Body found near I-75, identified as Joseph Couch

BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky (WBKO) – The body of Joesph Couch has been identified, bringing an end to the manhunt for the suspected mass murderer on I-75.

Today, Governor Andy Beshear announced that Kentucky's Chief Medical Examiner Dr. William Ralston and the Kentucky State Police Crime Lab have confirmed that the body found near the I-75 mass murder site is Couch.

According to the press release, he was clearly identified using DNA extracted from bones.

“We thank everyone involved in the search and are grateful that no one else was injured,” Governor Beshear said in a press release. “We will continue to be there for those injured and for the Laurel County community as it recovers from this tragic situation.”

Couch is the suspect accused of shooting five people on Interstate Highway 75 in Laurel County on September 7.

On September 18, police officers and two civilians found a body in thick bushes behind Exit 49 in Laurel County.

According to the press release, it was announced that the personal items and weapon found on the body matched the suspect, after which the Laurel County Corner transported the body to the medical examiner for official certification.

“Due to the extreme decomposition of the body, DNA testing on soft tissue was inconclusive, but today we were able to make a positive identification using bones from the suspect,” Dr. Ralston said in a press release. “I would like to thank the Medical Examiner's Office and the KSP Crime Lab for their cooperation and diligence in obtaining a positive identification so that the state can move on from this tragic situation.”

“I am grateful to the Medical Examiner's Office and our crime lab for making this case a priority so that the citizens of Laurel County can begin their path to healing and recovery and the state can have peace of mind,” KSP Commissioner Burnett said in a press release. “This manhunt was the greatest team effort I have seen in my nearly 30-year career in law enforcement. We will be forever grateful for the support and resources provided to us by our local, state and federal partners.”

In a press release issued yesterday, Dr. Ralston stated the cause of death was a wound consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

The official autopsy report cannot be released until the toxicology results are available.

The Laurel County Sheriff's Office will continue to lead the investigation into the shooting on I-75.

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