Jason Coulthart’s identification transformed a monthlong search into a homicide investigation that has produced five arrests and an ongoing manhunt.
NICEVILLE, Fla. — When Jason Christopher Coulthart left a condominium complex in Niceville on May 24, there was no public indication that the 43-year-old would become the center of a homicide investigation spanning multiple Florida counties and at least three states.
For weeks, the case was treated as a search for a missing man. That changed after investigators developed information pointing to a residential property off Sunset Lane in Freeport, about 25 miles east of Niceville. Deputies searched the property June 25 and recovered human remains from a shallow grave. DNA testing later confirmed the remains belonged to Coulthart, ending uncertainty about whether he might still be alive while opening a new set of questions about how he died and who helped conceal what happened.
The chronology is central to the case because investigators have released only portions of the evidence that connected Coulthart’s last known movements to the Freeport address. He was last seen leaving the College Condominiums on East College Boulevard. When those close to him could not reach him, he was reported missing. Authorities have not publicly provided a complete account of where he went after leaving the complex, who was with him or what vehicle he may have used.
Niceville police initially handled the missing-person inquiry because that was where Coulthart was last seen. As detectives pursued leads, they obtained information suggesting his body had been buried in Walton County. The jurisdictional shift brought in the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, which sought a search warrant for the Sunset Lane property. Investigators executed the warrant the same day and found the burial site, according to the sheriff’s office.
The recovery did not immediately establish a public identification. The District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office assisted investigators, and DNA testing was used to confirm that the remains were Coulthart’s. That identification was announced in early July. Authorities have not released a complete autopsy report, and they have not publicly explained whether additional forensic testing remains underway. Reports citing arrest documents have described evidence at the scene, but the medical examiner’s formal conclusions have not been made public in full.
Investigators allege the grave had been deliberately hidden. Accounts of arrest affidavits say concrete was placed over the burial location and a black Cadillac was parked above it. The same reports have stated that Coulthart was found with a large plastic tie around his neck. Those details form part of the prosecution’s developing theory, but they have not yet been examined through testimony, cross-examination or a criminal trial.
By the day after the remains were found, authorities had obtained a murder warrant for Isabelle Rose Johnson, 38. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office says Johnson is wanted on an open count of murder in Coulthart’s death. An open murder count allows the exact degree of the alleged offense to be determined as investigators and prosecutors evaluate the evidence. Johnson has not been taken into custody, entered a plea or had the allegations tested before a judge or jury.
The evidence that led authorities from the grave to Johnson has not been fully disclosed. Arrest reports involving other defendants contain witness statements and allegations about conversations before and after Coulthart’s death. Some reports say Johnson had complained about Coulthart and discussed wanting him gone. Investigators have not announced a formally established motive, however, and statements from witnesses remain allegations unless supported and proved through the court process.
The investigation expanded further as deputies examined what happened after Coulthart disappeared. Five people have been arrested on accessory-related allegations: Bobbie Gean Wagstaff, Martin Leaverton, Sandra Leaverton, Michael White and Kathleen Morris. Law enforcement officials say the alleged assistance ranged from helping conceal the remains to providing transportation or support while Johnson avoided investigators. Charges vary by defendant, and an accessory allegation is legally distinct from an accusation that a person committed the killing.
Wagstaff is accused in public accounts of helping dig the shallow grave. Investigators also allege that others moved Johnson between locations or concealed information about where she was staying. Communications described in arrest reports appear to be part of the case against some defendants, including messages investigators say show efforts to coordinate transportation or prevent authorities from finding her. The reports represent the investigators’ account and have not yet been proved in court.
As the case grew, detectives began warning that Johnson was not simply hiding under her legal name. The sheriff’s office says she has used aliases including Harley, Jessica Elaine Bowman, Jessica Elaine Thrush or Thrash and Jessica Dowdy. Other variations may also be in use. Police photographs show her with different hairstyles and appearances, leading authorities to caution that she may have cut or colored her hair since the warrant was issued.
Investigators then released close-up images of tattoos to give the public characteristics that would be more difficult to change. They described a flower or rose tattoo on Johnson’s left hand, a tattoo on her right ankle, a large scorpion tattoo along her left thigh and another large design on her back. Authorities say she is about 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighs about 120 pounds and has hazel eyes. She is considered dangerous, and officials have told the public not to approach her.
The search has moved beyond Walton County because Johnson is known to have connections in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Authorities have identified Habersham County, Georgia, as one area of interest, but they have not confirmed that she is currently there. Investigators have avoided disclosing all search locations, a common step in active fugitive cases when public detail could alert a suspect or interfere with surveillance.
The national attention surrounding the manhunt has also increased the available reward. Authorities have publicized combined rewards of up to $16,000 from Crime Stoppers, the Florida Sheriffs Association and the U.S. Marshals task force. The conditions differ among the programs, including whether a tipster may remain anonymous while seeking payment. The reward does not change the standard for arrest; investigators must still locate Johnson and take her into custody under the warrant.
For Coulthart’s family, the DNA identification brought an answer to the most immediate question raised by his disappearance but did not resolve the case. Officials have shared little about his life beyond his age, last known location and identification. Some reports describe him as a father, but authorities have generally kept their public statements focused on the investigation and the search for Johnson. They have said the effort is intended to bring accountability and closure to those who knew him.
The case remains incomplete in several important ways. A full public timeline between May 24 and June 25 has not been released. Authorities have not said when they believe Coulthart died, whether he went voluntarily to the Freeport property or whether additional evidence was removed before the search. They also have not explained whether every person who may have helped conceal the crime or assist Johnson has been identified.
The missing-person inquiry that began in Niceville had produced a confirmed death, a murder warrant and five accessory arrests, but its primary suspect remained outside police custody. Investigators continued to seek verified information about Johnson’s location while prosecutors began handling the cases of those already arrested.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 5, 2026.