Isabelle Johnson was arrested near Cottondale after investigators tracked communications that authorities said led them to her location.
WALTON COUNTY, FL — A Florida woman wanted in connection with the killing of a 43-year-old man was captured after a 45-day manhunt and returned to Walton County, authorities said.
Isabelle Johnson, 38, was apprehended Aug. 13 by a U.S. Marshals Task Force at a home just outside Cottondale in Jackson County, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. She was taken into custody without incident and extradited to Walton County, where she was booked into the county jail Friday morning. Johnson had been wanted on an open count of murder in the death of Jason Christopher Coulthart.
The arrest ended a search that expanded beyond Walton County and involved numerous law enforcement agencies. Investigators said information developed by the sheriff’s office Cyber Crime Unit proved critical to finding Johnson. The unit had been tracking communications that eventually led authorities to the home off Peanut Road, where task force members converged at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
The case began as a missing-person investigation. Coulthart was reported missing to Niceville police on May 24 after he was last seen leaving the College Condominiums on East College Boulevard. More than a month later, on June 25, investigators received information pointing them to a property off Sunset Lane in Freeport, an area within Walton County.
Authorities obtained a search warrant for the Freeport property and found human remains buried in a shallow grave that night. The District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office assisted in the investigation, and DNA testing later confirmed the remains belonged to Coulthart. He was 43. The discovery shifted the case from a missing-person investigation to a homicide investigation and prompted the search for Johnson.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said Johnson actively tried to avoid capture and was known to use several names and identities. Before her arrest, authorities said she had ties to Walton and Okaloosa counties, as well as parts of Georgia and lower Alabama. Investigators also believed she could have altered her hair and appearance while moving between locations. The search eventually included law enforcement activity across multiple states.
Authorities had offered as much as $16,000 for information leading to Johnson’s capture. The reward included money from Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers, the Florida Sheriffs Association Criminal Apprehension Assistance Program and the U.S. Marshals Task Force. The sheriff’s office said, however, that Johnson was ultimately located through investigative work rather than a public tip.
Chief Deputy Dustin Cosson said investigators worked for 45 days to find Johnson and credited the agencies that assisted in the search. The sheriff’s office said the broader task force operation resulted in more than two dozen arrests, though five people were arrested specifically in connection with allegations that they helped Johnson after the homicide.
Among those previously charged were Bobbi Wagstaff, Martin and Sandra Leaverton, Michael Ray White and Kathleen Morris. Authorities have alleged that some of them provided Johnson with shelter, transportation, supplies or other assistance as she avoided law enforcement. Those allegations remain subject to the court process, and the charges against those defendants do not establish guilt.
Sheriff’s officials said the investigation did not end with Johnson’s capture. Detectives are continuing to examine the circumstances that brought her to the Cottondale area and whether other people assisted her. The sheriff’s office said additional charges are expected as the investigation continues. Johnson remained listed in the Walton County Jail following her extradition.
Author note: Last updated August 15, 2026.