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Body believed to be Kentucky highway shooter found
A body found in rural southeastern Kentucky is believed to be the man suspected of shooting and wounding five people on an interstate highway, authorities said Wednesday night.
FRANKFORT, Ky. - Kentucky State Police said Wednesday they believe the body of a suspect who opened fire on an interstate highway earlier this month, wounding five people, has been found.
Col. Phillip "PJ" Burnett said that the body found Wednesday is believed to be Joseph A. Couch, 32, of Woodbine, Kentucky.
Burnett said articles of clothing found with the body have led them to conclude it was him.
Burnett said a couple, Fred and Sheila McCoy, were in the area also looking for the body and alerted state troopers.
Joseph Couch is pictured in a provided image by the authorities.
The body is being sent to the coroner's office for positive identification.
Earlier Wednesday, state police confirmed that a body had been found in the vicinity of exit 49 off Interstate 75 in Laurel County, and detectives were working to confirm the identity.
The update came as a couple near exit 49 stumbled upon what appeared to be a dead body in the woods while livestreaming for the YouTube account, "Hatfield McCoy Museum Adventures."
"He’s deteriorated!" a man can be heard upon making the discovery.
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Law enforcement officials have relentlessly scoured a rugged, hilly area of southeastern Kentucky since the shooting unfolded around 6 p.m. Sept. 7 near exit 49.
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Kentucky highway shooting update: Sept. 17, 2024
Officials are working to find the suspect that wounded five people on Interstate 75. Officials say 32-year-old Joseph Couch wrote in a text, "I'm going to kill a lot of people. Well try at least."
During their search, officers recovered an AR-15 rifle and a small silver-colored SUV registered to Couch.
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Wednesday’s discovery comes just one day after Gov. Andy Beshear, state police, and other officials said they would be shifting resources into the community in the ongoing search for Couch.
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