Florida woman still on the run as 2 more arrested after body found buried in Panhandle
Five people have been arrested and one woman remains on at large after a man's body was found buried on a Panhandle property. Courtesy: Walton County Sheriff's Office
FREEPORT, Fla. - A massive manhunt is underway in the Florida Panhandle after investigators discovered a missing man's body buried in a shallow grave. Five people are tied to the homicide investigation, but the primary suspect remains at large.
The Walton County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the human remains belong to Jason Christopher Coulthart, 43, who vanished on May 24.
Freeport property grave
What we know:
Detectives received a tip on June 25 that Coulthart was buried on a property off Sunset Lane in Freeport. Deputies executed a search warrant the same day and uncovered a body in a shallow grave.
Forensics positively identified the body as Coulthart last week. He was last seen leaving the College Condominiums on East College Boulevard.
Jason Christopher Coulthart, 43, was reported missing on May 24 before his body was discovered in a shallow grave in Freeport. Courtesy: Walton County Sheriff’s Office
Deputies arrested Michael Ray White, 74, and Kathleen Morris, 59, of Santa Rosa Beach, on July 10. Both face charges of accessory to a capital felony after the fact and obstruction.
Investigators say White hid Johnson at his home between June 25 and June 30. White provided supplies and helped coordinate moving Johnson to a second location.
Morris lives at the same address and admitted to transporting Johnson, giving her supplies and lying to deputies. Authorities recovered incriminating text messages from her cellphone.
According to the Walton County Sheriff's Office, witnesses confirmed that Martin and Sandra Leaverton also helped shelter Johnson.
The Leavertons allegedly retrieved Johnson’s belongings and tried to find her out-of-state refuge. They remain held at the Walton County Jail on accessory after the fact to capital murder charges.
Martin and Sandra Leaverton of Fort Walton Beach were arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to capital murder for allegedly assisting Johnson. Courtesy: Walton County Sheriff’s Office
Bobbi Wagstaff, 31, of Sunset Lane, was also arrested and charged with accessory to capital murder after the fact and possession of methamphetamine.
"Anyone found to have helped or is still assisting Isabelle Johnson avoid arrest will be charged accordingly," Sheriff Michael Adkinson said. "If you give her a place to stay, help her hide, or lie for her, you will face consequences. This is a homicide case. We will not allow anyone to get in the way of this investigation."
Missing murder suspect
What we don't know:
The sheriff's office has not released Coulthart's exact cause of death or a potential motive behind the killing. It remains unclear how long his body was buried before teams uncovered the grave. Authorities do not know where Johnson is currently hiding.
Isabelle Johnson, 38, is wanted on an open count of murder and is believed to be actively evading law enforcement, according to the Walton County Sheriff's Office. Courtesy: Walton County Sheriff’s Office
Walton County search
What you can do:
Johnson is described as a white woman, 5-foot-3 and 120 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
She is considered dangerous, and anyone who has seen her should contact the Walton County Sheriff’s Office immediately at 850-892-8111.
Tipsters can also contact Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 850-863-TIPS.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Walton County Sheriff's Office, which detailed the arrests, charges and ongoing investigation in official agency releases, as well as statements from Sheriff Michael Adkinson.