Police in Jackson say a second man is charged with murder in Tasia Fortune’s death, and they are not done making arrests yet.
Story Snapshot
- Jackson police arrested 25-year-old Earnest Lloyd Jr. on a murder charge.
- A judge denied Lloyd bond after he pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance.
- Police say the investigation is active and more arrests are likely.
- Fortune was found in a hanging position behind a vacant home on August 3.
Second Arrest Cements a Multi-Suspect Homicide Case
Jackson Police Department announced the arrest of 25-year-old Earnest Lloyd Jr. and charged him with murder in the death of 33-year-old Tasia Fortune. Detectives booked Lloyd on September 22, weeks after officers found Fortune behind a vacant house on Road of Remembrance on August 3.
Police have treated the case as a homicide since the start. The state medical examiner later classified the death as a homicide, which aligned with the police approach.
Lloyd made his first court appearance on September 23 and entered a not guilty plea. The judge denied him bond, keeping him in jail while the case moves forward. Police say the case remains active and that they plan more arrests.
Reporters also noted that a warrant has been obtained for a third suspect, adding weight to the idea that several people were involved. Officials have not described how the suspects knew Fortune or each other.
First Arrest Set the Path, But Police Expect More
The second arrest follows the September 11 arrest of 51-year-old Jarques Ratliff on a murder charge in the same case. That early move signaled that investigators believed more than one person took part. Police have since interviewed multiple people and sought additional leads.
The department has not detailed the exact evidence used for any arrest. That is normal at this stage, when prosecutors hold back discovery until court timelines require it.
Police Chief RaShall Brackney has said the team is building the case step by step. Her public remarks stressed that more arrests will likely follow and that the work is not finished.
That language often means detectives believe they can tie others to the crime through interviews, phones, or physical evidence. It also serves a clear purpose: encourage witnesses to come forward and warn potential suspects that police are closing in.
What We Know About the Scene and the Medical Ruling
Officers found Fortune in a hanging position behind a vacant or abandoned house on August 3, which drew intense public attention. Police have not said that hanging was the mechanism of death and have kept their words careful.
The state medical examiner classified the death as a homicide, which confirmed the police view and supported their push for arrests. That sequence—scene response, careful language, then a medical ruling—tracks standard homicide practice.
Mississippi police arrest a second man in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune, who was found hanging in a tree: https://t.co/bwcQRFzwJP pic.twitter.com/zPLd0gcNbz
— TheShadeRoom (@TheShadeRoom) September 24, 2026
Reporters at the scene described the property as vacant and along Road of Remembrance. That matters for timeline work, door-to-door checks, and camera pulls. Investigators often canvas nearby homes and businesses for footage, phone pings, or car movements.
Police have not shared those details. They rarely do before trial to protect witnesses and avoid tainting a jury pool. One caution applies to any reader: an arrest is a charge, not a conviction.
Two arrests and a third suspect warrant point to a group dynamic, not a lone act. A judge’s decision to deny bond suggests prosecutors argued flight risk, danger, or strong evidence. Courts do not take that step lightly.
The department’s message is direct: this is a homicide, the circle of suspects is wider than one person, and the case is moving. That stance aligns with basic law-and-order values. When a life is taken, police pursue every thread until the questions end in court.
Sources:
twitchy.com, people.com, wlbt.com, jackson.binnews.com, clarionledger.com
