A man is charged with murder in the hanging death of a Black woman in Mississippi.

He said he is not guilty on Monday.

This was his first time in court.

The body of Tasia Fortune was found on Aug. 3.

She was 29.

She was hanging from a tree behind an empty home in Jackson.

Police arrested Jarques Ratliff on Friday.

He is 51.

The state medical examiner said her death was a homicide.

Ratliff is also Black.

On Monday, there was a short hearing in Municipal Court.

A judge said no bond for Ratliff.

Ratliff told the court he is not guilty.

Ratliff's lawyer left the courthouse.

The lawyer did not talk to reporters.

Police Chief RaShall Brackney spoke on Friday.

She said Ratliff had an "association" with Fortune.

She did not say more.

She also said more arrests will come.

Prosecutors said few new things in court on Monday.

They said Fortune was hanged with a "black cable cord."

They said Ratliff tried to hide from police in a car on the day he was arrested.

Police and prosecutors have not said why they think this happened.

They have not said if they think race was a reason.

Many people are paying attention to this case.

The way Fortune died was like lynchings in the Southern state.

Fortune's mother is Christy Spivey.

She said her daughter had a Black father and a white mother.

But Fortune said she was Black.

Spivey said Fortune lived in Jackson for about 10 years.

She had four children.

She had trouble with having no home in recent years.