Third Man Charged After Police Say Mother's Hanging Was Staged

By Jordan Reyes. Sep 29, 2026

A Third Arrest Deepens the Investigation

A third man has been charged with murder in the death of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old mother of four whose body was found behind a vacant home in Jackson, Mississippi. Investigators have testified that they believe the hanging scene was staged and that Fortune was killed elsewhere.

Eric Clark, 45, turned himself in on Sept. 25 and was charged with murder. He joined two other men, Earnest Lloyd Jr. and Jarques Ratliff, who had already been arrested and charged in Fortune’s death.

Clark appeared in court Monday, where his bond was set at $5 million, according to local reporting. The new arrest turns a case that initially drew attention because of how Fortune was found into a widening homicide investigation involving three accused men.

Investigators Say the Scene Did Not Reflect How She Died

Fortune was found Aug. 3 behind a vacant home on Road of Remembrance. The state medical examiner ruled her death a homicide. Her official cause of death has not been publicly disclosed in the reporting reviewed for this article.

During a preliminary hearing for Ratliff, a detective testified that investigators believe Fortune had been dead for two to three days before she was discovered and that the hanging had been staged. Authorities have said she may have been killed at another location.

Police have discussed a possible dispute involving illegal drugs as one investigative theory. That remains an allegation under investigation, not an established motive. Ratliff has pleaded not guilty, and the defense has challenged the evidence linking him to Fortune’s death.

Fortune’s Family Is Waiting for Answers

Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, told ABC News that her daughter’s death devastated the family. Fortune was the mother of four children, a fact that has remained central as the investigation has expanded.

Detectives have interviewed numerous people and collected forensic evidence. DNA testing and examination of items recovered during the investigation were still pending in the reporting surrounding the recent hearings.

Clark, Ratliff and Lloyd are accused, not convicted. Each is entitled to the presumption of innocence. Police say the investigation is continuing as they try to determine the full sequence of events and whether anyone else was involved. For Fortune’s family, the third arrest is another development in a case that began with a disturbing discovery and now depends on investigators establishing what happened before she was found.

References: ABC News | People