1 00:00:05,467 --> 00:00:08,167 Me and John are making a video. 2 00:00:12,033 --> 00:00:15,067 What happened when investigators arrived at her home? 3 00:00:15,234 --> 00:00:17,868 There's nothing missing besides Katelyn. 4 00:00:18,033 --> 00:00:21,167 You had that gut feeling, something's wrong here. 5 00:00:21,334 --> 00:00:25,100 Her wallet and her car keys were laying on her bed. 6 00:00:25,267 --> 00:00:27,000 Things weren't adding up. 7 00:00:27,167 --> 00:00:28,367 It's like, she's there one minute, 8 00:00:28,534 --> 00:00:29,467 gone the next. 9 00:00:32,567 --> 00:00:33,601 Each day that went by, 10 00:00:33,767 --> 00:00:36,567 I knew this was not gonna be a good outcome. 11 00:00:36,734 --> 00:00:38,167 It was an extensive search. 12 00:00:38,334 --> 00:00:39,868 A girl disappearing for no reason. 13 00:00:40,868 --> 00:00:42,567 That doesn't happen in Fairfield. 14 00:00:42,734 --> 00:00:43,901 They wanted answers. 15 00:00:44,067 --> 00:00:46,367 I called the investigation supervisor, and I said, 16 00:00:46,534 --> 00:00:49,000 "I honestly don't believe this girl's coming home alive." 17 00:00:51,067 --> 00:00:54,267 A gentleman searching a creek line comes across a bag. 18 00:00:54,434 --> 00:00:57,067 He opens the bag, and there's a skull in it. 19 00:00:57,234 --> 00:00:58,667 It was Katelyn Markham. 20 00:00:59,701 --> 00:01:01,567 It was heartbreaking. It really was. 21 00:01:02,667 --> 00:01:07,767 There were two police officers and a pastor who told me. 22 00:01:07,934 --> 00:01:09,400 I just broke down. 23 00:01:11,868 --> 00:01:15,067 What did you realistically think were the chances 24 00:01:15,234 --> 00:01:16,501 of solving this case? 25 00:01:16,667 --> 00:01:18,267 I knew we'd find something. 26 00:01:19,367 --> 00:01:21,167 That's what my job is-- is to keep digging. 27 00:01:23,167 --> 00:01:24,167 You need to understand something-- 28 00:01:24,334 --> 00:01:25,901 I don't miss. 29 00:01:26,067 --> 00:01:28,100 But if it is you, I'm coming. 30 00:01:40,801 --> 00:01:42,567 Hi, I'm Paula Zahn. 31 00:01:42,734 --> 00:01:46,868 And tonight, we're on the case in Fairfield, Ohio. 32 00:01:47,033 --> 00:01:50,868 The quaint suburb about 25 miles outside of Cincinnati 33 00:01:51,033 --> 00:01:54,868 became the unlikely backdrop for a terrifying mystery 34 00:01:55,033 --> 00:01:57,767 when 21-year-old Katelyn Markham was reported 35 00:01:57,934 --> 00:02:00,300 missing from her home. 36 00:02:00,467 --> 00:02:02,367 As police scoured the area for clues 37 00:02:02,534 --> 00:02:05,400 that might explain her disappearance, 38 00:02:05,567 --> 00:02:09,000 it slowly became clear that the best evidence 39 00:02:09,167 --> 00:02:12,501 of what really happened to Katelyn had vanished, 40 00:02:12,667 --> 00:02:13,667 along with her. 41 00:02:18,334 --> 00:02:21,067 August 14th, 2011. 42 00:02:21,234 --> 00:02:24,501 It was just after eight on a warm Sunday night 43 00:02:24,667 --> 00:02:28,868 when Fairfield police got an unusual 911 call. 44 00:02:46,501 --> 00:02:48,667 The dispatcher tried to determine 45 00:02:48,834 --> 00:02:51,968 just how serious the situation actually was. 46 00:03:02,968 --> 00:03:04,300 Then John explained 47 00:03:04,467 --> 00:03:07,100 that none of the couple's friends nor family had 48 00:03:07,267 --> 00:03:10,200 heard from Katelyn all day. 49 00:03:10,367 --> 00:03:13,667 But it was what he saw when he checked her townhouse, 50 00:03:13,834 --> 00:03:15,868 that triggered his call to police. 51 00:03:36,767 --> 00:03:40,367 Senior Officer Sandy Sears responded to the address 52 00:03:40,534 --> 00:03:42,400 John had provided. 53 00:03:42,567 --> 00:03:46,000 Take me back to the first call you took about this case. 54 00:03:46,167 --> 00:03:47,234 What happened? 55 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:48,467 The dispatcher was very concerned 56 00:03:48,634 --> 00:03:50,100 that there were some red flags. 57 00:03:50,267 --> 00:03:52,567 I told her that I would take the call myself. 58 00:03:52,734 --> 00:03:55,000 What happened when you got to her townhouse? 59 00:03:55,167 --> 00:03:56,767 I was met by John Carter 60 00:03:56,934 --> 00:03:59,100 and Katelyn Markham's father, David. 61 00:03:59,267 --> 00:04:03,901 I asked them to take me inside and walk me through. 62 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,100 Officer Sears carefully surveyed the scene. 63 00:04:09,100 --> 00:04:11,467 Nothing's missing. Nothing's been stolen. 64 00:04:11,634 --> 00:04:13,267 There was no forced entry. 65 00:04:17,634 --> 00:04:20,667 Still, Officer Sears did observe a few things 66 00:04:20,834 --> 00:04:22,100 that seemed odd. 67 00:04:23,567 --> 00:04:27,567 There was a coffee table pushed up against the couch 68 00:04:27,734 --> 00:04:28,868 in the living room. 69 00:04:30,100 --> 00:04:32,901 And in her bedroom, there was some supplies 70 00:04:33,067 --> 00:04:34,467 knocked over on her desk. 71 00:04:36,901 --> 00:04:38,367 That gave me a little bit of concern. 72 00:04:39,667 --> 00:04:41,767 Was there enough out of place that you thought 73 00:04:41,934 --> 00:04:43,667 a struggle might've taken place there? 74 00:04:43,834 --> 00:04:47,167 Not at that point, but her wallet and her car keys 75 00:04:47,334 --> 00:04:49,067 were laying on her bed. 76 00:04:49,234 --> 00:04:51,601 And I went through the wallet. 77 00:04:51,767 --> 00:04:53,901 She had $300 in cash. 78 00:04:54,067 --> 00:04:56,167 She had her debit-- credit card in there 79 00:04:56,334 --> 00:04:57,868 and her driver's license. 80 00:04:58,033 --> 00:05:00,267 And her shoes were there. 81 00:05:00,434 --> 00:05:03,267 I became very suspicious. 82 00:05:03,434 --> 00:05:05,033 Things weren't adding up for me. 83 00:05:09,167 --> 00:05:12,701 Although there was no obvious sign of foul play, 84 00:05:12,868 --> 00:05:16,868 DA investigator Paul Newton believed that Officer Sears was 85 00:05:17,033 --> 00:05:19,367 reading the scene correctly. 86 00:05:19,534 --> 00:05:22,267 Is it possible that she had just wanted 87 00:05:22,434 --> 00:05:23,868 to disappear for a while? 