Kentucky highway shooting suspect believed to have been found dead

Joseph A Couch, suspected in a highway shooting in Kentucky, is believed to have been found dead.

Police say they believe they have found the body of a suspected gunman who went on a highway shooting spree that wounded five people in Kentucky almost two weeks ago.

The body was discovered during the manhunt in Laurel County, along with accessories that have led police to conclude it is that of suspect Joseph Couch, authorities said.

An initial DNA test did not confirm the remains to be his, however.

Officials have been searching for him since 7 September, when the 32-year-old is alleged to have shot at drivers on Interstate 75 before disappearing into the remote area.

Officials said the body was found just after 15:30 local time (20:30 BST) when two state troopers and two civilians ran into each other while searching for the suspect.

Both the civilians and the officials were drawn to the area by vultures that were circulating.

It is unclear how long the body was in the wooded area, where an unspecified weapon was also found, officials said.

A post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

A soft tissue DNA test was “inconclusive due to extreme decomposition of the body,” said the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

Another DNA test using material extracted from bone will be carried out.

Local community members and authorities had been searching some 28,000 acres (43 sq miles) of the remote and rugged area near where the incident happened.

"People have been in fear," Laurel County Sheriff John Root said on Wednesday.

"That’s not the normal here in Laurel County, so now that this has been discovered, I hope that our county can get back to what’s normal."

The area is about nine miles (14km) from the city of London in southeastern Kentucky.

The two civilians who helped find the suspected remains of Mr Couch are livestreaming couple Fred and Sheila McCoy.

The pair are expected to receive a $25,000 (£18,900) reward for helping the investigation.

Mr Couch allegedly struck a dozen vehicles travelling in both directions along the highway during the shooting spree.

While all five victims survived the attack, some suffered serious injuries, including one person who was shot in the face.

Text messages from Mr Couch sent shortly before the shooting indicated he planned to harm people, officials said last week.

"I'm going to kill a lot of people," he texted, according to an arrest affidavit from the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office. "Well (I'm going to) try at least."

Officials say Mr Couch's family was co-operative throughout the search.

Schools in the area were closed in the early days of the manhunt.