Police say they believe they have found the body of a suspected gunman who went on a freeway shooting spree that injured five people in Kentucky nearly two weeks ago.
The body was found during a manhunt in Laurel County, with accessories that led police to conclude it is that of suspect Joseph Couch, authorities said at a news conference Wednesday evening.
Officers have been searching for Mr. Couch since Sept. 7, when the 32-year-old allegedly opened fire on drivers on Interstate 75 before disappearing into the remote area.
Police say they are still working to formally identify the remains.
Officials said the body was found shortly after 15:30 local time (20:30 BST) when two state troopers and two civilians met while searching for the suspect.
Both civilians and officers were drawn to the area by the circling vultures.
It is unclear how long the body was in the wooded area and how the person died, officials said.
They plan to perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death, they said.
An unspecified weapon was also found at the site.
Members of the local community and authorities searched about 28,000 hectares (43 sq miles) of the remote and rugged area near where the incident occurred.
“People were in fear,” Laurel County Sheriff John Root said Wednesday.
“This is not normal here in Laurel County, so now that this has been discovered, hopefully our county can get back to what is normal.”
The area is located about nine miles (14 km) from the city of London in southeastern Kentucky.
The two civilians who helped find the suspected remains of Mr. Couch are live streaming couple Fred and Sheila McCoy.
The couple could receive a total of $25,000 (£18,900) in rewards for helping officials in their investigation.
Mr. Couch allegedly hit a dozen vehicles traveling in both directions along the highway during the shooting.
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 was planning 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’ll) try at least.”
Officials say Mr. Couch’s family was cooperative during the search.
Schools in the area were closed in the early days of the manhunt.