Kentucky highway shooting suspect believed to have been found dead
Police believe they have located the body of a man suspected of a highway shooting spree in Kentucky that injured five people nearly two weeks ago.
The body, discovered during a manhunt in Laurel County, was found alongside items that led authorities to identify it as that of suspect Joseph Couch, according to a press conference held on Wednesday evening.
Authorities have been on the lookout for the 32-year-old Couch since September 7, when he allegedly fired at drivers on Interstate 75 before fleeing into a remote area.
While police are still working to confirm the identity of the remains, officials reported that the body was found just after 3:30 p.m. local time (8:30 p.m. BST) when two state troopers and two civilians, who were independently searching for the suspect, crossed paths.
Both the civilians and the officials were drawn to the area by vultures that were circulating.
It is unclear how long the body was in the wooded area and how the person died, officials said.
They plan to perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death, they said.
An unspecified weapon was also found at the site.
Local community members and authorities had been searching some 28,000 acres (43 sq miles) of the remote and rugged area near where the incident happened.
“People have been in fear,” Laurel County Sheriff John Root said on Wednesday.
“That’s not the normal here in Laurel County, so now that this has been discovered, I hope that our county can get back to what’s normal.”
The area is about nine miles (14km) from the city of London in southeastern Kentucky.
The two civilians who helped find the suspected remains of Mr Couch are livestreaming couple Fred and Sheila McCoy.
The pair could receive a total of $25,000 (£18,900) in rewards for helping officials in their investigation.
Mr Couch allegedly struck a dozen vehicles travelling in both directions along the highway during the shooting spree.
While all five victims survived the attack, some suffered serious injuries, including one person who was shot in the face.
Text messages from Mr Couch sent shortly before the shooting indicated he planned to harm people, officials said last week.
“I’m going to kill a lot of people,” he texted, according to an arrest affidavit from the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office. “Well (I’m going to) try at least.”
Officials say Mr Couch’s family was cooperative throughout the search.
Schools in the area were closed in the early days of the manhunt.
