Body found in Clarkesville ruled 'suspicious death'

   A severely decomposed body was found Thursday afternoon in Clarkesville near the Georgia 197 bridge, the area being searched recently by authorities and family members looking for missing local man Shane Justice.
   There is no way to identify the body, Lt. Matthew Wurtz of the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office said, until the crime lab can make a report. It could take weeks, Wurtz said, to make a positive identification.
   Officers had been through the area with cadaver dogs in the last 10 days and found nothing. Family and friends of Justice have been combing the area as well and had planned to do an extensive search on Saturday afternoon.
   Justice has been missing since Aug. 3, and his personal possessions and identification were found in a backpack last week.
   Wurtz said it was definitely classified as a “suspicious death.”
   Look for more details in the midweek edition of The Northeast Georgian on Sept. 16.