Body found in woods, believed to be I-75 shooter, died by suicide. Final ID to come

The cause of death for a body believed to be Joseph Couch, accused of shooting five people on Interstate 75 nearly two weeks ago, was a gunshot wound to the head, officials said late Thursday afternoon.

An autopsy was conducted by the state medical examiner. The 32-year-old Couch is accused of shooting five people Sept. 7.

“At this time, we are able to confirm that the autopsy revealed the cause of death to be a wound consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head,” Dr. William Ralston said.

The body was found near Exit 49 off the interstate, about nine miles north of London, near where Couch shot 12 vehicles. The crime scene was about 65 miles south of Lexington on one of the nation’s busiest highways.

Fred and Shelia McCoy were streaming live on YouTube when they discovered the body on Wednesday and alerted police.

Police said the items found on the body indicate it’s Couch, but an early soft-tissue DNA testing from the state medical examiner was “inconclusive.”

The next step is to conduct testing on DNA extracted from bone, according to Kentucky State Police. The testing will begin Friday, and results could take up to 48 hours. The medical examiner’s officer will release the results. .

The office also will be running a toxicology test, according to Ralston. Officials Thursday did not indicate how long the individual appeared to have been dead. However, the couple who found the body said the body looked very decomposed.

While on the run, Couch was charged with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault. There were no fatalities in the shooting.