Kentucky highway shooter found dead after 11-day manhunt

A couple live-streaming on YouTube has found the body of a gunman who opened fire along Interstate 75 in Kentucky earlier this month, bringing an 11-day manhunt to an end, local officials say.

Fred and Shelia McCoy were live streaming on their YouTube channel, “Hatfield McCoy Museum Adventures,” when they came across the body at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. It was found in deep brush behind Exit 49, close to the scene of the September 7 shooting.

The couple was drawn to the spot after seeing vultures circling the area and noticing a heavy odor consistent with a decomposing body. Troopers had noticed this as well and were searching the same area throughout the day.

The body was badly decomposed and could not be immediately identified, but officials said a weapon and personal belongings at the site were consistent with the suspect. The remains were taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Frankfort for formal identification.

“We are very confident that tonight brings closure to the search for Joseph Couch,” Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. said at a briefing. “The people of Laurel County can rest much easier now that this manhunt has been concluded.”

Officials said Fred and Shelia McCoy will receive a $25,000 reward for finding Couch’s body.

The incident happened at around 5:30 p.m. on September 7 when Couch, a 32-year-old man, opened fire from an elevated position near Exit 49 on Interstate 75, about 8 miles (13 kilometers) north of London.

Couch, who was armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, hit at least 17 vehicles and injured 5 people, some of them seriously. Three others suffered injuries in car crashes caused by the shooting. No one was killed.

Court documents later revealed that Couch had texted his ex-wife just minutes before the shooting, saying: “I’m going to kill a lot of people. Well, try at least. I’ll kill myself afterwards.”