Laurel County, KY — The body discovered Wednesday near a Kentucky highway, where a gunman opened fire on Sept. 7, has been identified as the suspected shooter, Joseph A. Couch, officials confirmed on Friday.
In a statement, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced that the identification was confirmed by the state’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. William Ralston, and the state police crime lab through DNA extracted from Couch’s bone remains. “We appreciate everyone involved in the search and are grateful no one else has been hurt,” Beshear stated. “We will continue to be there for those injured as well as the Laurel County community as they recover from this tragic situation.”
Dr. Ralston noted that initial medical tests could not confirm the identity due to significant decomposition of the body. “The soft tissue DNA test was inconclusive, but today we were able to use bone from the suspect to get a positive identification,” he explained. Ralston confirmed that Couch’s cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, with personal effects and a weapon located alongside the body.
Authorities had been searching for Couch, 32, since the shooting spree that left five individuals seriously injured near Interstate 75 in Kentucky. On Wednesday, two state police troopers and two civilians found the body during a separate search in the woods of Laurel County.
The Kentucky State Police emphasized confidence in the identification based on the presence of personal items and a weapon consistent with the suspect. However, it remains unclear how long Couch’s body had been in the location or its proximity to the crime scene, which is approximately eight miles north of London.
Couch faced multiple charges, including five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault, with no prior criminal convictions. A previous charge of making a terrorist threat was dismissed in March, according to Jackie Steele, the regional state prosecutor. The motive for Couch’s shooting remains undetermined, and authorities have indicated no evidence of him targeting specific individuals or acting with accomplices.
The couple who discovered the body, identified as Fred and Sheila McCoy, were livestreaming their search on YouTube when they came across Couch’s remains. Police credited vultures with aiding the search; they noticed the birds circling above, which led them to investigate further and discover the scent of decomposition.
Couch, an Army reservist, used an AR-15 rifle in the shooting, which he had purchased legally on the same day as the incident. He had amassed approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition, most of which has since been recovered. The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office reported that 12 vehicles were struck during the attack, with an estimated 20 to 30 rounds fired, many drivers unaware of the damage until hours later.
Just before the shooting, Couch sent alarming messages to a woman he shares a child with, stating, “I’m going to kill a lot of people. Well try at least,” followed by, “I’ll kill myself afterwards.” The woman promptly alerted local dispatchers about his threats.