DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Fla. (Court TV) — A woman accused of killing a man before going on the run using disguises is facing new charges.
Isabelle Johnson walks into court on Aug. 26, 2026. (Court TV)
Isabelle Johnson, 38, was initially charged with first-degree murder in the death of Jason Coulthart, 43. Prosecutors have amended those charges to second-degree murder, abuse of a dead human body and tampering with evidence in a criminal proceeding, according to records reviewed by Court TV.
Johnson has pleaded not guilty to the allegations that she strangled the victim with a zip tie, cut his legs into pieces and then buried him, naked, under concrete in her yard.
In newly unsealed arrest paperwork, Johnson said she completed some college and suffers from chronic illnesses, including MS. Johnson also asked to be represented by a public defender.
Judge J. Ryan Love denied Johnson’s request to be given a bond, finding that “the factual circumstances of the crime indicate a disregard for safety of the community and that no conditions of release or bail will reasonably protect the community from risk of physical harm, ensure the presence of the Defendant at trial, or assure the integrity of the judicial process.”
After Coulthart’s death and disappearance, his boss reported the van that he had been driving as stolen; prosecutors said that Johnson was pulled over driving the van in Carrollton County, Ga.
Johnson wasn’t arrested until August, after investigators tracked her down to an address in Cottondale, Florida, where she was living under the name “Andy,” and claimed that she had been in an abusive relationship and was trying to get out of town.
Johnson is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 19.
