By Michael Wetzel  

The body of a man found on the banks of the Tennessee River near Somerville July 22 morning had a gunshot wound, and the case is now considered the county’s 18th homicide of 2020, according to authorities. 

The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as David James McCluskey, 54, of Russellville. 

The preliminary report from the autopsy listed a gunshot wound as the cause of death. 

“The case is considered a homicide at this time,” Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn said in a text Thursday morning. “The victim had a single gunshot wound.” 

Authorities are not releasing information about where on the body the gunshot wound is located or the caliber of the weapon used. 

Morgan County Sheriff’s spokesman Mike Swafford said his department received a call early Wednesday morning about the discovery of the body. A resident walking a dog found the body on the river bank at Bluff City Landing in Somerville, Swafford said. 

Chunn said he pronounced McCluskey dead at 6:33 a.m. 

Swafford said investigators are needing the public’s assistance in McCluskey’s whereabouts and movements prior to the Wednesday discovery. The public is asked to contact investigators at 256-260-5603 or 256-260-5323 or send information to the department’s tiplink at bit.ly/2n3tluo.