YouTubers Tracked Vultures to Potentially Find Body of Alleged I-75 Shooter in Eastern Kentucky

A 12-day manhunt for the alleged I-75 shooter that covered more than 28,000 acres of land in Eastern Kentucky may have reached an end thanks to some amateur sleuths.

On Sept. 7 five people and nearly a dozen vehicles were shot at from the side of the road near exit 49 in Laurel County. Kentucky State Police immediately began a search for the primary suspect, Joseph Couch. Many nearby school districts were closed the entire following week while the shooter remained at large.

This afternoon Kentucky State Police issued a statement: “Kentucky State Police troopers have located a body in the vicinity of exit 49 in Laurel County and detectives are working to confirm the identity.”

That happened after a couple of sleuths took it upon themselves to end the manhunt.

Hatfield and McCoy Museum Adventures went live this afternoon on YouTube. A couple of bounty hunters who appear to work for the museum in Liberty have shared multiple videos tracking the alleged I-75 shooter throughout the manhunt.

This afternoon’s video showed a couple tracking vultures in a holler near the scene of the crime on Exit 49. Fred and Sheila McCoy followed the vultures for about 30 minutes and knew they were close when the wind blew up a “stout” smell.

“Here he is,” Fred yelled.

“You found him?” Sheila asked.

“He’s deteriorated!”

“Oh, mylanta.”

The two bounty hunters had already informed the Kentucky State Police of their potential find. Law enforcement officials are working to accurately identify the body.

The 30-minute live stream is available on YouTube, but it may not be there for long. An image of the decaying body was briefly shown in the final seconds of the footage. Obviously, viewer discretion is advised.

A $25,000 reward was issued in exchange for information leading to Couch’s arrest. Hopefully, these two are compensated for their efforts if the man’s identity is confirmed.

Thousands of acres were covered by hundreds of law enforcement officials and two people from the Hatfield and McCoy Museum were smart enough to follow the vultures to the scene of the crime. What a wild story, one that has not yet fully been told.

This is Fred and Shelia McCoy, the couple who say they found the body in the Daniel Boone National Forest.

They say they’ve been out searching for Joseph Couch for the past six days…and it all started as a “date night” idea.

Hear from them on @WKYT pic.twitter.com/kpQprTE3PJ

— Jeremy Tombs (@jeremy_tombs) September 18, 2024