The arrest of Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, came nearly two weeks after another suspect, Jarques Ratliff, 51, was arrested on a murder charge

NEED TO KNOW

• Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, was arrested on a murder charge this week in connection with the death of Mississippi mother Tasia Fortune
• The arrest came nearly two weeks after another suspect, Jarques Ratliff, 51, was arrested. Jackson police are also searching for a third suspect
• Fortune, 29, was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant home on Aug. 3

Police have arrested a second suspect and are seeking a third in connection with the death of Mississippi mother Tasia Fortune, whose body was found hanging from a tree in August.

Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 22, on a murder charge related to 29-year-old Fortune’s death, the Jackson Police Department said in a press release.

His arrest came nearly two weeks after police announced the arrest of 51-year-old Jarques Ratliff on a murder charge on Sept. 11. Police confirmed Ratliff had an “association” with Fortune but did not disclose further details about their connection.

Ratliff has pleaded not guilty, the Associated Press reports, and PEOPLE was unable to immediately reach an attorney for him. It’s unclear if Lloyd has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

Police said Tuesday they also obtained an arrest warrant for a third suspect, who was not identified. The warrant has been turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service to be served, according to police.

“Additional warrants are forthcoming as the investigation continues,” police said.

Fortune, a mother of four, was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant home in Jackson, Miss., on Aug. 3.

Authorities initially described the case as a death investigation and remained tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding Fortune’s death.

Her death subsequently sparked growing calls for answers in the local community, with some pointing to the state’s history of racial violence.

On Sept. 8, Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said the department was investigating the death as a homicide, pending autopsy results.

Days later, the medical examiner confirmed Fortune’s death was a homicide, and police announced Ratliff’s arrest.

Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, has been openly calling for answers since her daughter was found dead. In response to Ratliff’s arrest, she told ABC News the family is “in disbelief.”

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“We still don’t have a lot of answers,” Spivey said. She previously described her daughter to the news outlet as someone who was “full of laughs and love.”

Fortune, a former star cross-country runner, is survived by her parents and four children, Davion, 7, Terence Jr., 5, Tristian 4, and Donte’, 1, according to her obituary.

A GoFundMe created to help Fortune’s family cover funeral expenses has raised more than $180,000 as of Wednesday, Sept. 23.

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