Police in the US state of Mississippi have confirmed that 29-year-old Tasia Fortune was already dead before her body was "staged" and left hanging from a tree.

The disclosure was made in court by a detective on Friday, who told the hearing that investigators believe Fortune, a mother of four, was killed during a dispute related to drugs.

Fortune’s body was discovered in August on the grounds of an abandoned home in Jackson, Mississippi. In a majority-black city in a state with a deep history of racial violence and lynchings, the discovery led to weeks of intense public speculation and urgent demands for information from local residents.

Following an autopsy, the medical examiner formally ruled the death a homicide. A police news release confirmed that "the scene and the hanging were staged" and that Fortune had died before she was placed in the tree.

Speaking outside the Jackson Police Department on Friday, Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, spoke about her daughter's final moments. Dressed in a shirt reading "Justice for Tasia Fortune", she told reporters: "I know she did. I know my daughter," adding that she knew her daughter had fought for her life until the very end.

Fortune leaves behind four young children, aged seven, five, four, and one. Spivey also stressed to reporters that whilst she wants accountability for the killing, she does not want to see any innocent people sent to prison.

Three people have now been arrested in connection with the case, all of whom are Black. Jarques Ratliff, 51, has pleaded not guilty to charges and remains in custody without bond, whilst 25-year-old Earnest Lloyd Jr was arrested earlier this week.

A third suspect, 45-year-old Eric Clark, handed himself in to authorities on Friday. He has been charged with murder and is due to make an initial appearance in court on Monday.

Fortune's death has also drawn attention at a national level. It is one of several cases that prompted US lawmakers to call on the Justice Department and the FBI to investigate all hanging deaths of Black people across the country. In September, Democratic Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts led a letter signed by over 50 members of Congress citing at least 10 such incidents. A separate recent incident in Prince George’s County, near Washington DC, was ultimately ruled a suicide.

What we do not know yet is Fortune's exact cause of death. Officials have also not publicly shared the specific forensic details behind why they concluded the hanging was staged.

With court proceedings against the three suspects now progressing, the formal legal process is just getting under way. I'll be following this one — check back for updates.