An autopsy was conducted Tuesday by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office after the body of a Jackson woman was found hanging from a tree.
The Jackson Police Department confirmed that that autopsy was performed on the body of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman discovered dead on the night of Aug. 3. Results have not been returned yet.
“The Office of the Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy today in connection with the death of Tasia Fortune. At this time, the Jackson Police Department has not been provided with an official cause or manner of death,” the Jackson Police Department said in a statement.
Fortune’s body was found behind an abandoned house on Road of Remembrance. The Jackson Police Department is continuing to investigate, classifying the investigation as “death pending investigation” as detectives await the autopsy’s findings.
Fortune’s family speaks out
On Aug. 9, members of Fortune’s family spoke with ABC News and said they do not believe she took her own life. They said the last time they saw Fortune, who had lived in Mississippi for more than 10 years, was on July 26 when she had traveled to Kentucky for a family reunion.
“Tasia loved living life, like there’s no way, no way that she took her own life,” her mother, Christy Spivey, said.
Fortune was a mother of four. Her father, Antonio Fortune, said her children were her priority and that is one of the reasons he believes foul play may have been involved.
“She was a good mom,” Antonio Fortune said. “She had her ups and downs, but she loved her kids, she loved her family, and she knew her family loved her.”
Jackson police did arrest an alleged person of interest in Fortune’s case on an unrelated charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Detectives said in municipal court on Aug. 4 that Terrence Anderson was questioned and admitted to getting into an argument with Fortune but denied having anything to do with her death, according to WLBT.
ABC News reported that Anderson is also the father of one of Fortune’s children.
“No one’s blaming [Terrence] or anything like that,” Spivey said.
“We just want answers,” Fortune’s sister added.
While Mississippi has a history of racial violence, Spivey said she does not believe her daughter’s death was racially motivated.
“In my heart, I feel like it’s not racially motivated,” Spivey said. “People are talking about, you know, hate and more violence, and I don’t want my daughter’s name to be affiliated with that. I want it to be affiliated with coming together and love and joy because she was the light of the room.”
Police encouraging public to stray away from rumors
In the week plus since Fortune’s death, social media has run rampant with speculation and rumors on how Fortune may have died. Jackson police acknowledged that in Tuesday’s statement but encouraged the public to let the investigation play out before drawing conclusions.
“The Jackson Police Department is aware of the significant public attention surrounding Ms. Fortune’s death, as well as information and speculation circulating across social media,” the statement said. “We recognize the deeply sensitive nature of this case and the understandable concern within the community.
“We urge the public and media not to speculate or draw conclusions about the circumstances, cause, or manner of Ms. Fortune’s death before the Medical Examiner’s Office has completed its review and issued an official determination. Unverified information can cause additional pain for Ms. Fortune’s family, friends, and loved ones and can interfere with an accurate understanding of the facts.”
The department added that it is “committed to conducting a thorough and impartial investigation.”
Police continue to ask anyone with information relevant to the investigation to come forward. Tips can be submitted by calling the Jackson Police Department at (601) 960-1800 or Crime Stoppers at (601) 355-8477.
