A Mississippi man pleaded not guilty on Sept. 14 in the death of a Black woman whose body was found hanging from a tree, a case that drew national attention and renewed concerns because of the state's history of racial violence.
Jarques Ratliff, 51, appeared in Jackson Municipal Court, where a judge denied bond after determining he was a flight risk. Ratliff, who is also Black, was arrested on Sept. 11 on a murder charge in connection with the death of 29-year-old Tasia Fortune.
During the court hearing, investigators referenced 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
previously said.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive. Ratliff's attorney, Toney Baldwin, said his client is "innocent" and that no evidence has been shown at this time presenting a complete picture of what occurred.
"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 drawn widespread attention 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.
"We understand the question and the desire for answers given Mississippi’s history," Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said at a news conference last week. "We do not dismiss those concerns, we are taking them seriously."
Tasia Fortune found behind abandoned Jackson home
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 of her body was followed by calls for an investigation, including from prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
The Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office deemed Fortune’s death as a homicide on Sept. 10 and on Sept. 11, officers arrested Ratliff in connection with the death, 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 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.
Police: Additional arrests expected in case
Brackney said Ratliff was found walking Sept. 11 in Jackson and he 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 in the case, according to Brackney.
During the hearing on Sept. 14, 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.
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 USA TODAY: Mississippi man pleads not guilty in hanging death of Tasia Fortune
