Hanging Death Hunt Intensifies

Police officers secure a residential street with patrol cars and yellow tape — Photo: Steve Sanchez Photos / Shutterstock

Jackson police announced a second arrest and a third suspect search in the hanging death of Tasia Fortune, showing an active hunt for everyone involved.

Story Snapshot

Police arrested a second man in Tasia Fortune’s killing and are seeking a third suspect.
Chief RaShall Brackney said the latest arrestee was charged with homicide/murder.
The first suspect, Jarques Ratliff, faces murder charges and remains jailed without bond.
U.S. Marshals are helping locate the third suspect under an active warrant.

Police Announce Second Arrest and Active Warrant

Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said on September 22 that officers took a second person into custody in the death of Tasia Fortune and charged that person with homicide. Reporters and local television identified the second arrestee as Earnest Lloyd Jr., and said he faces a murder charge. Outlets differ on his exact age, listing him as 21 or 25. Police also said a warrant for a third suspect is active and that the person is being sought now.

Police requested help from the United States Marshals Service to find the third suspect. Officials turned over the warrant for service and said they would release more details once the person is found. The department said the case remains active and that more arrests could come as detectives follow the evidence. Leaders framed the updates as proof the investigation is moving forward, step by step, under court-approved warrants and charges.

Timeline From Discovery to Charging Decisions

Officers found Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman, hanging behind a vacant house on August 3. After weeks of investigative work, police made their first arrest in September. Authorities said they charged Jarques Ratliff with murder in connection with Fortune’s death. Reports indicate Ratliff pleaded not guilty and remains in jail without bond while the case proceeds. The second arrest and third-suspect warrant were announced later in September as detectives expanded their leads.

Brackney said investigators secured search and arrest warrants as they developed probable cause. That approach is common when evidence arrives in stages and different witnesses or records surface at different times. Police did not release the third suspect’s name or details about that person’s role. The department said it held back some information to give marshals time to locate the suspect before making the identity public.

What We Know, What We Do Not, and Why It Matters

Reporters confirmed the second arrest, the pending hunt for a third suspect, and the status of the first defendant in jail. Some specifics are still unclear in public reporting. Outlets used both “homicide” and “murder,” which may reflect different ways to describe the same charge. The age listed for Earnest Lloyd Jr. is inconsistent across reports. Those gaps often exist before courts post affidavits, booking records, or formal charging documents online.

This case also fits a wider national pattern. When a death is public and sensitive, the first facts are often arrests and warrants, not the full affidavits or medical reports. That lag can frustrate families and the public across the political spectrum. People want clear facts, quick accountability, and open records. Experts have long urged better and faster public data in serious cases so communities can track what officials are doing and why, without guessing at the blanks.