Mississippi Woman Found Hanging: Authorities Probe Circumstances

Jackson, Miss.—The body of 29-year-old Tasia Fortune was found hanging in the backyard of an abandoned Jackson home, with police saying they are working to determine the circumstances and have not yet labeled the death suspicious. Fortune, a mother of four who had traveled to Kentucky for a family reunion, was mourned by her mother who says Fortune did not take her own life. An autopsy will determine the cause and manner of death. Fortune's death follows two other hangings in Mississippi within a year, drawing scrutiny of how authorities handle deaths in Black communities, with scant information about suspects or persons of interest. A memorial has grown at the site, and civil-rights voices have urged transparency as investigations continue.