Police in Mississippi say Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old mother of four, was already dead when her body was placed hanging in a tree at an abandoned property in Jackson in August. The case caused widespread alarm because of Mississippi’s history of racial violence and lynchings, prompting public demands for answers and multiple arrests.

A detective told a court that investigators believe the killing was linked to a drug-related dispute, while the medical examiner ruled Fortune’s death a homicide and said the scene had been staged. Three Black men have been arrested, including one charged with murder; one suspect has pleaded not guilty. Authorities have not disclosed the precise cause of death or explained why they believe the hanging was staged, while Fortune’s family continues to seek justice.