LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — Kentucky State Police believes the body found Wednesday afternoon near exit 49 in Laurel County, Kentucky, is that of 32-year-old Joseph Couch, the suspect of the Sept. 7 Interstate 75 mass shooting.
What You Need To Know
- Kentucky State Police say they believe they've found the body of 32-year-old Joseph Couch, the suspect of the Interstate 75 shooting
- The body is being sent to Frankfort for an autopsy to confirm the identity
- KSP Commissioner Col. Phillip Burnett Jr. said troopers found evidence on the body associated with Couch
- Law enforcement officers have been searching for Couch since Sept. 7
KSP Commissioner Col. Phillip Burnett Jr. said troopers found evidence on the body associated with Couch. The body is being sent to Frankfort for an autopsy to confirm the identity.
"We're very confident that this brings closure in the search for Joseph Couch," Burnett Jr. said.
Burnett Jr. said troopers and two people notified KSP Post 11 around 3:30 p.m. that a body was found in a brush behind exit 49 in Laurel County. Troopers noticed vultures in the area and a strong "decomposing fresh" odor, Burnett Jr. said, before they heard voices and met individuals looking for Couch, who identified themselves as Fred and Sheila McCoy.
Burnett Jr. thanked the McCoys for their help, along with the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, the FBI and other agencies assisting with the search.
"This was a collaborative effort to bring this to a successful conclusion," Burnett Jr. said. "But the main thing that's very good tonight is the people of Laurel County can rest easier, much easier, that this manhunt has now come to a conclusion."
Laurel County Sheriff John Root said the McCoys will receive $15,000 from Laurel County Crime Stoppers, in addition to $10,000 from a private donor. He added Couch's family has worked with authorities throughout the investigation and has done everything asked of them.
"I'm very proud — again, I can't say it enough — of the effort and the manpower that's been used," Root said.
Law enforcement officers have been searching for Couch since Sept. 7. He is the alleged gunman in a mass shooting on Interstate 75 and is accused of shooting 12 vehicles and wounding five people. He fired 20 to 30 rounds in the attack and is charged with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of assault.
The multi-day search has caused KSP troopers and other deputies to suffer twisted ankles, cuts and blisters. The search initially began off Forest Service Road, where police said they found Couch’s vehicle. Many law enforcement officers have spent days without seeing their family as they’ve been brought in from out of the area.
Many area school districts were closed for in-person learning the week of Sept. 9, with some students only returning to the classroom this week. During a recent news briefing, agencies said they’ve worked with administrators to develop a safe reopening plan, including enhanced security for buses, school campuses and sporting events.
On Tuesday, law enforcement announced it was turning its attention from searching the Daniel Boone National Forest for Couch, to adding more of a presence in the community. KSP said it did not consider the transition from the woods to the streets a “draw down” but a “reallocation.” Burnett Jr. said they’ve received more than 400 tips, the majority coming from outside of the forest, and had searched more than 28,000 acres. That’s less than 4% of the forest’s 708,000 acres.