SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. — A Florida murder suspect with ties to Georgia is in custody after weeks on the run.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday, Aug. 13, that Isabelle Johnson had been captured. Her arrest ends a multi-state search that included a $16,000 reward and assistance from the U.S. Marshals Task Force.
“We got her,” the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook. “Isabelle Johnson is in custody.”
A photo released with the announcement shows the 41-year-old Johnson in custody wearing a T-shirt bearing the words “Force to be reckoned with.”
The sheriff’s office said additional details would be released in conjunction with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Johnson had been wanted in connection with the July 8 fatal shooting of 49-year-old Jason Coulthart inside a home in Walton County, Florida. Authorities had previously described her as armed and dangerous.
Search stretched beyond Florida
Just two days before her capture, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office issued another public appeal for information, saying Johnson was actively evading law enforcement and had ties to Florida, Georgia, and lower Alabama.
Investigators said she frequently moved from place to place, used multiple identities and aliases, and may have cut and dyed her hair to change her appearance.
Her Georgia connections drew attention in the northeast and west central regions of the state. As Now Georgia previously reported, Johnson has family ties in Habersham County and had been arrested in Carroll County, Georgia, shortly before the murder. She was also known to have ties in Newnan and Harris County, near Columbus.
Authorities offered a reward for information leading to Johnson’s capture. Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers and the Florida Sheriffs Association Criminal Apprehension Assistance Program jointly offered $11,000, while the U.S. Marshals Task Force offered another $5,000.
Authorities have not yet said where Johnson was captured or what led investigators to her. It was not immediately clear whether a tip led to Johnson’s capture or whether any reward money would be paid.
Five people had also been arrested on charges of accessory after the fact to a capital felony as investigators worked to find Johnson.
Now Georgia will update this story as additional details become available.
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