Body discovered near site of Kentucky interstate shooting believed to be suspect

Kentucky State Police announced Wednesday night that the body discovered in the woods earlier in the day not far from where the I-75 shootings took place is believed to be suspect Joseph Couch.

"There were articles associated with the body that at this time we feel is Joseph Couch," an official said at an evening news conference.

The coroner's office will make a final determination, officials said.

Troopers and two citizens found the body together in the vicinity of exit 49 in Laurel County, according to the authorities.

Wednesday was the 12th day of a manhunt for the suspect, who was wanted in connection with an interstate shooting that wounded five people.

Couch was initially named as a person of interest after deputies found his SUV abandoned on a forest road near exit 49, officials said. An AR-15 rifle Couch purchased in the hours before the shooting and investigators believe was used in the incident was also found in the woods near Couch's vehicle along with a bag with Couch's name written on it, officials said.

A day after the shooting, Couch was upgraded to the primary suspect.

In addition to searching the national forest, a tip prompted investigators this week to search a home in Laurel County, but found no evidence of Couch having been there, officials said.

Before the interstate shooting, according to the arrest warrant, a Laurel County 911 dispatcher received a call from a woman who alleged Couch texted her before the interstate shooting and "advised he was going to kill a lot of people. Well, try at least." The text message was sent to the woman at 5:03 p.m. on Sept. 7, about a half-hour before the interstate shooting started, according to the arrest warrant.

"Couch sent another message to [the woman] that read, in part, 'I'll kill myself afterwards,'" according to the arrest warrant.

Tuesday's search for Couch focused on the thick woods of the Daniel Boone National Forest, according to the Kentucky State Police.

Both state and federal teams combed through at least 28,000 acres of the more than 700,000-acre national forest.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said additional state resources were being made available to help with the ongoing search efforts.

The manhunt prompted local schools to close for over a week. They reopened Tuesday under heavy police guard.

"We will not live our lives in fear," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said during a news conference Tuesday.

The school district said in a statement that the reopening plan "prioritizes the safety of our students and staff."