The body of a man whom authorities believe opened fire on a Kentucky interstate on Saturday, Sept. 7 has been found.
Nearly two weeks after five individuals were injured in the shooting that took place off of Interstate 75 in London, Ky., officials say they believe they have found the body of the suspected shooter, Joseph A. Couch, 32.
Kentucky State Police held a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 18, in which they announced that two civilians and two troopers “had found an unidentified body in a deep brush behind Exit 49 in Laurel County” earlier in the day.
“Troopers had been searching in the area all day and had noticed vultures in the air. They continued to try and locate the exact nature or the area that the vultures were circling in,” said Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr.
The commissioner said that the troopers began to “detect a strong odor of what appeared to be a decomposing flesh.”
While “moving through the thick terrain,” Burnett said the troopers heard the voices of the civilians, who identified themselves as Fred and Sheila McCoy, expressing they were also searching for Couch.
Burnett said that “almost immediately after that interaction,” the group “stumbled upon an unidentified body.”
“At this time we still have troopers and personnel out there processing the scene. There were articles associated with the body that, at this time, we feel is Joseph Couch,” continued Burnett. “[The] Laurel County coroner is there present, and then the body, identified body, at this time will be sent to Frankfort for positive identification tomorrow. But again, we do have those articles associated with the body that we do feel is Joseph Couch.”
While the incident remains an active investigation, Burnett Jr. added, “We’re very confident that this brings the closure in the search for Joseph Couch.”
“The main thing that is very good tonight is that the people of Laurel County can rest easy, much easier, knowing that this manhunt has now come to a conclusion,” he concluded.
Couch allegedly wounded five people before abandoning an AR-15 rifle, his silver SUV, and his cell phone along the side of the interstate in London, Ky., and fleeing the scene after the Sept. 7 incident.
In a statement, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said nine cars were shot into along both the north and southbound lanes.
Rebecca Puryear, who was hit in the chest and arm by a bullet, told The Lexington Herald-Leader she was driving home from dinner at Olive Garden with her husband and their 4-year-old son. “This man was out to kill, and he almost did,” she told the outlet.
Couch allegedly purchased the rifle and ammunition from a local business shortly before the shooting, according to WKYT. The outlet reports that Couch was in the Army Reserve for six years and was previously charged with making a terroristic threat in Knox County in February.
