Meth, morphine found in veteran’s remains

Chase Massner had been missing since 2014.

Chase Massner had been missing since 2014.

The body of an Iraq War veteran from Cobb County whose remains were found in August contained methamphetamine and morphine, according to autopsy results.

However, the presence of those drugs “does not indicate a definitive association with the death” of Chase Massner, the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s office said in the autopsy report.

According to the report, “whether the morphine and methamphetamine were taken at a lethal dose cannot be determined.”

Massner’s death was ruled undetermined.

The morphine in Massner’s remains is attributed to the fact that he “had a known history of heroin abuse,” according to the report. “Morphine is the primary metabolite of heroin.”

The report also found no evidence of lethal trauma, and the decomposed remains also prevented assessment for natural disease, soft tissue trauma and drug concentrations in the blood.

Missing since 2014, Massner’s remains were found Aug. 1 behind a house in the 500 block of Farmbrook Trail in Kennesaw, officials said. James Bradshaw Clement, who is charged in connection with Massner’s death, lived in that house at the time of Massner’s disappearance.

Clement disappeared in early August and was arrested about a week later in DeKalb County. He has been charged with concealing a death and is in the Cobb County jail.

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