A body found in the Weyers Cave area on June 21 has been identified, and the discovery is connected to a missing-persons case reported by Staunton Police a day earlier.
A release from the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office confirms that the person found dead has been ID’d as Gregory Andrew Merritt, 24, of Staunton.
Merritt had been reported missing by Staunton Police on June 20.
According to the release, Staunton Police contacted the sheriff’s office on June 21 to assist in its search for Merritt, and gave as his last known location an address in the Weyers Cave area.
As a result of the extremely hot temperatures, the massive area to be searched and the thick vegetation, assistance was requested from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management for cadaver K-9’s.
At 7:46 PM, a K-9 team located a male body in the wood line area near the 700 block of Keezletown Road. The body was collected and transported to the medical examiner’s office.
There does not appear to be foul play involved in Merritt’s death, county sheriff Donald Smith said.
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Chris Graham
