Authorities say a shooting led to an attempted river disposal, and a man is arrested after a body was discovered close to the Huntsville Bridge.

Around 9:30 a.m., the disturbing find was made on the shoulder of U.S. 231/431, a busy road that runs through the center of Madison County. According to preliminary investigations, Merrit was shot and died, said Madison County Coroner Tyler Berryhill.

A somber story started to emerge as investigators dissected the instance.

Daniel Ray Shelton, 55, was named the main suspect by the authorities. Evidence points to a conflict between the two that turned violent, according to HPD Lt. Johnson Jackson. An already unsettling scene was made much more terrifying by the fact that investigators think Shelton was trying to dispose of Merrit's body in the Tennessee River.

Later that day, officers from the nearby Cullman County Cullman Police Department found Shelton. Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit questioned him when he was taken into custody and taken to the Criminal Investigations Division of the Huntsville Police Department.

Shelton was officially charged with murder and mistreatment of a corpse after the interview, and he was then sent to the Madison County Jail.

Given the geographic overlap and close proximity to the bridge where the body was discovered, Huntsville's Major Crimes Unit worked closely with the Morgan County Sheriff's Office as part of this multi-agency investigation.Although authorities stressed that the investigation is still ongoing, they have not disclosed any other information regarding the nature of the dispute or Shelton and Merrit's relationship.