LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — Kentucky State Police (KSP) believe the man accused of shooting five people on I-75 earlier this month is dead after a body was discovered in Laurel County on Wednesday.
Although the body is being sent to Frankfort for identification, police believe it's 32-year-old Joseph Couch.
KSP Trooper Scottie Pennington said the unidentified body was found in a wooded area just off Exit 49 on I-75 about 3:30 p.m., near where the shooting happened. Authorities said a couple, Fred and Sheila McCoy, helped state troopers locate the unidentified body on Wednesday.
Both state troopers and the couple spotted vultures circling an area of the forest and began following them. As they grew closer, they smelled a strong odor of decomposing flesh.
Shortly after running into state troopers, the McCoys discovered the body in "rough terrain." KSP said a weapon and other items were found around the body, which lead them to believe it is Couch.
"This is still an active investigation," KSP Col. Phillip Burnett Jr. said at a news conference Wednesday night. "We're very confident that this brings the closure in the search of Joseph Couch."
The McCoys will receive a $25,000 reward for finding the body.
"I want to recognize the McCoys," Burnett Jr. said. "They've been very cooperative with our troopers and provided our troopers with relevant information."
Multiple law enforcement agencies spent days searching over 28,000 acres of Daniel Boone National Forest looking for Couch. On Tuesday, officials reallocated police resources outside of the forest and increased patrols in neighboring communities.
Investigators believe Couch purchased the AR-15 just hours before climbing on to a ledge and opening fire on several unsuspecting victims their the cars down the interstate.
His car and the rifle were found near the scene of the shooting, along with a duffel bag with his last name on it.
Less than 30 minutes before the shooting, the Laurel County Sheriff's Office received a tip about a text Couch sent saying he would "kill a lot of people."
Laurel County Sheriff John Root offered kind words for the victims, but also the Couch family.
"They have worked with us...everything we have asked, they have done," he said. "I hope and pray to god my children take the right paths. The family can not be blamed for the misfortune this man caused."
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said four of the victims were released from the hospital last week, with the fifth victim expected to survive as well.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as more information becomes available.
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