Sept 18 (Askume) – Police said on Wednesday they had found the body of a suspected fugitive who was shot and killed while riding in a car on a Kentucky highway on Sept. 7.
Authorities say Joseph Couch, a 32-year-old former U.S. Army reservist, opened fire on unsuspecting motorists with an AR-style semiautomatic rifle that he legally purchased the morning of the shooting, and comes with 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
Investigators have not publicly speculated about the shooter’s motive. Text messages sent by Couch to his ex-wife revealed he was planning to kill himself after targeting a stranger.
Kentucky Police Chief Philip Burnett told reporters that Kentucky State Police were searching for a couple sitting on a couch when they “found an unidentified body” in the woods.
“We believe this will end the search for Joseph Couch,” Burnett said, adding that personal items found at the scene pointed to Couch, and unidentified weapons were found nearby.
Burnett said the body would be sent to the state capital, Frankfort, for identification.
According to the Lexington Herald, before the shooting, police received a call from Couch’s ex-wife, who said he had texted her saying, “I’m going to kill a lot of people … at least try.”
The woman later showed police a message that said, “I’m going to kill myself after this,” the affidavit said.
Burnett said a $25,000 reward will be offered to Fred and Sheila McCoy for help in finding the body.
They were also fascinated by the large number of bald eagles flying overhead, the Herald-Leader reported, citing a video shot by the couple that was paused by a man behind the screen saying, “Hey, no picture, this is a crime scene.
Two days after the shootings, officials reported that multiple state, federal, and local law enforcement agencies were searching the Daniel Boone National Forest using helicopters, drones, police dogs, and special response teams.
The shooting happened on Interstate 75 in southeastern Kentucky, about 8 miles (13 kilometers) from central London.
Five people were injured and at least 12 vehicles were damaged, officials said.
Police arrested AR that night. The rifle, Couch’s car and a cellphone with the batteries removed were found near the shooting scene at Exit 49, authorities said.
