The mother of 29‑year‑old Tasia Fortune, whose body was found hanging from a street tree in Jackson, Mississippi, has said she is still waiting for answers more than a month after the tragedy.
After weeks of silence, Jackson police finally confirmed on Tuesday that the case was being treated as a potential homicide – a step that has been sought by Fortune’s mother and the community.
Fortune’s body was discovered on 3 August in a vacant lot. Residents across the majority‑black city of Jackson have woken to the reality that a state with a history of lynchings may still harbor modern‑day threats.
The police statement, given at a public city meeting, read: “We are conducting the investigation at the highest appropriate level while we await the medical examiner’s findings.” An official cause of death remains unconfirmed, and the medical examiner’s office declined to comment.
Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, who last saw her daughter alive on 26 July, reports that repeated attempts to learn the investigation’s status have been met with unanswered calls. “What is the hold up?” she asked.
The incident comes after a series of similar cases: three other individuals – a black male, a white male, and Fortune – have been found hanging between September 2025 and August 2026. While the other cases were ruled suicides, the family of one of the deceased insists rulings were wrong.
A petition with over 50,000 signatures has called for an independent probe into Mississippi’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Staci Turner, over the handling of racially significant cases. Some community members are demanding FBI attention.
Local law‑makers have voiced concerns. City Councilman Kenneth Stokes says he has not seen any officers on the scene and urges that “this one – a hanging in Mississippi – should rise to the top of the food chain.” He has urged federal prosecutors, but has received no response.
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett wrote a letter to the Justice Department calling the case one of “possible modern‑day lynchings,” noting Mississippi’s historical reputation for violent racism.
In the meantime, the community – including students at Jackson State University – remains on edge. NAACP leaders are calling for heightened safety measures as rumors of potential follow‑these‑hanging cases continue.
At her daughter’s funeral, Spivey contended with heartbreaking decisions about cremation versus burial, holding out hope for future investigative updates that could even require exhumation.
