COLUMBIANA – A Jemsion man was recently arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse in connection to a local homicide case after he allegedly left a body on the side of a road outside of Columbiana city limits.

Anthony Scott Germany, 42, who lists an address on Chilton County 153, was arrested by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, Dec. 1 after he allegedly “knowingly treated a corpse in a way that outraged ordinary family sensibilities.”

According to court documents, Germany allegedly removed the body of 27-year-old Melissa Ann Cleckler of Clanton from a house and transported Cleckler’s body by vehicle to Egg and Butter Road, where the body was abandoned, between Oct. 18 and Oct. 21.

Cleckler’s body was discovered on Thursday, Nov. 2. An autopsy was performed on Friday, Nov. 3, which identified the body as Cleckler and identified the cause of her death, which was ruled a homicide.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and CrimeStoppers of Metro Alabama later announced that they were offering up to $10,000 combined for information that could lead to the arrest of a suspect.

Abuse of a corpse is a Class C felony, which could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years upon conviction. As of Monday, Nov. 4, Germany was being held at the Shelby County Jail on bonds totaling $250,000. Germany’s case was assigned to Shelby County District Court Judge Daniel A. Crowson Jr., and a preliminary hearing date has not been scheduled.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate this case. Anyone with additional information about the circumstances surrounding Cleckler’s death is encouraged to contact the SCSO by calling its main line at 669-4181, Secret Witness Line at 669-9116 or Investigator Jessie Woodard’s direct line at 670-6283. Anonymous tips can also be left on Shelbyso.com.