FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Gov. Andy Beshear said the state police crime lab and Kentucky’s chief medical examiner had identified the body found near exit 49 on I-75 Wednesday who was suspected to be Joseph Couch.
Chief Medical Examiner Dr. William Ralston and crime lab personnel confirmed that the body was Joseph Couch “through DNA extracted from bone,” according to a news release from Beshear on Friday, concluding a manhunt that lasted nearly two weeks.
“We appreciate everyone involved in the search and are grateful no one else has been hurt,” said Beshear. “We will continue to be there for those injured as well as the Laurel County community as they recover from this tragic situation.”
On Wednesday, Kentucky State Police (KSP) said Couch’s personal belongings and a weapon found with the body were consistent with the description of him. The body was then taken to Frankfort to the medical examiner’s office for confirmation.
“Due to extreme decomposition of the body, the soft tissue DNA test was inconclusive, but today we were able use bone from the suspect to get a positive identification,” Ralston said.
Ralston said in a news release on Wednesday that the cause of Couch’s death was a “wound consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.”
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the Sept. 7 shooting that occurred on I-75.
