Jackson Councilman Urges Federal Probe After 29-Year-Old Woman Found Hanged

A Jackson, Mississippi, councilman is asking the U.S. Attorney's Office to help investigate the death of a 29-year-old woman found hanging in the backyard of an apparently abandoned home.

The body was discovered on Monday, Aug. 3, in the 500 block of Road of Remembrance. Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard identified the victim as Tasia Fortune and said the remains will be sent to the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Federal Assistance Requested

Kenneth Stokes, who represents Jackson's Third Ward on the city council, has written to U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi asking for federal assistance. In his letter, Stokes described the incident as a murder and requested key information, including who is responsible, the motive, the confirmed identity and the victim's permanent address.

"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. We especially are in need of the following details: 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. We look forward to your response."

Community Concerns and Context

Stokes said those investigating the case should consider Mississippi's history of lynching and stressed that public officials must speak out. "Hanging is an activity, a crime, that should never be an issue of being accepted by the public," he said. "Hanging must never be an acceptable behavior."

The councilman emphasized the need for transparency and accountability as the community seeks answers.

Family Response

Family members have launched a GoFundMe to help cover funeral and burial expenses. The campaign, organized by Etta Avolio, identified as Fortune's aunt, describes Tasia Fortune as "a strong-minded, big-hearted, vibrant young woman whose life was taken at just twenty-nine years old," and says the family is grieving and preparing final farewells.

Local law enforcement has not released additional details pending the autopsy and further investigation. Federal officials have not yet publicly commented on any decision regarding involvement.