Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old mother of four, was found hanging from a tree in an abandoned house in Jackson in August. The case sparked widespread fear in the majority Black city due to the deep history of racial violence and lynching in the state.
On Friday, police stated that Fortune was dead before her body was hung from the tree. The Jackson Police Department stated that the coroner who performed the autopsy determined the death was violent and that the 'crime scene and hanging were staged'. The official cause of death has not been released, nor has the motive for the staged hanging.
Christy Spivey, Fortune's mother, told the BBC that she now had more questions than before. She said that the coroner's news that her daughter had not died by hanging initially brought her peace. 'When the police called, I started crying, thanked them and felt a little calmer than before,' Spivey said. Adding that she hoped the arrested were the right people. However, when the latest details of her daughter's death emerged, Spivey said she 'started to break down'.
Three people have been arrested in the case, all black. Spivey stated that the police did not specify how the suspects were connected to her daughter, nor why the death was staged in that way. She also stated that there was still no cause of death or date of death for the deceased.
Police on Friday stated that Fortune's death was linked to a drug dispute. The detective said that Fortune may have been killed due to accusations that she had stolen drugs. Spivey dismissed the accusations, but admitted that her daughter had a drug problem. 'Tasia had a drug problem and was trying to get better,' she said. At the time of her death, she was homeless, but usually stayed with others.
Fortune's four children, aged one to seven, are now living with family members and friends. Two of the children are in the process of being adopted. Her death has left the local community in distress, prompting lawmakers to demand federal investigations.
