Authorities across several states are conducting an urgent search for a woman accused of murder who has been on the run for weeks. Investigators in Florida, Georgia and Alabama are all involved in the effort to locate 38-year-old Isabel Johnson, who they believe fatally attacked a man before fleeing and working to conceal her whereabouts and her appearance.
According to investigators, Johnson is accused of killing 43-year-old Jason Coldhart, a father who had been reported missing since May. His body was ultimately discovered buried in a shallow grave in Freeport, Florida, a grim development that transformed a missing person case into a homicide investigation and touched off the multistate pursuit now underway.
Coldhart's body was found the day before Johnson was last seen. Police say she was captured on surveillance video from a business on June 26, appearing anxious as she spoke. That footage has become a key reference point for authorities trying to trace her movements in the period immediately after the killing came to light.
Law enforcement officials have described Johnson as a master manipulator, warning that she has used several aliases and disguises to avoid detection. Investigators also believe she did not act entirely alone, saying there are indications that she received help from at least one other person as she attempted to stay ahead of the search.
That belief has already led to an arrest. A person accused of assisting Johnson has been taken into custody and charged with accessory after the fact. Authorities say the individual provided her with transportation, a cell phone and a place to stay out of state, and also lied to investigators about their involvement in supporting her flight.
Officials say Johnson has likely altered her appearance to make herself harder to recognize, cutting and dyeing her hair while on the move. Because she has repeatedly changed identities and looks, investigators are leaning heavily on tips from the public, urging anyone who may have seen her to come forward with information.
For the victim's family, the search has become a painful wait for accountability. Coldhart's cousin publicly appealed for help in finding Johnson, saying the family wants her to face justice and to have to look the victim's son in the eye. Authorities say they remain focused on capturing the suspect and are counting on community assistance to bring the manhunt to an end.