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Law enforcement officials announced Thursday that Isabelle Johnson, 38, had been taken into custody in Cottondale, Florida, concluding an intensive 45-day search across Florida, Georgia and Alabama. A U.S. Marshals task force apprehended Johnson at a residential address without resistance, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. She faces a murder charge in connection with the death of Jason Coulthart, whose remains were discovered in a shallow grave on June 25.
Coulthart had been reported missing on May 24 after last being seen leaving the College Condominiums on East College Boulevard in Niceville. The investigation led authorities to a property off Sunset Lane in Freeport, where a search warrant yielded Coulthart’s body buried in a shallow grave. Johnson is currently held at Jackson County Jail pending extradition to Walton County, with prosecutors indicating additional charges may follow.
The breakthrough in locating Johnson resulted from intelligence gathered by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit regarding her whereabouts. Jackson County Sheriff Donald Edenfield’s deputies and federal task force members responded to an address off Peanut Road near Cottondale to execute the arrest. Walton County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Dustin Cosson acknowledged the extensive collaborative effort, noting investigators invested considerable man hours and obtained more than 20 search warrants and 40 subpoenas during the investigation.
Five individuals have already been arrested and charged with accessory to a capital felony after the fact: Michael Ray White, Kathleen Morris, Bobbi Wagstaff, Martin Leaverton and Sandra Leaverton. Authorities indicated that additional arrests are anticipated as the investigation continues. Officials withheld further details about Johnson’s apprehension, citing the ongoing nature of the case.
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