Man denied bond after pleading not guilty in Mississippi murder case

Jarques Ratliff, 51, appeared in Jackson Municipal Court wearing a red jumpsuit and entered a not-guilty plea to a murder charge in the death of 29-year-old Tasia Fortune. His attorney, Toney Baldwin, argued that Ratliff was employed and not a flight risk, but Judge Taurean Buchanan ordered him held without bond. A law-enforcement official at the hearing described Ratliff as a danger to the community.

Police say Ratliff, who had an "association" with Fortune, was arrested after officers encountered him on the street while serving search warrants. Chief RaShall Brackney called the arrest an "important development" but said the investigation remains ongoing and additional arrests are expected.

Fortune, originally from Kentucky and a Jackson resident for a decade, was found hanging from a tree behind an abandoned home on Aug. 3. Her death was classified as a homicide, though a motive and cause of death have not been released. The case has drawn national attention due to Mississippi’s history of racially motivated violence.

Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, expressed disbelief and grief over the arrest. Baldwin cautioned against speculation, noting that a charge is merely an accusation. Two men identified as Ratliff’s relatives declined to comment.

Separately, Terence Anderson, the father of Fortune’s five-year-old son, was arrested on an unrelated weapons charge and was previously named a person of interest. His brother, Tony Anderson, said his sibling remains in custody on the weapons charge and does not believe he is still a person of interest.

Democratic lawmakers Yvette Clarke, Ayanna Pressley and others wrote to the Justice Department and FBI requesting a thorough investigation, citing concerns about a pattern of Black individuals found hanging across the United States.