Joseph Couch Evades Cops in Kentucky Forest: ‘Could Survive Very Long Time’

A survival expert told Newsweek that shooting suspect Joseph A. Couch could survive “a very long time” in the Kentucky woodlands as the manhunt enters its fourth day.
Schools remained closed as the community remains in terror while the massive search continues. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of Couch, who shot into at least a dozen vehicles about “30-feet down from the top of a cliff” near Interstate 75 in London, Kentucky, on Saturday.
Five people were injured in the shooting and an additional two were injured in a subsequent car accident. Officials from multiple agencies using K9s and drones are searching a heavily wooded area where they believe Couch is hiding.
Survival expert Creek Stewart spoke to Newsweek about the conditions Couch is facing in the wilderness.
“If I were to pick a spot and a time of year to evade authorities, it would be right now in the eastern woodlands of Kentucky,” Stewart said.
Randall Weddle, mayor of London, Kentucky, had a simple message for Couch in an interview with Newsweek.
“You can run, but you can’t hide,” Weddle said. “They’re eventually going to catch you.”
Stewart explained several factors that make conditions in this location optimal during this time of year.
“He doesn’t really need a shelter because it’s nice and warm, even at night,” Stewart said. “There’s plenty of water in the eastern woodlands. There’s plenty of food in the eastern woodlands this time of year. There’s a lot of nuts, nutritious nuts and seeds and acorns, even several fruits ripening.”
Stewart identified other sources of food Couch could be surviving off of.
“There are many roots and kinds of wild edible plants that can be eaten as vegetables that are available this time of year,” Stewart said. “Really easy, easy food items that require very little skills would be crayfish and small critters like frogs, bullfrogs and snakes. Those things are very easy to catch and plentiful in those areas.”
While there are factors that work in Couch’s favor, he still faces some significant risks, according to Stewart.
“If he has fire, he might be boiling water. But my gut tells me he’s just drinking water out of open water sources, which can lead to waterborne illness like giardia, cryptosporidium and things like that that could potentially make him sick,” Stewart said. “I would say from a survival perspective, that’s probably his greatest risk. If he’s not boiling water, he could potentially get sick within a few days and that can be fatal in the wilderness if you don’t have medical attention.”
He said another medical issue is sustaining an injury while in the wilderness.
“It makes everything more difficult and slower to begin with, but the real threat is infection,” Stewart said. “So, in that area, in these temperatures, without antibiotics and without a means to really clean wounds, if it’s an open wound or a fracture, then infection can set in within a matter of days and that can be absolutely fatal.”
Stewart also explained the difficulties officials are facing as they attempt to search a heavily wooded area.
“Kentucky, in particular, is notorious for dense, deciduous forests, very dense vegetation, but that is also combined with incredibly varied terrain,” Stewart said. “We’ve got foothills, we’ve got cliffs, we’ve got valleys, we’ve got a lot of rivers and streams.”
Stewart said it is likely that the suspect is remaining in one area.
“It’s going to be very difficult for him to travel, just as it is for them to travel and search,” Stewart said. “So my gut feeling is that he is holed up in an area that is close to water, because that’s his number one survival need right now.”
Weddle said he initially felt “shock” when he heard about the incident, then he started thinking about what he could do to help.
“What do I do next as the leader in the community, public official. Law enforcement has their role and their jobs, but this is now a community that has been shocked by this evil act,” Weddle said.
He said there has been “a lot of misinformation” on social media.
“I became the middle person, just trying to put out the right information and begin to try to calm the fears as much as possible,” Weddle said.
Weddle said he and other elected officials are working to provide resources and coordinate with the state.
“We have been in talks daily with the governor, Andy Beshear,” Weddle said.
Weddle explained the district’s decision to keep schools closed as the search continues.
“The schools have decided that that’s best for our children because of the travel to school, not necessarily them sitting in a school setting,” he said. “The concern will be them traveling.”
He expressed gratitude for support from surrounding communities.
“That has been the most amazing thing, just all the communities from Lexington to Louisville,” Weddle said. “Whether it’s do you need officers, Jackson County, Clay County, Whitley County Knox County, Rockcastle [County], they’ve all sent officers to us. They’ve sent other first responders. They’ve sent equipment to us, just whatever we need. It’s been a huge blessing to this community.”
Weddle has been in contact with the victims’ families.
“They just want the individual caught,” he said.
He wants the victims to know that they have the community’s support.
“We hate that this has happened, but we will continue as a community to keep them and their families in our thoughts and prayers,” Weddle said.
Couch is a Gray, Kentucky resident, which is around 25 minutes from London.
“It’s a much smaller community, but we would imagine, this being the largest town in this area, that he would travel up here quite a bit,” Weddle said.
London has a population of around 8,053, while Gray has a population of around 2,418.
Anyone with information should contact Kentucky State Police Post 11 London at 606-878-6622, Crime Stoppers at 606-682-1013, County Communication at 606-878-7000 or Laurel County Sheriff’s Office at 606-864-6600.
“Report it to police immediately,” Weddle said. “They are catching every tip, every lead that gets turned in to them.”
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