Third arrest in Tasia Fortune death; hanging was staged

A third person has been arrested in the death of 29-year-old Tasia Fortune, as Mississippi investigators say the hanging scene where her body was found had been staged.
Eric Clark, 45, surrendered to Jackson police on Friday and was charged with murder, the Jackson Police Department said. He is expected to appear in court on Monday.
Police disclosed that an autopsy investigation concluded “the scene and the hanging were staged.” Fortune, a mother of four, was found on August 3 hanging from a tree behind a vacant home on the 500 block of Road of Remembrance in western Jackson.
Investigators say Fortune was not killed where her body was found. Detective Samuel Dukes testified in court that she had been dead for two to three days before discovery, and that her body was placed in a hanging position at the tree.
Clark’s arrest follows those of Earnest Lloyd Jr. and Jarques Ratliff, who were also charged with murder. Police Chief RaShall Brackney said the robbery-homicide division will keep investigating until everyone believed involved is held accountable.
The case drew national attention because of Mississippi’s history of racist violence and lynchings.
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