Arrest made over the death of black woman found hanged from tree in Mississippi

Warning: This story contains distressing details Police in the US state of Mississippi have arrested a man in connection with the death of a black woman found hanged from a tree, and say they could soon take more people into custody. Tasia Fortune's body was found in the lot of an abandoned home in Jackson in August, but police only announced they were treating her death as a possible homicide earlier this week. "That arrest today is an important development in this investigation, but it is not the conclusion," Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said on Friday. "This case remains active." Fortune's death has worried locals in Jackson, a majority-black city in a state with a history of racial violence and lynching. During Friday's news conference, Brackney said the medical examiner had confirmed Fortune's cause of death was homicide and said there would be a murder charge. The arrest of a suspect followed weeks of what Spivey and residents in Jackson described as relative silence and inaction from local officials.

Missing media or need the complete publisher report? Open bbc.com ↗