Jackson police arrested a second suspect late Tuesday in the killing of a Black woman whose body was found hanging from a tree in August.
Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, was taken into custody in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune, 29, whose body was discovered behind an abandoned home in the Mississippi capital on Aug. 3, according to a police statement. Lloyd, who is Black, joins Jarques Ratliff, 51, behind bars in the case.
Ratliff was arrested in September on murder charges and pleaded not guilty. He remains jailed without bond. Police have not disclosed how the two arrested men knew each other or what role they believe each played in Fortune’s death.
Authorities also revealed they have issued an arrest warrant for a third suspect, though they withheld any details about that person’s identity or suspected involvement.
Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said after Ratliff’s arrest that he had an “association” with Fortune, but she did not elaborate on the nature of their relationship. Police have not suggested a possible motive and have not said whether they believe race was a factor.
The case has drawn national attention largely because of how Fortune was found. A Black woman discovered hanging from a tree in Mississippi evoked the state’s long history of lynchings, even as investigators have not labeled the killing a hate crime.
Fortune was a Kentucky native who had been living in Jackson for about a decade, relatives said. She was a mother of four children.
Her mother, Christy Spivey, previously shared that Fortune had experienced homelessness in recent years and that she was uncertain where her daughter was staying at the time of her death. Spivey said Fortune had spoken about starting a cleaning business and was working to turn her life around.
Spivey did not immediately respond to a text message Wednesday seeking comment on Lloyd’s arrest.
The original discovery of Fortune’s body on Aug. 3 prompted an intensive investigation that stretched across two months before Ratliff’s September arrest. The case has remained active since, with Tuesday’s announcement marking the first public progress in weeks.
Police have released few details about the circumstances of Fortune’s death or what evidence led them to the three suspects. The investigation continues as authorities work to locate the third individual named in the arrest warrant.