YouTubers find dead body of suspected gunman after 11-day manhunt

A decomposed body found in the woods by YouTubers is believed to be the remains of gunman Joseph Couch. After they found the body, the streamers received a $25K reward.

On Saturday, September 7, Joseph Couch opened fire from a cliff’s ledge on Interstate 75 in Laurel County, Kentucky. Intending to “kill a lot of people,” Couch managed to wound five victims.

He then fled the scene and took refuge deep within the woods. Though authorities wanted to find Couch alive, a local couple found what is presumed to be the gunman, dead.

“Guys, if you could smell this right now – OMG. Oh lord, this is nasty. Oh my goodness, this is gross,” Sheila McCoy said during an IRL YouTube stream of her and her husband coming across the decomposed body.

Moments after Sheila’s nose was met with the foul smell, Fred shouted, “Got ‘em! Here he is!” The McCoys were streaming for 30 minutes but abruptly ended their livestream when the dead body was found swarmed by vultures.

Though authorities searched for 11 days, the YouTube couple would be the ones to end the manhunt on Wednesday, September 18. 

“You have to understand, this guy has been stressing this community out,” Fred told CNN. “Anyone who can sit up on top of a hill and take pop shots at cars is dangerous.”

While authorities have not confirmed that the dead body is Couch’s, they are convinced it is after finding his belongings alongside the body.

“We’re very confident that this brings the closure in the search for Joseph Couch,” Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. said. “The people of Laurel County can rest … much easier knowing that this manhunt has now come to a conclusion.”

On the day he took fire, Couch purchased $3,000 worth of weaponry, including an AR-15 with a sight and 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

According to his arrest warrant, he also texted a contact about what he was about to do. “I’m going to kill a lot of people, we’ll try at least,” adding, “I’ll kill myself afterwards.”

Though officials are still waiting to hear if the decomposed body was in fact Couch’s, the McCoys will be given a $25K reward for finding his alleged remains. That includes $15K from Laurel County Crime Stoppers and $10K from a private donor.

On July 30, a similar occurrence happened when a YouTuber stumbled across a dead body while filming at an abandoned house. The corpse was discovered in a vehicle parked outside the home and was retrieved by authorities.