The Kentucky state crime lab on Friday confirmed that a decomposing body found by YouTubers Fred and Sheila McCoy earlier this week was that of Joseph Couch, the suspect in the September 7 shooting on Interstate 75 that wounded five people.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced the identification of the body, Kentucky State Police said.
“We appreciate everyone involved in the search and are grateful no one else has been hurt,” said Beshear. “We will continue to be there for those injured as well as the Laurel County community as they recover from this tragic situation.”
Couch, a former Army Reservist, texted a woman shortly before opening fire from a cliff above the highway and said he planned to “kill a lot of people” and then himself, although police did not interview the woman for several hours after she reported the texts, as CrimeOnline reported. Investigators launched a massive manhunt for Couch, but it wasn’t until the McCoys followed the vultures in the air — and a strong smell of decomposition — on Wednesday that a body was located.
Earlier, the state’s chief medical examiner, William Ralston, said that the cause of death of the body was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Previously, state police said that items found with the body led them to believe they had found Couch.
“Due to extreme decomposition of the body, the soft tissue DNA test was inconclusive, but today we were able use bone from the suspect to get a positive identification,” said Ralston. “I want to recognize the medical examiner’s office and KSP crime lab for working together and being diligent in obtaining positive identification so the commonwealth can move forward from this tragic situation.”
A complete autopsy won’t be available until toxicology results are returned in several weeks.
