Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney Confirms Homicide Investigation into Death of Tasia Fortune
Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney confirmed that the department has investigated the death of Tasia Fortune as a potential homicide since the first day of the inquiry. Fortune, a 29-year-old mother of four, was discovered hanging from a tree behind a vacant home on Road of Remembrance in early August. While the physical examination of her body has been completed, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office has not yet released the final report, which will provide the official cause and manner of death. Local officials and residents have expressed concern over the lack of transparency regarding the case. Tasia Fortune's mother, Christy Spivey, has requested updates, while Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes has urged for federal intervention, citing the state's history of racial violence. During a Jackson City Council meeting, activist Celina Charles interrupted the proceedings to demand answers regarding the "lynching problem" in Mississippi. Meanwhile, the owner of the property where Fortune was found has reached an agreement with the city to improve the site's condition. The property was previously cited for sanitation concerns, but the owner avoided adjudication by agreeing to cut the grass and remove debris.
Sources
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Mother demands answers, weeks after black woman found hanging from Mississippi tree
BBC
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Police chief gives update on Road of Remembrance hanging investigation
WAPT
Paywall and unreadable sources
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Police chief calls Tasia Fortune’s death a homicide but says investigators are still awaiting autopsy report
Mississippi Today
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J. Pharoah Doss: We need to talk about Tasia Fortune
New Pittsburgh Courier
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Tasia Fortune memorial at Road of Remembrance home in Jackson
The Clarion-Ledger