Detective Testifies Hanging of Tasia Fortune Was Staged; Three Men Charged with Murder A detective testified that Tasia Fortune's hanging in Jackson, Mississippi, was staged. Three men have been charged with murder in a case that has drawn attention to the state's lynching history. JACKSON, Mississippi — A Black mother of four whose body was found hanging from a tree in Jackson, Mississippi, was already dead before she was discovered, and her hanging was staged, a police detective testified Friday. Detective Samuel Dukes told Jackson Municipal Court that the hanging of Tasia Fortune, 29, was staged, according to the Associated Press. Fortune's body was found on August 3 outside an abandoned home on the 500 block of Road of Remembrance. The state medical examiner's office ruled her death a homicide on September 10. Dukes added that Fortune had been killed over a drug dispute and that she fought her assailants hard before her death. He cited the medical examiner's opinion in making the revelation.Three men have been charged with murder in the case. Jarques Ratliff, 51, was taken into custody by Jackson police one day after the body was found. Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, was arrested late Tuesday, and Eric Clark, 45, turned himself in on Friday. All three men, who are Black, have been charged with murder. Lloyd was denied bond on Wednesday morning after his first court appearance. Jackson police accused him of hanging Fortune with a black cable cord and said he had an altercation with her days or minutes before she died. Clark was charged with murder after surrendering to authorities.Ratliff appeared in court Friday for a preliminary hearing to determine whether his case would be taken up by a grand jury for a possible indictment. During the hearing, Ratliff said he was friends with Fortune. Investigators believe her body was at the Road of Remembrance site for two to three days. Her cause of death has not been publicly revealed, and police have offered few details.Law enforcement were pointed in Ratliff's direction by several witness statements. Ratliff, who is believed to have been around Fortune before her death, told law enforcement the two were friends. He appeared to have glassy eyes during questioning, a detective testified, but no drug test was conducted. Results are still pending for a DNA sample taken from Ratliff, and items believed to belong to him still need testing. Dukes said Ratliff made comments regarding Fortune's death that a person would only know if present, including an account of her ability to protect herself. The detective also testified that Ratliff and Fortune had been intimate with each other and had stayed at the same property. Dukes said law enforcement had a witness who could testify about Ratliff's involvement and that Fortune was killed for taking the alleged murderer's illegal drugs.Toney Baldwin, Ratliff's defense attorney, pushed back on the allegations linking his client to Fortune's death. Baldwin said the prosecution had not given Ratliff one reason to lock him up in jail with no bond and call him a flight risk. He told the court it was very important that the information be divulged. Dukes responded that he would not give his evidence and would hold comment about what Ratliff told police for the grand jury. The detective testified that Ratliff had been questioned twice before being jailed.After more than an hour in court, Judge Lilli Bass determined that Ratliff's case would resume on September 30. He will remain in jail without bond until then. Fortune's mother, Christy Spivey, said she knew her daughter had died before her body was discovered hanged last month. The family previously pushed back on the idea that Fortune took her own life. What bothered me was they said Tasia fought for her life, Spivey said. I know she did. I know my daughter. She said that Ratliff's claim about them being friends sounded sincere, as Fortune had a lot of friends. I hope if he is innocent that he can prove he's innocent, Spivey added. We don't want any innocent people going to jail.Fortune had recently struggled with homelessness and had discussed starting a cleaning business. The case has attracted attention because of Mississippi's extensive history with lynchings. The homicide ruling and the staged hanging testimony have raised questions about the circumstances of Fortune's death. The Daily Mail has reached out to the Hinds County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Baldwin and the Jackson Police Department for further comment.