The body of the suspect who launched a highway shooting spree earlier this month, wounding five people, was found this week near Interstate 75 in Kentucky.
Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed that the body found in Laurel County has been positively identified as Joseph Couch.
“I want to thank everyone involved in the search and am pleased that no one else was injured,” Gov. Beshear said in a statement. “We will continue to support those injured and the Laurel County community as they recover from this tragic situation.”
His office said Kentucky's chief medical examiner, Dr. William Ralston, and the state police crime lab confirmed Couch's identity using DNA extracted from his bones.
Kentucky State Police believe a body discovered by a couple livestreaming is that of a man who opened fire on a motorist.
Sheila and Fred McCoy, from Kentucky, discovered Joseph Couch's body. (The Associated Press, Kentucky State Police via Sheila and Fred McCoy)
Couch, 32, allegedly opened fire on a highway on Sept. 7, wounding five people, all of whom survived. He fled the scene, sparking a days-long manhunt.
His body was discovered this week by Fred and Sheila McCoy, who, in retirement, usually make YouTube videos about the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud, found the body after spending days searching for the couch in rugged terrain.
Kentucky I-75 shooting suspect may still be alive after spending days in woods, marshals say
The body of Joseph Couch was discovered Wednesday during a search for a suspected gunman on a Kentucky highway. (Associated Press, FBI)
Ralston said Thursday that Couch's cause of death appears to be a suicide by gunshot wound to the head.
He added that DNA tests on the decomposition and soft tissue of the body were inconclusive, and a formal autopsy report will not be released until toxicology results are available.
Law enforcement searched for Couch for several days. (Laurel County Sheriff's Office)
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“I would like to thank the medical examiner's office and crime lab personnel for treating this case with the utmost priority so that Laurel County residents can begin the path to recovery and healing and our entire state can feel at ease,” said Kentucky State Police Chief Philip Barnett.
“This investigation has been the greatest team effort I have seen in my nearly 30 years in law enforcement.
“We are forever grateful for the assistance and resources provided by our local, state and federal partners.”
