final report and determination had not been received by Jackson police at the time of the council meeting.

Has anyone been arrested in connection with the death?

No arrest has been announced in connection with Fortune’s death. An arrest involving the father of one of her children concerned unrelated weapons charges.