Police in Mississippi have identified the man arrested over the death of Tasia Fortune, a Black woman found hanged from a tree in Jackson, confirming he will be charged with murder and that there was an "association" between them.

Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney named the suspect on Friday as Jacques Ratliff. She confirmed that the medical examiner has formally ruled Ms Fortune's death a homicide, adding: "Additional arrests will be pending as our investigators continue to follow the evidence."

Ms Fortune's body was discovered in August on the grounds of an abandoned property, but local authorities only publicly confirmed earlier this week that they were treating her death as a possible homicide.

Chief Brackney told a news conference that detectives have already interviewed 15 people in connection with the inquiry. In her words: "That arrest today is an important development in this investigation, but it is not the conclusion. This case remains active." Police have declined to elaborate further on the nature of the association between Mr Ratliff and Ms Fortune.

The development comes after weeks of acute unease across Jackson, a majority-Black city in a state marked by a painful history of racial violence and lynching.

For Ms Fortune's family, the initial period following her death was fraught with frustration over what they described as official silence and inaction. Her mother, Christy Spivey, said she had tried reaching Jackson police several times over a two-week period, leaving multiple voicemails without getting a response.

A letter Ms Spivey wrote regarding the speed of the inquiry and the lack of communication was read out during a public city meeting on Tuesday — the very day police announced they were treating the death as a potential homicide.

Chief Brackney directly addressed those criticisms on Friday, telling reporters that investigators had kept in touch with the family throughout the inquiry. "We have been in constant contact with the mother and the stepfather, as well as the biological father, throughout this case," she said.

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Spivey said she broke down in tears when officers rang to confirm an arrest had finally been made. She explained: "I guess I do feel like a little sigh of relief...like a little bit of peace just come over me."

The case has also drawn scrutiny at federal level. This week, more than 50 members of the US Congress sent a joint letter to the FBI and the Department of Justice calling for an independent inquiry into suspicious deaths of Black Americans across the country.

The lawmakers stated they were "extremely alarmed by reports of black people found hanging from trees in numerous states", pointing to at least 10 reported hangings of Black people in the US so far this year, as well as more than 70 lynchings documented between 2000 and 2025.

While police have now named Mr Ratliff, they have yet to release the specific evidence that led to his arrest or the identities of any other individuals officers may seek to detain. Jackson police say they are continuing to follow leads, and I will be keeping a close eye on this investigation as further facts emerge.