88 00:05:24,033 --> 00:05:26,100 Her car's there. No purse, no wallet, no money. 89 00:05:26,267 --> 00:05:27,300 She's not going far. 90 00:05:27,467 --> 00:05:29,267 And none of her friends know where she's at. 91 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:31,501 I know this officer. 92 00:05:31,667 --> 00:05:32,900 Went to the police academy with her. 93 00:05:32,901 --> 00:05:34,968 She's very experienced. She doesn't get shook real easy. 94 00:05:35,133 --> 00:05:37,934 You have that gut feeling-- something's wrong here. 95 00:05:42,734 --> 00:05:46,701 And following that gut feeling led Officer Sears to take 96 00:05:46,868 --> 00:05:49,367 additional precautions. 97 00:05:49,534 --> 00:05:52,167 At this point, I'm calling the dispatcher, 98 00:05:52,334 --> 00:05:56,801 and I'm asking her to have Katelyn's cellphone pinged. 99 00:05:56,968 --> 00:05:59,067 While she waited for those results, 100 00:05:59,234 --> 00:06:01,367 Officer Sears asked Dave Markham 101 00:06:01,534 --> 00:06:04,868 what he knew about his daughter's disappearance. 102 00:06:09,067 --> 00:06:13,400 How did you find out something was wrong? 103 00:06:13,567 --> 00:06:16,467 I got a phone call from John. He was at the townhouse. 104 00:06:16,634 --> 00:06:18,167 He said that Katelyn's missing. 105 00:06:18,334 --> 00:06:20,300 "She's gone. I can't find her anywhere." 106 00:06:21,567 --> 00:06:24,100 When was the last time you had spoken with her? 107 00:06:24,267 --> 00:06:26,767 It was just a few days before, via text. 108 00:06:26,934 --> 00:06:30,968 She had said that there was a UPS package for me, 109 00:06:31,133 --> 00:06:32,501 and that was it. 110 00:06:32,667 --> 00:06:34,100 I still have that text message. 111 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,868 Officer Sears then spoke with Katelyn's fiancé 112 00:06:43,033 --> 00:06:46,400 to get more information about the last time he had seen her. 113 00:06:47,701 --> 00:06:51,567 What was known about her timeline that night? 114 00:06:51,734 --> 00:06:53,367 She's home that evening, and she's hanging out 115 00:06:53,534 --> 00:06:55,167 with John Carter, her fiancé. 116 00:06:55,334 --> 00:06:57,167 Now it's recording. 117 00:06:57,334 --> 00:07:00,367 Around 9:30 that night, a friend of Katelyn's, 118 00:07:00,534 --> 00:07:02,200 a Brad Von Bargen, shows up. 119 00:07:02,367 --> 00:07:04,000 They watch some TV show. 120 00:07:04,167 --> 00:07:06,167 Brad leaves around 10:45, 121 00:07:06,334 --> 00:07:09,167 and John leaves shortly after Brad does. 122 00:07:10,467 --> 00:07:13,567 Did he speak with her again later that night? 123 00:07:13,734 --> 00:07:16,100 John said that he received some text messages 124 00:07:16,267 --> 00:07:19,567 shortly after 11:00, ending around 11:36 PM. 125 00:07:19,734 --> 00:07:21,400 He did not talk to Katelyn no more that night. 126 00:07:23,868 --> 00:07:27,868 And the evidence pointing to a problem continued to mount 127 00:07:28,033 --> 00:07:29,767 with a call to Katelyn's work. 128 00:07:30,701 --> 00:07:34,167 I spoke to the manager of the bridal shop 129 00:07:34,334 --> 00:07:36,767 and she told me that Katelyn had never 130 00:07:36,934 --> 00:07:38,767 no called, no showed-- ever. 131 00:07:38,934 --> 00:07:41,267 And today she did no call, no show. 132 00:07:41,434 --> 00:07:42,667 They were very worried about her. 133 00:07:44,868 --> 00:07:48,000 Was she someone who was disciplined 134 00:07:48,167 --> 00:07:49,801 and dedicated to her job? 135 00:07:49,968 --> 00:07:52,267 Yes, always punctual, never missed a shift. 136 00:07:58,100 --> 00:08:01,267 Officer Sears was still trying to piece together 137 00:08:01,434 --> 00:08:02,868 the puzzling clues, 138 00:08:03,033 --> 00:08:06,667 when a call from her dispatcher suddenly forced her to view 139 00:08:06,834 --> 00:08:10,267 all the evidence through a new lens. 140 00:08:10,434 --> 00:08:13,701 The ping on the cellphone showed that shortly after midnight, 141 00:08:14,701 --> 00:08:18,200 the cellphone was turned off, the battery removed, 142 00:08:18,367 --> 00:08:19,868 and the SIM card removed. 143 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,300 They can actually tell that through their analysis? 144 00:08:25,467 --> 00:08:27,000 Yes, ma'am. And that is 145 00:08:27,167 --> 00:08:28,367 one of the first times 146 00:08:28,534 --> 00:08:31,100 that I've had them say that in my career. 147 00:08:32,467 --> 00:08:35,200 What point did Katelyn's phone go dark? 148 00:08:35,367 --> 00:08:38,000 At 12:06 AM. August the 14th. 149 00:08:44,601 --> 00:08:47,167 The timing was troubling. 150 00:08:47,334 --> 00:08:51,167 Katelyn's phone had been disabled just a half-hour 151 00:08:51,334 --> 00:08:54,567 after her last text to John. 152 00:08:54,734 --> 00:08:56,367 What did you make of that? 153 00:08:56,534 --> 00:08:59,467 Just with the totality of the circumstances, 154 00:08:59,634 --> 00:09:03,267 honestly, I felt like there was some foul play here. 155 00:09:07,033 --> 00:09:10,000 Officer Sears was instructed to bring anyone 156 00:09:10,167 --> 00:09:12,200 who might have information about Katelyn 157 00:09:12,367 --> 00:09:14,601 to the police station. 158 00:09:14,767 --> 00:09:17,000 I separated everybody into different rooms 159 00:09:17,167 --> 00:09:19,000 and waited for the detectives. 160 00:09:20,100 --> 00:09:23,367 I had Dave Markham out in a community area, 161 00:09:23,534 --> 00:09:26,868 and... he looked up at me and he said, 162 00:09:28,300 --> 00:09:30,067 "Is this all really necessary?" 163 00:09:31,968 --> 00:09:33,868 I said, "Yes, it is, sir." 164 00:09:34,033 --> 00:09:35,868 And he just broke down and started crying. 165 00:09:40,501 --> 00:09:42,701 And Officer Sears feared 166 00:09:42,868 --> 00:09:45,801 there was more heartbreak ahead. 167 00:09:45,968 --> 00:09:49,367 I called the investigation supervisor and I said, 168 00:09:49,534 --> 00:09:51,968 "Look, sir, I-- I honestly don't believe 169 00:09:52,133 --> 00:09:53,400 this girl's coming home alive." 