The 29-Year-Old Black Woman Was Found Behind a Vacant Jackson Home as Authorities Await Autopsy Results, City Councilman Seeks Federal Assistance
Authorities have identified Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman whose body was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant home in Jackson, Mississippi, as questions continue over the circumstances surrounding her death.
The Hinds County Coroner’s Office identified Fortune on Thursday, three days after neighbors discovered her body behind a home in the 500 block of Road of Remembrance in west Jackson.
According to the Mississippi Free Press, Fortune’s aunt, Etta Avolio, confirmed the family’s fundraiser to help the family cover funeral and burial expenses and said loved ones are now preparing to lay the 29-year-old to rest.
Jackson police have not said whether they suspect foul play or explained how Fortune came to be at the property. Her body was sent to the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
Officers responded to the area around 9:05 p.m. Monday after neighbors reported finding the woman.
Police initially described her only as an unidentified Black woman. It remains unclear how long Fortune had been behind the vacant home before she was discovered.
Jackson Police Department spokesperson Tommie Brown said the department would not release an incident report while the investigation remains active.
Fortune’s sister, LaToni Fortune, said she last saw her sister in July when Tasia returned to Kentucky to visit family.
The family described Fortune as a “strong-minded, big-hearted, vibrant young woman” whose death has devastated those closest to her.
Councilman Seeks Federal Assistance
Jackson Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes has asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office to assist in the investigation.
Stokes sent a letter Wednesday seeking federal help in determining what happened to Fortune. However, authorities investigating the case have not publicly classified her death as a homicide or said foul play is suspected.
The circumstances have drawn particular attention because of Mississippi’s history of racial violence and lynchings, as well as another recent high-profile case involving a Black person found hanging from a tree.
In September 2025, Delta State University student Trey Reed was found hanging from a tree on campus. Authorities ruled Reed’s death a suicide, though his family continued seeking answers and obtained an independent autopsy.
Related: Nolan Wells Medical Examiner Also Handled Trey Reed Case, Drawing Scrutiny
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who previously represented Reed’s family, is also representing the family of Nolan Wells, the 18-year-old Mississippi college football player whose body was recovered near Horn Island in July after a Fourth of July outing with friends. An independent autopsy in Wells’ case left his cause and manner of death undetermined pending further investigation.
For now, Fortune’s cause and manner of death remain undetermined as her family waits for answers from investigators and the medical examiner.
