Eric Clark, Earnest Lloyd Jr. and Jarques Ratliff have been charged with murder in Tasia Fortune’s death. Clark turned himself in Sept. 25 as the third suspect arrested; the medical examiner said the scene and hanging were staged.
Fortune, 29, was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant home in Jackson on Aug. 3. Police have not linked a particular suspect to the staging. Clark’s initial appearance is scheduled for Sept. 28.
At a Sept. 25 preliminary hearing for Ratliff, Det. Samuel Dukes testified that he believed Fortune had probably been dead for two to three days before she was found and that the killing may have stemmed from a drug dispute. Ratliff has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond; his attorney said he wants the truth about what happened to emerge.