170 00:10:00,567 --> 00:10:04,067 2 171 00:10:05,801 --> 00:10:08,000 As police investigating 172 00:10:08,167 --> 00:10:10,300 the disappearance of Katelyn Markham 173 00:10:10,467 --> 00:10:12,000 contemplated the evidence, 174 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:17,267 the only thing that seemed clear was the window of time 175 00:10:17,434 --> 00:10:18,868 when the mystery began. 176 00:10:20,067 --> 00:10:23,567 How small of a time window are we talking about? 177 00:10:23,734 --> 00:10:26,000 We're talking about a very short period of time, 178 00:10:26,167 --> 00:10:27,968 30 minutes. 179 00:10:28,133 --> 00:10:30,667 And her friends are saying she's not going to open the door 180 00:10:30,834 --> 00:10:32,667 for just anybody, especially at that time of night. 181 00:10:33,767 --> 00:10:35,567 No forced entry, phone's gone. 182 00:10:35,734 --> 00:10:37,100 There was something going on that night. 183 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:40,000 Something they didn't know. 184 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,400 Police believed the first step was 185 00:10:44,567 --> 00:10:46,968 to find out more about Katelyn's lifestyle. 186 00:10:48,267 --> 00:10:49,501 Hi, this is Katelyn Markham. 187 00:10:49,667 --> 00:10:51,567 This is my very professional web page. 188 00:10:51,734 --> 00:10:53,801 I hope you enjoy it because I enjoyed making it 189 00:10:53,968 --> 00:10:55,167 and I love you. 190 00:10:58,467 --> 00:11:02,567 Her father, Dave, filled in a lot of details. 191 00:11:02,734 --> 00:11:03,901 What was she like? 192 00:11:04,067 --> 00:11:05,767 Katelyn was very... 193 00:11:05,934 --> 00:11:06,901 bubbly. 194 00:11:07,067 --> 00:11:08,467 Outgoing, her entire life. 195 00:11:08,634 --> 00:11:10,667 Made friends wherever we went. 196 00:11:10,834 --> 00:11:13,868 She never wanted to see anybody upset or hurt. 197 00:11:14,033 --> 00:11:17,767 She always wanted somebody to leave her presence happy. 198 00:11:17,934 --> 00:11:19,868 That kindhearted spirit 199 00:11:20,033 --> 00:11:22,801 radiated through everything Katelyn did, 200 00:11:22,968 --> 00:11:26,100 especially in the main focus of her life, 201 00:11:26,267 --> 00:11:28,267 her artwork. 202 00:11:28,434 --> 00:11:31,400 Could you tell that she had artistic talent 203 00:11:31,567 --> 00:11:32,667 at an early age? 204 00:11:32,834 --> 00:11:34,267 A very early age, yeah. 205 00:11:34,434 --> 00:11:36,267 She always had crayons or pencils 206 00:11:36,434 --> 00:11:37,868 or markers and sketchbooks. 207 00:11:38,033 --> 00:11:39,567 That was a passion of hers. 208 00:11:39,734 --> 00:11:41,467 She wanted to go to a trade school, 209 00:11:41,634 --> 00:11:43,467 some kind of commercial of arts. 210 00:11:43,634 --> 00:11:45,167 She enrolled and was accepted. 211 00:11:45,334 --> 00:11:47,000 That's when it just took off. 212 00:11:49,467 --> 00:11:51,467 The sky was the limit. 213 00:11:51,634 --> 00:11:54,267 This is a video of me and John. 214 00:11:54,434 --> 00:11:56,667 Me and John are making a video. 215 00:11:58,100 --> 00:12:01,467 Katelyn also seemed settled in her personal life. 216 00:12:01,634 --> 00:12:06,567 She and her fiancé, John Carter, had been together for six years. 217 00:12:06,734 --> 00:12:10,667 Friends painted a vivid portrait for investigators. 218 00:12:10,834 --> 00:12:13,767 How did her friends characterize her relationship 219 00:12:13,934 --> 00:12:15,767 with her fiancé, John Carter? 220 00:12:15,934 --> 00:12:18,767 In the eyes of everybody, they were the perfect couple, 221 00:12:18,934 --> 00:12:20,801 very happy couple. 222 00:12:23,267 --> 00:12:25,367 Despite all the glowing stories 223 00:12:25,534 --> 00:12:27,601 about the newly engaged couple, 224 00:12:27,767 --> 00:12:29,901 police were still focused on the fact that 225 00:12:30,067 --> 00:12:33,667 John was the last person to see Katelyn. 226 00:12:33,834 --> 00:12:37,868 They needed to know every detail of their final evening together. 227 00:13:00,367 --> 00:13:02,801 John said when he left Katelyn, 228 00:13:02,968 --> 00:13:04,667 she was getting ready for bed. 229 00:13:15,667 --> 00:13:18,367 John then went to meet up with some friends. 230 00:13:19,567 --> 00:13:21,767 Was anybody able to verify 231 00:13:21,934 --> 00:13:23,767 he actually went to his friend's house 232 00:13:23,934 --> 00:13:25,400 after he left Katelyn's that night? 233 00:13:25,567 --> 00:13:27,400 Absolutely, five people there. 234 00:13:27,567 --> 00:13:31,868 He's there approximately until 1:15 to 1:20 in the morning, 235 00:13:32,033 --> 00:13:33,801 and then he goes home. 236 00:13:36,267 --> 00:13:38,767 John said it was still several hours 237 00:13:38,934 --> 00:13:40,667 before he called it a night. 238 00:13:40,834 --> 00:13:44,267 He watches three episodes of the show "White Collar," 239 00:13:44,434 --> 00:13:45,400 and he says he goes to bed, 240 00:13:45,567 --> 00:13:47,367 shortly after 4 o'clock in the morning. 241 00:13:47,534 --> 00:13:49,267 Before closing his eyes, 242 00:13:49,434 --> 00:13:52,100 John completed a nightly ritual. 243 00:13:52,267 --> 00:13:54,667 John says he sent Katelyn a text message 244 00:13:54,834 --> 00:13:55,968 at 4 o'clock in the morning. 245 00:13:56,133 --> 00:13:58,467 It was, "Good morning, love you." 246 00:13:58,634 --> 00:14:01,667 John expected to see Katelyn's response 247 00:14:01,834 --> 00:14:04,367 when he woke up, 12 hours later. 248 00:14:04,534 --> 00:14:07,300 He didn't get up till 4:30 that day to go to work. 249 00:14:07,467 --> 00:14:09,567 When he sees that Katelyn has not contacted him, 250 00:14:09,734 --> 00:14:11,167 he's getting concerned. 251 00:14:12,667 --> 00:14:16,567 John tried calling Katelyn several times and texted her. 252 00:14:16,734 --> 00:14:18,567 And when she didn't respond, 253 00:14:18,734 --> 00:14:21,067 he decided to go to her townhouse. 