WALTON COUNTY, Fla. — A 45-day manhunt for a Florida murder suspect with ties to Georgia ended Thursday when U.S. Marshals tracked her to a home in the Florida Panhandle and took her into custody without incident.
Isabelle Johnson was arrested Aug. 13 at a home just outside Cottondale in Jackson County, Florida. She was extradited to Walton County and booked into the Walton County Jail Friday morning.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said its Cyber Crime Unit tracked Johnson’s communications and developed information that led investigators to the home off Peanut Road. Members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force converged on the property around 2:30 p.m. and took her into custody without incident.
Johnson’s arrest ended an extensive search that included a $16,000 reward and warnings that she was actively evading law enforcement.
Investigators track Johnson to Cottondale
Authorities said Johnson moved frequently while on the run and had ties to Florida, Georgia and lower Alabama. She reportedly used multiple identities and aliases and may have altered her appearance.
Her Georgia connections drew attention in both Northeast and West Central Georgia. As Now Georgia previously reported, Johnson has family ties in Habersham County and had been arrested in Carroll County shortly before the homicide investigation began. She was also known to have ties to Newnan and Harris County near Columbus.
Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers and the Florida Sheriffs Association Criminal Apprehension Assistance Program jointly offered $11,000 for information leading to Johnson’s capture, while the U.S. Marshals Task Force offered another $5,000. But the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that investigators, not a tip, ultimately located Johnson.
“After an exhaustive 45 days, Johnson was located not from media coverage or tips, although we are very grateful for them, but through the hard work of our investigators,” Chief Deputy Dustin Cosson said. “To every agency that assisted us along the way, we are extremely thankful. Thank you is truly not enough to express our appreciation.”
Victim found in shallow grave
Johnson was wanted in connection with the death of 43-year-old Jason Coulthart, who was reported missing to the Niceville Police Department in late May.
On June 25, Niceville investigators received information from a person incarcerated in the Okaloosa County Jail about the location of Coulthart’s body. Authorities executed a search warrant later that night at a property on Sunset Lane in Freeport, where his remains were found in a shallow grave.
The discovery prompted what the Walton County Sheriff’s Office described as an “all-out manhunt” for Johnson.
Five people have been arrested for allegedly assisting Johnson following Coulthart’s death. The broader task force investigation resulted in more than two dozen arrests, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators are still working to determine how Johnson ended up at the Cottondale-area home. The sheriff’s office said additional charges are expected.
Don’t miss what everyone in town is talking about.
Join 4,000+ locals and choose our free newsletter covering news, events and the stories shaping our region.
