Jackson Police Investigate Death of 29-Year-Old Black Woman Found Hanging in a Backyard as Mother Says Her Daughter Did Not Kill Herself
JACKSON, MS — Jackson police are investigating the death of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman whose body was found hanging from a tree on Aug. 3 in the Mississippi capital. Her mother, Christy Spivey, told ABC News on Sunday that the family is grieving deeply and does not believe Fortune died by suicide.
Police have described the case as an active death investigation. The Hinds County Coroner’s Office identified Fortune, and the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting an autopsy to determine her cause and manner of death.
Spivey said her daughter lived in Mississippi for more than a decade and was the mother of four. She said the last time she saw Fortune was on July 26, when Fortune traveled to Kentucky for a family reunion.
Mother says Fortune seemed calm and at peace before the trip to Kentucky
Spivey said Fortune appeared to be doing better than she had seen her in a long time when they last met. In her telling, her daughter seemed peaceful, and nothing about that visit suggested the family should expect such a tragic outcome.
Asked whether suicide could explain Fortune’s death, Spivey rejected that possibility. “She did not do this to herself,” she said, adding that she knows her daughter and believes someone else was responsible.
Spivey also remembered Fortune as someone who was generous despite having very little. She described her daughter as strong-minded, full of laughter and love, and deeply faithful.
Jackson police call the case an active death investigation
A Jackson Police Department spokesperson confirmed the investigation on Saturday night. The department said Fortune had been identified by the coroner’s office, but it did not immediately provide additional details about the circumstances surrounding her death.
Police did not say whether they had identified any persons of interest or interviewed anyone connected to the case. The department also did not answer questions about where the investigation stands or what evidence investigators have collected so far.
The lack of public detail leaves many basic questions unanswered while authorities continue to review what happened in the days after Fortune left for Kentucky and before her body was found in Jackson.
Autopsy pending as medical examiners work to determine cause and manner of death
The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office is handling the autopsy that will help determine how Fortune died. That examination is expected to clarify both the cause of death and the manner of death, two key findings in a case like this.
Until the autopsy is complete, officials have not said whether they believe the death was caused by another person, by self-harm, or by some other factor. The case has drawn intense attention because of the circumstances and because Fortune’s family is publicly disputing suicide as an explanation.
Authorities have not announced a timeline for releasing the autopsy findings. For now, the investigation remains open and active in Jackson.
City Council member asks federal prosecutor for help
Jackson City Council member Kenneth Stokes sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger asking for assistance in the case, according to a copy obtained by ABC News. In the letter, Stokes described the need for help in investigating the death of an unidentified female found hanging in the backyard of an abandoned house on the Road of Remembrance.
That letter was written before the woman was identified as Fortune. Kruger did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether his office is involved.
Stokes’ request reflects the wider concern the death has generated in Jackson, where community members and relatives are looking for answers while police continue their work.
Police are asking the public for tips while the family mourns
Jackson police are urging anyone with information about the case to contact Crime Stoppers at 601-355-TIPS. Investigators have not publicly shared what leads, if any, they are pursuing, so even small details from the public could matter.
For Spivey and other relatives, the investigation is unfolding alongside grief. She said the family has been devastated by Fortune’s death and is trying to make sense of how a mother of four could end up dead under such disturbing circumstances.
Anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide can call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org, where free and confidential help is available around the clock.