254 00:14:33,901 --> 00:14:38,367 John entered the townhouse, and his anxiety grew. 255 00:15:00,334 --> 00:15:03,901 Police still wanted to further verify John's timeline, 256 00:15:04,067 --> 00:15:06,667 but his account seemed solid. 257 00:15:06,834 --> 00:15:09,367 And he and Katelyn's other friends 258 00:15:09,534 --> 00:15:12,567 pointed the investigation in another direction. 259 00:15:12,734 --> 00:15:14,767 They believe the huge festival 260 00:15:14,934 --> 00:15:16,801 across the street from Katelyn's home, 261 00:15:16,968 --> 00:15:19,267 played a role in her disappearance. 262 00:15:20,868 --> 00:15:24,100 They wanted to direct my attention towards the people 263 00:15:24,267 --> 00:15:25,801 that were working at the carnival. 264 00:15:26,801 --> 00:15:29,701 The idea seemed to make sense. 265 00:15:29,868 --> 00:15:31,868 That festival is a huge draw. 266 00:15:32,033 --> 00:15:33,300 They pack that place. 267 00:15:33,467 --> 00:15:36,100 And most of the time, the carnival workers are 268 00:15:36,267 --> 00:15:37,667 from out of town, 269 00:15:37,834 --> 00:15:39,567 especially the ride workers. 270 00:15:39,734 --> 00:15:42,467 They are very transient type people. 271 00:15:42,634 --> 00:15:43,968 Did you think it was possible? 272 00:15:44,133 --> 00:15:47,567 That someone who either worked at the festival 273 00:15:47,734 --> 00:15:51,067 or attended the festival could've had something to do 274 00:15:51,234 --> 00:15:53,601 with Katelyn's disappearance? 275 00:15:53,767 --> 00:15:57,100 I wasn't willing to rule out anything. 276 00:16:03,801 --> 00:16:05,801 2 277 00:16:09,501 --> 00:16:12,300 Law enforcement was still looking for a lead 278 00:16:12,467 --> 00:16:14,167 that might explain the disappearance 279 00:16:14,334 --> 00:16:15,701 of Katelyn Markham. 280 00:16:17,868 --> 00:16:20,667 They were confident something had happened to her 281 00:16:20,834 --> 00:16:22,100 during the half-hour 282 00:16:22,267 --> 00:16:25,167 before her cellphone suddenly went dark 283 00:16:25,334 --> 00:16:27,300 at 12:06 AM. 284 00:16:28,501 --> 00:16:30,267 Did they investigate any possible 285 00:16:30,434 --> 00:16:32,467 criminal activity in the area? 286 00:16:32,634 --> 00:16:35,701 Yes, the Sacred Heart Festival was occurring down the street. 287 00:16:37,868 --> 00:16:39,868 You know, there are some unsavory characters 288 00:16:40,033 --> 00:16:41,868 over at this... fair. 289 00:16:42,033 --> 00:16:45,167 Maybe those people at the carnival were involved 290 00:16:45,334 --> 00:16:46,467 in her disappearance. 291 00:16:50,367 --> 00:16:52,701 Detectives compiled a list 292 00:16:52,868 --> 00:16:56,567 of festival employees with criminal backgrounds. 293 00:16:56,734 --> 00:16:59,868 Each was eliminated using the narrow timeline 294 00:17:00,100 --> 00:17:01,868 of Katelyn's disappearance. 295 00:17:02,033 --> 00:17:04,767 The festival appeared to be a dead end. 296 00:17:06,667 --> 00:17:08,901 Who else did they end up looking into? 297 00:17:09,067 --> 00:17:11,267 There was an acquaintance out of Katelyn's school 298 00:17:11,434 --> 00:17:14,501 who had been named as being creepy around Katelyn. 299 00:17:14,667 --> 00:17:16,968 He'd had some criminal history in his past. 300 00:17:18,367 --> 00:17:20,100 Could they establish where he was 301 00:17:20,267 --> 00:17:21,500 the night she went missing? 302 00:17:21,501 --> 00:17:23,300 Fairfield Police Department established where he was at, 303 00:17:23,467 --> 00:17:24,968 and he had nothing to do with this. 304 00:17:31,234 --> 00:17:34,467 Seventy-two hours after Katelyn's disappearance, 305 00:17:34,634 --> 00:17:37,100 police still had no physical evidence 306 00:17:37,267 --> 00:17:39,868 that foul play was even involved. 307 00:17:41,267 --> 00:17:43,868 There's nothing missing besides Katelyn and her cellphone. 308 00:17:44,033 --> 00:17:47,100 No blood, no acts of violence. 309 00:17:47,267 --> 00:17:49,167 It's like she's there one minute, gone the next. 310 00:17:53,434 --> 00:17:56,267 Police reached out to the public for help, 311 00:17:56,434 --> 00:17:59,100 and the community answered their call. 312 00:18:02,534 --> 00:18:05,067 Describe some of the searches that took place. 313 00:18:05,234 --> 00:18:07,767 They searched the whole general area. 314 00:18:07,934 --> 00:18:11,000 It was an extensive search. It was unbelievable. 315 00:18:11,167 --> 00:18:13,167 People were coming out with their ATVs 316 00:18:13,334 --> 00:18:14,567 and they were coming out with their dogs. 317 00:18:14,734 --> 00:18:16,100 They wanted answers. 318 00:18:16,267 --> 00:18:17,868 Because disappearing for no reason, 319 00:18:18,968 --> 00:18:20,767 that doesn't happen in Fairfield. 320 00:18:26,534 --> 00:18:30,000 The show of support comforted Katelyn's family 321 00:18:30,167 --> 00:18:32,667 during their darkest hours. 322 00:18:32,834 --> 00:18:34,701 The community came together for Katelyn. 323 00:18:35,901 --> 00:18:37,367 Very humbling. 324 00:18:37,534 --> 00:18:39,367 People that have never met Katelyn, 325 00:18:39,534 --> 00:18:41,300 followed this case. 326 00:18:41,467 --> 00:18:42,701 Poured their hearts out. 327 00:18:42,868 --> 00:18:44,968 It's a very surreal feeling. 328 00:18:45,133 --> 00:18:48,601 But the massive searches uncovered nothing of value. 329 00:18:48,767 --> 00:18:53,167 And over time, the investigation slowly ground to a halt. 330 00:18:56,567 --> 00:18:58,767 As the weeks turned into months, 331 00:18:58,934 --> 00:19:01,067 did you try to maintain hope? 332 00:19:01,234 --> 00:19:03,000 Yes, but each day that went by, 333 00:19:03,167 --> 00:19:05,767 it just, you know, it was less and less. 334 00:19:05,934 --> 00:19:08,467 I knew that this was not gonna be a good outcome. 335 00:19:08,634 --> 00:19:11,367 This was not gonna be what any of us wanted. 336 00:19:16,501 --> 00:19:18,968 Meanwhile, police were still waiting 337 00:19:19,133 --> 00:19:22,567 for the evidence that would jump-start the investigation. 338 00:19:22,734 --> 00:19:25,901 And more than a year after Katelyn's disappearance, 339 00:19:26,067 --> 00:19:29,200 they got it in the worst way possible. 