Authorities find body believed to be suspect in Kentucky highway shooting

This story was updated to add new information.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A body found in southeastern Kentucky on Wednesday is believed to be the man suspected of shooting and injuring five people on an interstate highway earlier this month, authorities said.

The unidentified body was found Wednesday afternoon in an area near Exit 49 of Interstate 75 in Laurel County, where Joseph Couch, 32, is suspected of opening fire at vehicles on Sept. 7, according to Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. It was discovered by two troopers and two civilians in a "deep brush" behind the exit, Burnett said at a news conference Wednesday night.

"There were articles associated with the body that at this time we feel is Joseph Couch," Burnett said. Police are currently investigating the scene and the body will be sent to the coroner in Frankfort, Kentucky, for identification on Thursday, according to Burnett.

The discovery comes after an almost 12-day manhunt, in which more than a dozen local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies scoured thousands of acres of rugged and densely wooded terrain in the Daniel Boone National Forest — where authorities believed Couch was hiding.

"We're very confident that this brings the closure in the search of Joseph Couch," Burnett said.

On Tuesday, officials announced that search efforts in the forest would be scaled back and resources would be reallocated toward surrounding communities. Since the shooting, police received more than 400 tips with a majority of the tips pointing to outside of the forest.

Kentucky couple, state troopers discover body near shooting scene

At about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Kentucky State Police were notified that two troopers and two civilians had discovered an unidentified body near the site of the shooting, according to Burnett.

Troopers had been searching in the area “all day” and observed vultures circling overhead, Burnett said.

“They continued to try and locate (the area) that the vultures were circling in,” Burnett said. “While they were in there, they began to detect a strong odor of what appeared to be of decomposing flesh.”

The troopers encountered a couple, identified as Fred and Sheila McCoy, who were also searching for Couch, according to Burnett. He added that the two troopers and the McCoys then “almost immediately” found the body.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that the McCoys, who are YouTube streamers, had live-streamed the moment they discovered the body. 

Kentucky State Police announced on social media at around 4:18 p.m. that authorities had found the body and were working to identify it. The announcement came about an hour after the McCoys posted on YouTube claiming that they found Couch’s body after a lengthy search, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Burnett confirmed Wednesday that the couple will receive a $25,000 reward for their efforts, including $15,000 from Laurel County Crime Stoppers and an additional $10,000 from a private donor.

What happened in the Kentucky highway shooting?

Laurel County sheriff's deputies were dispatched around 5:30 p.m. Sept. 7 following reports of a gunshot victim on I-75 near Exit 49 and U.S. Route 25, about eight miles north of London, a city about 75 miles south of Lexington. Officers discovered multiple vehicles parked on the side of the highway with broken windows and visible bullet holes when they arrived.

Twelve vehicles were found shot on both sides of the roadway and five individuals were injured — all of them survived, according to authorities.

The shooting caused an hours-long closure of the highway as authorities searched for the suspect. The Laurel County Sheriff's Department named Couch a person of interest that same night, later upgrading him to a suspect the next day as evidence against him mounted.

Authorities located Couch's vehicle on the night of the shooting and on Sept. 8, police found an AR-15 in the wooded area near Exit 49 of I-75, along with fully loaded magazines. Authorities said at the time that the weapon may have been used in the shooting.

An employee of a nearby gun shop confirmed to police that Couch had purchased an AR-15 and 1,000 rounds of ammunition from the store the morning of the shooting, according to an affidavit released by the Laurel County Sheriff's Office. The firearm discovered by police matched the description of the one Couch purchased that day.

Couch also told the mother of his child in a text message that he was planning to "kill a lot of people" less than an hour before the incident, according to the affidavit. He added that he planned to kill himself afterward.

Who is Joseph Couch?

Couch was a former member of the Army Reserves and resided south of Laurel County in Whitley County, Gilbert Acciardo, spokesperson for Laurel County Sheriff's Department, said.

Officials offered a $35,000 reward for information leading to Couch's arrest and the U.S. Marshals Service named Couch a fugitive.

Commonwealth's Attorney Jackie Steele, the felony prosecutor for Laurel County, charged Couch in the incident with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault.