Jackson County police have made an arrest in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman found dead last month. Fortune's body was found hanging from a tree behind an abandoned house off Road of Remembrance in Jackson on August 3, 2026. The Mississippi medical examiner ruled her death as a homicide on Thursday evening, allowing the Jackson Police Department (JPD) to execute the arrest warrants. Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney provided a major update on Friday, September 11, announcing the arrest of a 51-year-old man identified as Harques Ratliff aka "Jock." The murder of Tasia Fortune, a mother of four children, had drawn nationwide attention in recent days.

"This is not closure. This is just one step as we continue to investigate this case," said Brackney. However, the top police official did not detail the circumstances that led to the killing of Fortune, noting only that the suspect, 51-year-old Ratliff, was known to the victim. She stated that Jackson police officers made the arrest on Friday afternoon after spotting him walking along Capitol Street, a road in west Jackson adjacent to the 500 block of Road of Remembrance, where Fortune's body was found hanging from a tree.

Earlier in the week, Brackney informed the Jackson City Council that Fortune's autopsy was concluded four weeks ago, but the JPD had yet to receive it. The police chief made these comments after Fortune's mother wrote a letter requesting the autopsy results. Community leaders and civil rights activists had continuously pressured local law enforcement to ensure a transparent and swift investigation into the tragic incident.

The family of Tasia Fortune has expressed a cautious sense of relief following the arrest, while reiterating their demand for complete justice. Meanwhile, the Jackson Police Department has urged anyone with additional information regarding the case to come forward and assist authorities in building a strong legal case against the accused.