Jackson Jambalaya

Chief Brackney: 29-year-old Taja Fortune was found in a hanging position behind a tree, on or from a tree behind a vacant home in the 500 block of Road of Remembrance here in Jackson. Investigators immediately began working to establish the circumstances surrounding her death. Since that day, our department has dedicated hundreds of hours to this case. Investigators have interviewed nearly 15 individuals, collected and preserved forensic evidence, and followed leads as we work to establish the facts.

Last night, the Medical Examiner's office officially classified Miss Fortune's death as a homicide. With that determination, our investigators moved quickly. We secured two search warrants and an arrest warrant for Jacques Ratliff, also known as Jacques. This afternoon, investigators led by Deputy Chief Banks, Lieutenant Bolden, Sergeant Ridley, and lead detectives Taylor and Dukes, with the support of our SWAT team and additional robbery homicide personnel, executed both search warrants. Mr. Ratliff was not at the location when officers arrived. However, as our staff and team were returning to JPD headquarters, they encountered Mr. Ratliff walking along Capitol Street. Officers took him into custody without any incident.

That arrest today is an important development in this investigation, but it is not the conclusion. This case remains active and additional arrests will be pending as our investigators continue to follow the evidence wherever it leads. We understand that this case has received media attention from across the globe and across this community. We understand the questions and the desire for answers given Mississippi's history. We understand that this case is being viewed through a broader lens, a global lens, and we do not dismiss those concerns; we are taking them seriously.

At the same time, we do have a responsibility to make sure that what we say publicly is supported by our evidence and facts. We cannot speculate about the nature or the manner in which Miss Fortune was killed beyond what has been officially determined by the Medical Examiner. We owe it to Miss Fortune, to her family, and the integrity of this investigation to let the evidence guide us. And there's still work to do. Our investigators will continue to examine the evidence, follow the leads, continue to conduct interviews, pursuing any additional information.

The warrants executed today and the arrest of Mr. Ratliff are significant steps, but there is still an ongoing investigation. I want to take a moment to thank the Coroner's office for its work throughout this process. I want to specifically recognize Jeremiah Howard who has answered every call I have made and has worked with us to get information we need. I also want to thank Commissioner Sean Tindell for his assistance when we needed answers and those answers were not coming fast enough. There is still work ahead of us, and our investigators will continue to do that work because Taja and her children deserve nothing less. And with that, we will take your questions.

Reporter: Does Fortune's family know about this?

Chief Brackney: The Fortune family was notified immediately. As we stated, and I stated yesterday, we have been in constant contact with the mother and the stepfathers as well as the biological father throughout this case. Yes, she was immediately notified that there was an arrest and that there will be a charge of homicide.

Reporter: How important is it when you guys bring closure to this family?

Chief Brackney: So this is not closure, this is just one step as we continue to investigate this case. But it is a very important step. As you can tell, the moment that the Medical Examiner gave us a determination, we were already having the search warrants and the arrest warrants in hand. None of which we could execute until we had a final determination.

Reporter: And also, what's the relationship, by the way, with the person that you guys have arrested compared to the victim?

Chief Brackney: There is an association, but at this point in time, we're not going to develop the extent of that association. We're not going to divulge that.

Reporter: Also, what happened to the person of interest, by the way, the 65-year-old Terrence Anderson?

Chief Brackney: So we have never named a person of interest. That is something that was put out through the media or through the community. But we have never named any person of interest in this case.

Reporter: And also, final thing about this, about Fortune. You know how high she was in that tree, by the way? Did it take like a ladder truck to get her down?

Chief Brackney: We are not going to divulge any of that type of evidence that might jeopardize this case. Remember this is an ongoing investigation in which we also expect to execute more arrest warrants in this case.

Reporter: Even how long, by the way, she was there before she was discovered?

Chief Brackney: So what we can tell you, and this is again, would be best answered by the Medical Examiner or Coroner's office. But we do know that there was a various state of decomposition of her body.

Reporter: Can you tell us exactly how Fortune passed?

Chief Brackney: This has been ruled a homicide by the Medical Examiner's office, and that is the cause that he is putting out or is the cause of death is homicide.

Reporter: Chief, there was a lot of speculation and horror, I guess, by the way this death took place. And you getting a lot of people across the country and in this state who were saying, hey... and they had a lot of off-site things in their minds that it might have been racial. But you all have figured out the fact that by tracking this down, you put boots back on the ground and said this did not happen the way people think it happened.

Chief Brackney: As you noted, I just said that she was found in the position of hanging, and so I am going to stay with that comment and that position or that statement. Any other questions? Thank you so much for your time and thank you for responding.