340 00:19:30,667 --> 00:19:33,467 Police finally got a break in the case. 341 00:19:33,634 --> 00:19:34,901 How did that come about? 342 00:19:35,067 --> 00:19:36,567 A gentleman in Franklin, Indiana, 343 00:19:36,734 --> 00:19:39,000 searching a creek line for cans, 344 00:19:39,167 --> 00:19:40,901 come across a little area 345 00:19:41,067 --> 00:19:42,567 where some people had done some dumping. 346 00:19:44,067 --> 00:19:48,267 The man saw a small bag, and he opened it. 347 00:19:48,434 --> 00:19:50,767 He opens the bag, and there's a skull in it. 348 00:19:54,234 --> 00:19:57,000 Terrified, the man dropped the bag 349 00:19:57,167 --> 00:19:59,667 and ran to notify police. 350 00:19:59,834 --> 00:20:02,367 He calls 911, and the Indiana State Police 351 00:20:02,534 --> 00:20:03,968 and the local sheriff's office show up. 352 00:20:05,467 --> 00:20:07,667 What did the Indiana State Police do 353 00:20:07,834 --> 00:20:09,000 when they arrived at the scene? 354 00:20:09,167 --> 00:20:10,467 They could tell it was a female. 355 00:20:10,634 --> 00:20:13,567 So they got their phones out and started looking for people 356 00:20:13,734 --> 00:20:15,467 who had disappeared in the area. 357 00:20:15,634 --> 00:20:17,000 And the first photograph they pulled up 358 00:20:17,167 --> 00:20:18,667 was Katelyn Markham. 359 00:20:18,834 --> 00:20:21,868 And a detail in the photos they saw 360 00:20:22,033 --> 00:20:24,501 inside of Katelyn's missing person file, 361 00:20:24,667 --> 00:20:27,000 led first responders to suspect 362 00:20:27,167 --> 00:20:29,767 she was the victim they had found. 363 00:20:31,267 --> 00:20:34,000 Katelyn had a pronounced tooth. 364 00:20:34,167 --> 00:20:36,000 And from that, they were pretty sure 365 00:20:36,167 --> 00:20:37,100 it was gonna be Katelyn. 366 00:20:38,167 --> 00:20:39,501 They called Fairfield, right away. 367 00:20:39,667 --> 00:20:41,400 "We think we found your missing person." 368 00:20:45,033 --> 00:20:48,367 Dental records confirmed their hunch. 369 00:20:48,534 --> 00:20:50,267 It was a devastating blow 370 00:20:50,434 --> 00:20:53,667 for everyone who had been relentlessly searching 371 00:20:53,834 --> 00:20:55,567 for the young woman. 372 00:20:55,734 --> 00:20:58,367 The Katelyn Markham missing person's case 373 00:20:58,534 --> 00:21:01,801 had just become a homicide investigation. 374 00:21:03,601 --> 00:21:05,067 I felt angry. 375 00:21:05,234 --> 00:21:06,701 She lived a low-risk lifestyle. 376 00:21:06,868 --> 00:21:09,167 She worked two jobs and went to school. 377 00:21:09,334 --> 00:21:11,067 And no one can tell me why she's dead. 378 00:21:13,100 --> 00:21:16,567 There were two police officers and a pastor 379 00:21:16,734 --> 00:21:18,567 who came to the door and told me. 380 00:21:18,734 --> 00:21:20,467 I just broke down. 381 00:21:20,634 --> 00:21:22,567 [tense music playing 382 00:21:26,868 --> 00:21:29,701 Seeing Katelyn's devastated loved ones, 383 00:21:29,868 --> 00:21:32,567 motivated detectives to provide answers. 384 00:21:33,601 --> 00:21:37,067 They were desperate to know why Katelyn had been killed 385 00:21:37,234 --> 00:21:38,767 and by whom. 386 00:21:38,934 --> 00:21:40,367 But it quickly became clear 387 00:21:40,534 --> 00:21:44,767 that even getting the "how" would be challenging. 388 00:21:44,934 --> 00:21:48,767 Was the medical examiner able to determine how she died? 389 00:21:48,934 --> 00:21:51,267 No. The cause of death was unknown, 390 00:21:51,434 --> 00:21:53,167 but they did rule it a homicide. 391 00:21:53,334 --> 00:21:57,300 Was there anything that they were able to learn 392 00:21:57,467 --> 00:21:58,701 from the autopsy? 393 00:21:58,868 --> 00:22:01,167 They found cut marks 394 00:22:01,334 --> 00:22:02,567 on her left wrist. 395 00:22:02,734 --> 00:22:03,801 Looked like postmortem. 396 00:22:03,968 --> 00:22:05,367 Someone had tried to cut off her hand, 397 00:22:05,534 --> 00:22:08,067 some bones had been cut by something sharp. 398 00:22:11,734 --> 00:22:13,000 Investigators hope 399 00:22:13,167 --> 00:22:15,901 that the material her remains were wrapped in 400 00:22:16,067 --> 00:22:18,968 would provide them with a clue about the suspect. 401 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:21,868 Was there something distinctive 402 00:22:22,033 --> 00:22:24,067 about the way the body had been wrapped? 403 00:22:24,234 --> 00:22:26,567 Her head had been wrapped in a plastic grocery bag, 404 00:22:26,734 --> 00:22:29,501 and her body had been wrapped in a plastic tarp. 405 00:22:31,767 --> 00:22:33,667 And what was your theory 406 00:22:33,834 --> 00:22:38,000 about why the killer would've wrapped the body that way? 407 00:22:38,167 --> 00:22:41,567 My theory was that someone knew who she was 408 00:22:41,734 --> 00:22:44,367 and they didn't want to see Katelyn's face no more. 409 00:22:44,534 --> 00:22:45,567 That's my theory. 410 00:22:51,601 --> 00:22:54,267 2 411 00:22:56,367 --> 00:22:59,267 Police had no physical evidence 412 00:22:59,434 --> 00:23:02,100 that linked Katelyn Markham to her killer. 413 00:23:03,367 --> 00:23:06,501 But they did discover an intriguing clue 414 00:23:06,667 --> 00:23:09,501 as they looked at a map between her home 415 00:23:09,667 --> 00:23:12,300 and where her body had been found. 416 00:23:12,467 --> 00:23:16,200 Was there anything investigators could glean from that location? 417 00:23:16,367 --> 00:23:17,300 Yes. 418 00:23:17,467 --> 00:23:19,267 They found out really quickly that 419 00:23:19,434 --> 00:23:22,200 the location of her body was a direct route 420 00:23:22,367 --> 00:23:24,801 to John Carter's father's farm. 421 00:23:31,467 --> 00:23:34,767 That potential link sent investigators 422 00:23:34,934 --> 00:23:36,567 back to where they started-- 423 00:23:36,734 --> 00:23:39,667 Katelyn's fiancé, John Carter. 424 00:23:39,834 --> 00:23:40,868 Come on in, over here. 425 00:23:41,033 --> 00:23:42,767 I got you a chair right over there. 