KSP makes plea to suspected I-75 gunman as search enters second week: ‘Turn yourself in’

LONDON, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — As the search for the I-75 gunman entered its second week, Trooper Scottie Pennington pleaded for the suspect to turn himself in.

Officials said five people were injured and 12 vehicles were damaged after shots rang out on I-75 on Sept. 7. Since then, law enforcement has been combing through the Daniel Boone National Forest for the 32-year-old man believed to be responsible: Woodbine resident Joseph Couch.

“If he’s listening to us, man, you’ve destroyed our community,” Pennington said on Monday morning. “Mr. Couch, please turn yourself in. If you’ve got anything left in you as a man, turn yourself into the Kentucky State Police, sheriff’s office, or city, please turn yourself into somebody.”

Over 28,000 acres of land have been searched and cleared, and as the search expands, authorities said they have introduced K9s, cadaver dogs, thermal imaging, and more.

“They [the dogs] were on a track of something. Not saying it was Mr. Couch, but they were on a track of something for several days,” Pennington said.

Investigators said that Couch was entered into the NCIC database if he had left the area, but evidence has maintained the belief that he is still somewhere in the dense forest.

“We know we’re in the last place he was,” Pennington said. “We do have evidence that we found along trails in this forest that says this was the last place he was.”

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

• 3 injured in Knox County bus crash
• Louisville interim police chief will lead department in permanent role
• Adair County middle, high schools do away with backpacks after threat

It’s also believed that Couch had access to food and water at some point, but law enforcement believes his resources have run out by now. Pennington also said that Couch has not attempted to contact family members and emphasized that his family has been cooperative in the investigation.

“We’re not making it comfortable on him. I know he can see us from the air and maybe even hear us on the ground,” Pennington emphasized. “It’s hard on him too and I want it to be hard. I want him to suffer every step he makes.”

That’s under the assumption that Couch is still alive in the forest. An affidavit revealed that Couch planned to “kill a lot of people,” before killing himself.

“It might be something Mother Nature has to take care of,” Pennington said. “I don’t know that. God knows it and one of these days, hopefully, we can find Mr. Couch.”

Although the reward for information that leads to his arrest has climbed to $25,000, authorities emphasize that the public leave the search efforts to the professionals. Pennington said that law enforcement encountered a couple of “vigilantes” in the early days of the search, which ultimately set back search efforts.

“Don’t be the next victim of Mr. Couch by going in there and having heat exhaustion, taking your bloodhound in the woods,” he said. “This is a police mission at this time.”

But due to the high reward, Pennington said that investigators are confident that if someone knows something, they will eventually come forward.

KSP said anyone with information that could help find Couch is asked to call any of the following Kentucky law enforcement agencies:

• KSP Post 11 London : (606) 878-6622
• Crime Stoppers: (606) 682-1013
• County Communication: (606) 878-7000
• Laurel County Sheriff’s Office : (606) 864-6600

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News.