What we know about the death of Tasia Fortune in Mississippi

The death of Tasia Fortune, found hanging outside an abandoned house in Jackson, Mississippi, has sent ripples of unease through her family and community.

Fortune, a 29-year-old Black woman and mother of four, was discovered by police on Aug. 3. Her body is currently with the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death. Police have stated they are actively investigating the circumstances but have not officially labeled the death as suspicious.

However, Fortune's mother, Christy Spivey, firmly believes her daughter did not die by suicide. "She did not do this to herself," Spivey told ABC News, emphasizing that Fortune, who had lived in Mississippi for over a decade, was not behaving unusually before her death. A memorial for Fortune, featuring pinwheels, flowers, and teddy bears, now marks the site where she was found.

Adding to the community's concern, Fortune's death follows two other hanging deaths in Mississippi within the past year: Trey Reed, a 21-year-old Black student in Cleveland, and Cory Zukatis, a white man in his 30s, in Vicksburg. While Cleveland police concluded Reed's death was a suicide, his family has pushed for a transparent investigation. Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes has also voiced his concerns, writing to Mississippi U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger and referring to Fortune as a murder victim, urging for assistance in the case.

Authorities have released minimal information regarding suspects or persons of interest in Fortune's death. Local media reported that a man interviewed by investigators, who had argued with Fortune, claimed no involvement in her death. This man was arrested on an unrelated charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

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She did not do this to herself.