426 00:23:42,934 --> 00:23:43,999 This time, 427 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,267 the Indiana State Police handled the interview. 428 00:24:09,667 --> 00:24:12,000 Although police remained skeptical, 429 00:24:12,167 --> 00:24:15,167 John's alibi was airtight. 430 00:24:15,334 --> 00:24:17,667 He had witnesses and computer logs 431 00:24:17,834 --> 00:24:19,767 that backed up his account. 432 00:24:19,934 --> 00:24:24,267 It seemed their new lead was just another dead end. 433 00:24:34,367 --> 00:24:35,901 Following that interview, 434 00:24:36,067 --> 00:24:39,267 the investigation was at a standstill. 435 00:24:39,434 --> 00:24:42,901 The case was in danger of going cold, 436 00:24:43,067 --> 00:24:46,367 when details of a strikingly similar attack 437 00:24:46,534 --> 00:24:48,868 popped up on detectives' radar. 438 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:56,367 A young lady had went missing. 439 00:24:56,534 --> 00:24:59,868 Her body had been located and her head had been wrapped. 440 00:25:00,100 --> 00:25:01,868 Her body had been wrapped, 441 00:25:02,033 --> 00:25:04,801 and her body had been placed near a creek bed 442 00:25:04,968 --> 00:25:06,267 in Butler County. 443 00:25:06,434 --> 00:25:08,567 And there was more that appeared to link 444 00:25:08,734 --> 00:25:12,067 the murder of Ellie Weik to Katelyn Markham's. 445 00:25:13,167 --> 00:25:15,000 Did the victims resemble each other? 446 00:25:15,167 --> 00:25:17,601 Yes, it was uncanny how they looked alike. 447 00:25:17,767 --> 00:25:19,701 They could have been twins. 448 00:25:19,868 --> 00:25:21,132 In fact, 449 00:25:21,133 --> 00:25:24,501 the two crimes could've been mirror images of one another. 450 00:25:26,901 --> 00:25:30,767 But the Weik investigation had one major difference. 451 00:25:30,934 --> 00:25:34,701 This time, police had identified the man responsible. 452 00:25:36,968 --> 00:25:40,367 It was a gentleman by the name of Michael Strouse. 453 00:25:40,534 --> 00:25:43,767 Mr. Strouse was found guilty of the killing of Ellie Weik, 454 00:25:43,934 --> 00:25:46,868 and we were trying to connect the two homicides together. 455 00:25:47,968 --> 00:25:51,400 And police quickly found links. 456 00:25:51,567 --> 00:25:53,100 Strouse had a connection to Indiana. 457 00:25:53,267 --> 00:25:57,000 His grandma lives an hour north of where Katelyn was found. 458 00:26:01,167 --> 00:26:05,467 The investigation into Strouse shifted into high gear 459 00:26:05,634 --> 00:26:09,267 after an anonymous tip appeared to directly tie 460 00:26:09,434 --> 00:26:12,667 the convicted killer to Katelyn Markham. 461 00:26:12,834 --> 00:26:16,400 There was a photograph of Michael Strouse and John Carter 462 00:26:16,567 --> 00:26:17,601 at this party. 463 00:26:20,167 --> 00:26:21,199 So now they're saying, 464 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:23,167 "OK, these two guys are connected somehow." 465 00:26:23,334 --> 00:26:24,667 Was it a possibility that 466 00:26:24,834 --> 00:26:26,667 Michael Strouse knew John and knew Katelyn? 467 00:26:26,834 --> 00:26:27,933 I asked the question, 468 00:26:27,934 --> 00:26:29,767 "Well, how about we go talk to Michael Strouse?" 469 00:26:29,934 --> 00:26:31,667 And we interviewed him in the prosecutor's office. 470 00:26:37,100 --> 00:26:39,067 In the interrogation room, 471 00:26:39,234 --> 00:26:42,000 Investigator Newton explained to Strouse 472 00:26:42,167 --> 00:26:44,767 why he was being questioned. 473 00:26:44,934 --> 00:26:46,667 I slid a news article over to him. 474 00:26:46,834 --> 00:26:48,067 I said, "I want you to read that, please." 475 00:26:48,234 --> 00:26:49,767 And I said, "Now you see why you're here." 476 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:55,901 Then, Investigator Newton showed Strouse the photograph 477 00:26:56,067 --> 00:26:59,167 that connected him to Katelyn Markham. 478 00:26:59,334 --> 00:27:02,267 And he says, "I knew him from parties, coming and going. 479 00:27:02,434 --> 00:27:04,767 I didn't know her. I never met her." 480 00:27:08,567 --> 00:27:11,167 When Strouse denied any role 481 00:27:11,334 --> 00:27:13,868 in Katelyn's disappearance or murder, 482 00:27:14,033 --> 00:27:17,200 police asked him to take a polygraph exam. 483 00:27:17,367 --> 00:27:19,701 The polygraph come back inconclusive. 484 00:27:19,868 --> 00:27:23,267 So I went to the Westchester Police Department 485 00:27:23,434 --> 00:27:25,868 and asked to look at the Michael Strouse case. 486 00:27:26,033 --> 00:27:28,267 What am I missing? What is someone else missing? 487 00:27:28,434 --> 00:27:29,467 So I did a search warrant on him. 488 00:27:29,634 --> 00:27:32,701 Let me do a deep dive into Michael Strouse. 489 00:27:32,868 --> 00:27:36,367 That deep dive led police to pore over Strouse's 490 00:27:36,534 --> 00:27:37,868 online history, 491 00:27:38,033 --> 00:27:41,200 including Facebook pictures and messages. 492 00:27:41,367 --> 00:27:42,767 And shockingly, 493 00:27:42,934 --> 00:27:46,267 the time-consuming effort paid off. 494 00:27:46,434 --> 00:27:48,567 I find a conversation that Michael Strouse is having 495 00:27:48,734 --> 00:27:51,467 about, "Hey, I had a great time last night at the party." 496 00:27:55,467 --> 00:27:58,000 Investigator Newton was stunned. 497 00:27:58,167 --> 00:28:02,367 The party took place the night Katelyn Markham disappeared. 498 00:28:02,534 --> 00:28:04,567 And there was more. 499 00:28:04,734 --> 00:28:06,067 We find a photograph 500 00:28:06,234 --> 00:28:08,467 of a gentleman with a lampshade on his head at this party. 501 00:28:08,634 --> 00:28:10,100 And right next to him, 502 00:28:10,267 --> 00:28:11,467 you see someone's face. 503 00:28:11,634 --> 00:28:13,400 It's Michael Strouse. 504 00:28:13,567 --> 00:28:14,968 The picture taken of Strouse 505 00:28:15,133 --> 00:28:16,801 gave him a solid alibi 506 00:28:16,968 --> 00:28:19,901 during the time that Katelyn was killed. 507 00:28:20,067 --> 00:28:22,300 Strouse was there that night, 508 00:28:22,467 --> 00:28:25,067 and there is no way he could've killed Katelyn? 