This week, the body of the suspected shooter, who is suspected of opening fire on a freeway earlier this month and injured five people, was discovered close to Kentucky’s Interstate 75.
The body discovered in Laurel County has been positively identified as Joseph Couch, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.
“We appreciate everyone involved in the search and are grateful no one else has been hurt,” Beshear stated. “We will continue to be there for those injured as well as the Laurel County community as they recover from this tragic situation.”
Couch’s identification was verified by DNA taken from his bone, according to his office, and by Kentucky’s chief medical examiner, Dr. William Ralston, and a state police crime lab.
Couch, 32, is accused of opening fire on September 7 on the expressway, injuring five individuals, all of whom made it out alive. A days-long hunt for him followed his escape.
Fred and Sheila McCoy, who usually spend their retirement days making YouTube movies about the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud, discovered his body this week. After looking for Couch for days in difficult terrain, they found the body.
Ralston stated on Thursday that Couch’s death was consistent with shooting himself in the head.
He continued by saying that both the body’s breakdown and the results of a soft tissue DNA test were unclear. It will take till the toxicology results are back before the official autopsy report is made public.
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“I appreciate the medical examiner’s office and our crime lab personnel for prioritizing this case so that the citizens of Laurel County can begin their journey to healing and recovery, and the commonwealth can rest easy,” Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett said.
“This manhunt was the biggest team effort I have seen in my almost 30-year law enforcement career.
“We will forever be grateful for the assistance and resources provided by our local, state and federal partners.”
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