A man reportedly interviewed in connection with the mysterious death of 29-year-old Tasia Fortune is behind bars—-but on an unrelated charge to the Mississippi woman found hanging from a tree. Police say, however, that he did admit to arguing with Fortune before her death.
According to WLBT, Terence Anderson appeared in Jackson Municipal Court on Tuesday and was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Jeffrey Reynolds set his bond at $250,000, and Anderson is being held at the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond, Mississippi.
This arrest is a new development in the investigation surrounding Fortune, who was found hanging from a tree in Jackson on Monday, Aug. 3.
WLBT states that detectives revealed in court that Anderson had been interviewed in connection with Fortune’s death.
During that interview, Anderson allegedly told police that he and Fortune had been involved in an argument. He denied having any involvement in her death.
Jackson Police could not confirm that he had officially been designated as a person of interest in the investigation.
Anderson also has not been charged with any crime related to Fortune’s death. His current firearm charge is unrelated to the death investigation.
WLBT reports that Fortune was found hanging from a tree in the 500 block of Road of Remembrance. Authorities have not announced a determination that Anderson played any role in how she died.
As questions continue to surround the circumstances of Fortune’s death, one Jackson official is pushing for federal authorities to help find answers.
Jackson Councilman Calls For U.S. Attorney’s Office To Investigate
In theGrio, Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes, who represents the city’s Third Ward, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger requesting federal assistance in investigating Fortune’s death.
Stokes explicitly characterized the death as a murder in his letter, though authorities had not publicly ruled Fortune’s death a homicide in the reporting cited.
“We are in dire need of the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the death of an unidentified female discovered hanging in the back yard of an abandoned house on the Road of Remembrance in Jackson, Mississippi,” Stokes wrote.
The councilman asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for assistance determining “by whom she was murdered, the motive for her murder, the confirmed name of the deceased, her permanent address, as well as other pertinent information.”
According to theGrio, Stokes also argued that Mississippi’s history of lynching must be considered when examining the circumstances surrounding Fortune’s death. (Despite a lack of a racial component.)
“Hanging is an activity, a crime, that should never be an issue of being accepted by the public,” Stokes said. “Hanging must never be an acceptable behavior.”
Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard identified Fortune and said her body would be transported to the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy to determine her cause of death.
NewsOne: Tasia Fortune’s Family Says ‘Justice Will Be Served’
Growing questions surrounding Fortune’s death after authorities publicly identified her are circulating.
According to NewsOne, citing the Mississippi Free Press, the Hinds County Coroner’s Office confirmed Thursday that the woman discovered hanging behind a vacant home was 29-year-old Tasia Fortune.
NewsOne reports that the Jackson Police Department said community members in the predominantly Black neighborhood discovered Fortune’s body and contacted authorities. At the time, it was unclear how long her body had been there.
Medical examiners were still working to determine Fortune’s cause of death and that the coroner’s office had not publicly indicated whether foul play was suspected.
The disturbing circumstances surrounding the discovery sparked widespread speculation online, particularly given Mississippi’s documented history of lynchings and other racist violence. NewsOne reports that some social media users went as far as declaring Fortune’s death a lynching, despite authorities not announcing evidence supporting that conclusion.
As the investigation continues, Fortune’s family is remembering the woman behind the headlines.
Fortune’s aunt, Etta Avolio, launched a GoFundMe to help bring her niece home and assist her immediate family with burial expenses.
“Tasia Fortune was a beloved daughter, sister, and friend whose passing has left her family devastated and heartbroken,” the fundraiser reads.
Her loved ones remembered the 29-year-old as a “strong-minded, big-hearted, vibrant young woman” and said her loss has “deeply shaken everyone who knew and loved her.”
The fundraiser also includes a pointed message as the family waits for answers.
“The family also wants others to know that justice will be served,” the page reads.
For now, Fortune’s official cause and manner of death remain critical unanswered questions as authorities continue investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
