Murder Suspect Isabelle Johnson Captured After Nearly Two-Month Manhunt
Isabelle Rose Johnson, the 38-year-old fugitive wanted for the murder of Jason Christopher Coulthart, has been taken into custody after nearly two months on the run. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest Thursday afternoon, saying Johnson was captured in Jackson County, Florida.
Johnson was arrested while wearing a shirt that read “Force to be Reckoned With,” according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. The arrest was conducted jointly with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, though officials have not yet released further details about the circumstances of her capture. WCSO indicated more information would be forthcoming.
Johnson had been the subject of an intensifying manhunt that spanned Florida, Georgia, and Alabama since June 25, when investigators discovered Coulthart’s remains buried in a shallow grave on a property off Sunset Lane in Freeport. Coulthart, 43, was reported missing to the Niceville Police Department on May 24 after he was last seen leaving the College Condominiums on East College Boulevard. Niceville police developed information pointing to the Freeport property and turned the case over to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, which has jurisdiction over the area.
Over the course of the investigation, five people were arrested for helping Johnson evade capture. Bobbi Wagstaff, 31, was charged with accessory to capital murder after the fact and possession of methamphetamine. Martin and Sandra Leaverton, both 63, were charged with accessory after the fact to capital murder for retrieving Johnson’s belongings, providing her a cellphone, and attempting to help her find refuge outside Florida. Michael Ray White, 74, and Kathleen Morris, 59, were charged with accessory to a capital felony after the fact and obstruction for providing Johnson with shelter, transportation, and supplies while misleading deputies about her whereabouts.
Johnson proved exceptionally difficult to track. She used multiple aliases — including Harley, Jessica Elaine Bowman, Jessica Elaine Thrash, Jessica Dowdy, and possibly “Denise” — and was known to convince others to help her by telling sympathetic stories involving domestic violence or personal hardships. Investigators believed she had dyed and cut her hair to alter her appearance. WCSO repeatedly warned that anyone assisting her would face arrest, with Major Dustin Burlison stating plainly: “We will put anybody in jail who helps her in any shape, form, or fashion.”
The reward for information leading to Johnson’s capture had grown to $16,000, with $11,000 jointly offered by Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers and the Florida Sheriffs Association Criminal Apprehension Assistance Program, and an additional $5,000 from the U.S. Marshals Task Force. The case also drew national attention when the live television program “On Patrol: Live” featured Johnson in a BOLO segment broadcast to viewers across the country.
The investigation into Coulthart’s death continues. Johnson is being held on an open count of murder. Additional details about her capture are expected from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Originally reported by WJHG Newschannel 7, WEAR-TV, and MyPanhandle (WMBB).