509 00:28:25,234 --> 00:28:27,767 Yes, he had nothing to do with this. 510 00:28:27,934 --> 00:28:32,167 The original picture of Strouse and John Carter was 511 00:28:32,334 --> 00:28:34,567 nothing more than a coincidence. 512 00:28:34,734 --> 00:28:36,767 Michael Strouse, he may be a serial killer. 513 00:28:36,934 --> 00:28:38,067 He may be. 514 00:28:38,234 --> 00:28:40,200 But I don't think he had anything to do with Katelyn. 515 00:28:42,667 --> 00:28:45,000 Instead of feeling defeated, 516 00:28:45,167 --> 00:28:48,601 Investigator Newton was more determined than ever. 517 00:28:48,767 --> 00:28:52,400 He decided to start the entire Markham investigation 518 00:28:52,567 --> 00:28:54,000 over from the beginning. 519 00:28:54,167 --> 00:28:58,100 And his unrelenting search for the truth would ultimately 520 00:28:58,267 --> 00:29:02,567 put Katelyn's killer directly in his crosshairs. 521 00:29:02,734 --> 00:29:03,968 You need to understand something-- 522 00:29:04,133 --> 00:29:05,901 I don't miss. 523 00:29:06,067 --> 00:29:07,400 If it is you, I'm coming. 524 00:29:13,367 --> 00:29:16,200 2 525 00:29:18,667 --> 00:29:20,467 It had been more than six years 526 00:29:20,634 --> 00:29:23,100 since Katelyn Markham had been murdered. 527 00:29:25,067 --> 00:29:27,167 But District Attorney Mike Gmoser 528 00:29:27,334 --> 00:29:29,667 and his investigator, Paul Newton, 529 00:29:29,834 --> 00:29:34,100 believed that every clue had to be reviewed with a fresh eye. 530 00:29:35,868 --> 00:29:40,167 Did you have any expectations of the case being solved, 531 00:29:40,334 --> 00:29:41,467 when you committed to it? 532 00:29:41,634 --> 00:29:43,968 I felt that we were the last stop. 533 00:29:44,133 --> 00:29:46,200 If we didn't solve this case, 534 00:29:46,367 --> 00:29:47,901 it was never going to get solved. 535 00:29:49,067 --> 00:29:52,634 Everyone is a person of interest until I've ruled you out. 536 00:29:55,100 --> 00:29:57,167 Investigator Newton believed 537 00:29:57,334 --> 00:30:00,367 that meant re-interviewing everyone, 538 00:30:00,534 --> 00:30:03,167 starting with those closest to Katelyn. 539 00:30:04,100 --> 00:30:09,000 And the passage of time had changed some of their views. 540 00:30:09,167 --> 00:30:12,968 Did any of Katelyn's friends have new information for you? 541 00:30:13,133 --> 00:30:14,868 We found out that the relationship 542 00:30:15,033 --> 00:30:18,467 between John and Katelyn wasn't quite as smooth 543 00:30:18,634 --> 00:30:20,601 as it was made out to be. 544 00:30:20,767 --> 00:30:22,300 John, he's kind of controlling. 545 00:30:22,467 --> 00:30:24,100 John's jealous. 546 00:30:24,267 --> 00:30:26,000 Katelyn was confiding in some of these people, 547 00:30:26,167 --> 00:30:27,801 "I'm not sure we're gonna be getting married." 548 00:30:29,100 --> 00:30:30,567 That's the first time we had heard that. 549 00:30:35,133 --> 00:30:39,267 But perhaps the most important new details were found buried 550 00:30:39,434 --> 00:30:41,667 inside the massive case file. 551 00:30:42,767 --> 00:30:44,601 A report that had been taken 552 00:30:44,767 --> 00:30:48,868 just days after Katelyn's body was discovered. 553 00:30:49,033 --> 00:30:50,767 Paul Newton said, 554 00:30:50,934 --> 00:30:55,000 "Hey, what's this about these boys in the bushes here 555 00:30:55,167 --> 00:30:58,868 "that saw Carter come home that night 556 00:30:59,033 --> 00:31:01,000 at about 2 o'clock in the morning?" 557 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,200 The tip had come from two teenagers 558 00:31:04,367 --> 00:31:05,801 who had snuck out of the house 559 00:31:05,968 --> 00:31:08,667 late on the night Katelyn disappeared. 560 00:31:08,834 --> 00:31:11,467 They said that while they were waiting for their ride, 561 00:31:11,634 --> 00:31:14,901 they heard a car approaching from the opposite direction. 562 00:31:17,267 --> 00:31:18,901 They think it's gonna be Fairfield Police Department, 563 00:31:19,067 --> 00:31:21,200 so they hide behind a big, huge evergreen. 564 00:31:21,367 --> 00:31:23,868 But it wasn't a police car. 565 00:31:24,033 --> 00:31:27,167 It was John Carter returning home. 566 00:31:27,334 --> 00:31:30,467 These boys saw Carter go into his garage. 567 00:31:31,968 --> 00:31:35,667 Ten minutes later, he comes out and drives away, 568 00:31:35,834 --> 00:31:38,567 and as he's leaving, he leaves with his lights off. 569 00:31:45,267 --> 00:31:48,000 The information was stunning. 570 00:31:48,167 --> 00:31:50,267 In every one of his interviews, 571 00:31:50,434 --> 00:31:52,968 Carter had told police that he had arrived home 572 00:31:53,133 --> 00:31:55,167 at 1:30 in the morning 573 00:31:55,334 --> 00:32:00,200 and hadn't gone out again until 4:30 the next day. 574 00:32:00,367 --> 00:32:03,100 But police now had two witnesses 575 00:32:03,267 --> 00:32:06,100 who said they saw him leave his home 576 00:32:06,267 --> 00:32:08,267 after 2 AM. 577 00:32:08,434 --> 00:32:09,667 I said to Paul, 578 00:32:09,834 --> 00:32:12,000 "Those boys are not lying. 579 00:32:12,167 --> 00:32:14,667 That's the key in this case." 580 00:32:16,100 --> 00:32:20,467 Those interviews punched a hole in John Carter's alibi. 581 00:32:20,634 --> 00:32:23,868 How did that alter your investigation? 582 00:32:24,033 --> 00:32:26,767 Fits the timeline of when she's being murdered. 583 00:32:28,901 --> 00:32:30,400 And at that point in time, it's game on. 584 00:32:32,634 --> 00:32:36,167 Police went to work searching for additional cracks 585 00:32:36,334 --> 00:32:37,968 in Carter's alibi. 586 00:32:38,133 --> 00:32:40,701 Carter claimed, after he got home, 587 00:32:40,868 --> 00:32:44,167 he spent the next few hours watching his favorite show 588 00:32:44,334 --> 00:32:45,701 on his computer. 589 00:32:45,868 --> 00:32:49,200 One of my investigators reviewed that computer. 