Suspect in Florida murder seized after 45-day, three-state pursuit

Authorities announced Thursday that Isabelle Johnson, 38, was apprehended at a residence west of Tallahassee, concluding a 45-day, three-state manhunt that spanned Florida, Georgia and Alabama. The U.S. Marshals task force, in coordination with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, took Johnson into custody without incident and booked her into the Jackson County Jail, pending extradition to Walton County on a murder charge linked to Jason Coulthart’s death.

Coulthart’s remains were discovered buried shallowly on June 25 after a missing-person investigation that began in May. The investigation has involved over 40 subpoenas, more than 20 search warrants, and a cyber-crimes unit that supplied critical location data. Five other suspects have already been charged as accessories to a capital felony, and officials expect additional arrests. Sheriff Donald Edenfield and Chief Deputy Dustin Cosson praised the collaborative effort among local, state and federal agencies.