JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WDNews) — A nationwide search for a Walton County murder suspect with ties to lower Alabama ended Thursday afternoon when authorities captured her at a home in Cottondale.
According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, 38-year-old Isabelle Johnson was arrested by members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force and local law enforcement. Authorities said the arrest came after information developed by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit led investigators to her location.
“Earlier in the week, we got some details about, she had been communicating with someone,” Walton County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Dustin Cosson said. “From that, we were able to execute a digital search warrant and find an IP address that led us to the location in Cottondale.”
Johnson had been wanted on an active warrant for an open count of murder in connection with the death of 43-year-old Jason Coulthart.
Coulthart’s remains were discovered June 25 in a shallow grave on property off Sunset Lane in Freeport. Investigators had been searching for Johnson for roughly 45 days, with the search extending across Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
Cosson said investigators still have unanswered questions about where Johnson had been while authorities searched for her.
“From that, we are hoping to learn more information about where she had been,” Cosson said. “We still have some gaps. We have a 45ish day gap of when we execute a search warrant, and she has been on the run, so we want to find out all the details.”
Authorities said Johnson was found at a home just off Peanut Road outside Cottondale. The circumstances surrounding how she ended up at the residence remain under investigation.
Johnson was taken to the Jackson County Jail and is expected to be extradited to Walton County on Friday.
Investigators are also working to determine whether anyone helped Johnson while she was on the run. Five people had already been arrested during the investigation on charges of accessory after the fact to a capital felony. Authorities said additional charges could be forthcoming as the investigation continues.
Johnson’s capture closes a multi-state manhunt that involved local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Earlier Thursday, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office announced her capture simply by saying, “We got her.”
The investigation into Coulthart’s death and the circumstances surrounding Johnson’s time on the run remains ongoing.
Image Source – Walton County Sheriff’s Office
Image Source Walton County Sheriff’s Office
Image Source – Walton County Sheriff’s Office