590 00:32:49,367 --> 00:32:50,400 And what does he find? 591 00:32:50,567 --> 00:32:52,467 He finds that at 4:30 in the morning, 592 00:32:52,634 --> 00:32:56,267 Carter is looking for the synopsis of the program. 593 00:32:57,400 --> 00:32:59,567 The police believe it was evidence 594 00:32:59,734 --> 00:33:03,567 that Carter had never actually viewed the episodes 595 00:33:03,734 --> 00:33:05,267 he downloaded. 596 00:33:05,434 --> 00:33:07,200 If he watched them, why is he reading the synopsis? 597 00:33:07,367 --> 00:33:09,267 So was it your belief 598 00:33:09,434 --> 00:33:12,267 that he never watched the show that night 599 00:33:12,434 --> 00:33:15,868 because he was disposing of Katelyn's body at that time? 600 00:33:16,033 --> 00:33:17,100 Absolutely. 601 00:33:24,167 --> 00:33:28,868 Prosecutors believe they had a strong circumstantial case. 602 00:33:29,033 --> 00:33:31,267 They presented their potential motive, 603 00:33:31,434 --> 00:33:33,300 the links to the crime scene, 604 00:33:33,467 --> 00:33:36,467 and the evidence of Carter's shattered alibi 605 00:33:36,634 --> 00:33:38,100 to a grand jury. 606 00:33:38,267 --> 00:33:39,367 When they were done, 607 00:33:39,534 --> 00:33:42,868 they confronted John Carter with its findings. 608 00:34:13,367 --> 00:34:17,767 John Carter was arrested for Katelyn Markham's murder 609 00:34:17,934 --> 00:34:20,501 on March 22nd, 2023. 610 00:34:23,067 --> 00:34:26,467 Many wondered if the evidence police had collected 611 00:34:26,634 --> 00:34:28,767 would be enough to get a conviction. 612 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:32,367 At that point, 613 00:34:32,534 --> 00:34:37,667 did you have anything beyond circumstantial evidence? 614 00:34:37,834 --> 00:34:39,300 No. 615 00:34:39,467 --> 00:34:42,167 No, I knew-- we'd find something. 616 00:34:42,334 --> 00:34:43,868 If you dig hard enough, you will find it. 617 00:34:48,467 --> 00:34:50,501 With Carter behind bars, 618 00:34:50,667 --> 00:34:53,868 police continued to build their case. 619 00:34:54,033 --> 00:34:56,000 Prior to... trial, 620 00:34:56,167 --> 00:34:58,400 we go back to interview individuals 621 00:34:58,567 --> 00:35:00,701 who live next door to Katelyn. 622 00:35:00,868 --> 00:35:04,868 And one of them had a disturbing story to tell. 623 00:35:05,033 --> 00:35:06,167 They recall that date very well, 624 00:35:06,334 --> 00:35:07,501 because it was their anniversary. 625 00:35:07,667 --> 00:35:10,868 And she dozes off around 10 o'clock at night. 626 00:35:11,033 --> 00:35:13,267 Sometime after 11 PM, 627 00:35:13,434 --> 00:35:15,801 a loud noise woke her up. 628 00:35:15,968 --> 00:35:17,567 She hears a loud thump. 629 00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:21,467 And she hears yelling from a female, 630 00:35:21,634 --> 00:35:23,200 "Stop it, stop it!" 631 00:35:24,267 --> 00:35:25,367 And she hears another thump. 632 00:35:27,167 --> 00:35:29,167 Wasn't she concerned? 633 00:35:29,334 --> 00:35:30,701 When she heard that? 634 00:35:30,868 --> 00:35:31,801 She was. 635 00:35:31,968 --> 00:35:34,400 When I interviewed her, she breaks down. 636 00:35:34,567 --> 00:35:37,801 Then the young woman explained why she had held on 637 00:35:37,968 --> 00:35:41,067 to this terrible secret for so long. 638 00:35:41,234 --> 00:35:42,767 I said, "Why didn't you report this?" 639 00:35:42,934 --> 00:35:44,166 She goes, 640 00:35:44,167 --> 00:35:46,868 "I didn't want to think I heard someone being murdered, 641 00:35:47,033 --> 00:35:48,934 especially Katelyn." 642 00:35:51,367 --> 00:35:54,567 Police believed it was the final piece of the puzzle. 643 00:35:56,267 --> 00:35:57,767 That was a revelation of like, 644 00:35:57,934 --> 00:35:59,501 "OK, now we-- now we've got him. 645 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:02,000 Now we've got him." 646 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:04,868 District Attorney Mike Gmoser 647 00:36:05,033 --> 00:36:06,200 wasn't as certain. 648 00:36:06,367 --> 00:36:09,801 He still had to prove to the jury that John Carter 649 00:36:09,968 --> 00:36:13,501 was the only one with the motive and the opportunity 650 00:36:13,667 --> 00:36:15,501 to murder Katelyn. 651 00:36:15,667 --> 00:36:17,701 Katelyn was getting cold feet. 652 00:36:17,868 --> 00:36:20,801 She wanted out, and she ended up dead. 653 00:36:20,968 --> 00:36:22,868 I think it was probably as simple as that. 654 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,300 Prosecutors wanted to present evidence 655 00:36:30,467 --> 00:36:32,567 that, after killing Katelyn, 656 00:36:32,734 --> 00:36:35,601 Carter methodically planned his alibi. 657 00:36:35,767 --> 00:36:37,801 He visited a friend's house, 658 00:36:37,968 --> 00:36:39,367 destroyed her phone, 659 00:36:39,534 --> 00:36:41,901 went home to turn on his computer, 660 00:36:42,067 --> 00:36:45,367 and then made the 30-mile drive to Indiana 661 00:36:45,534 --> 00:36:47,400 to get rid of Katelyn's body. 662 00:36:48,701 --> 00:36:51,868 But no matter how convincing that story was, 663 00:36:52,033 --> 00:36:55,701 there were still huge hurdles to clear. 664 00:36:55,868 --> 00:36:57,968 There was no DNA evidence. 665 00:36:58,133 --> 00:36:59,767 There's nothing directly pointing to John, 666 00:36:59,934 --> 00:37:01,167 and John knew that. 667 00:37:03,267 --> 00:37:07,367 The defense always claims that circumstantial evidence 668 00:37:07,534 --> 00:37:10,067 is nothing more than a coincidence. 669 00:37:10,234 --> 00:37:12,067 But when all of the circumstances 670 00:37:12,234 --> 00:37:13,234 can be put together, 671 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:17,467 it can become a very powerful indictment, 672 00:37:17,634 --> 00:37:18,934 with respect to guilt. 673 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,467 John Carter and his attorney were clearly worried 674 00:37:23,634 --> 00:37:25,901 about who the jury would believe. 675 00:37:26,901 --> 00:37:28,367 Just before the trial, 676 00:37:28,534 --> 00:37:31,801 they asked the district attorney for a meeting. 677 00:37:31,968 --> 00:37:35,801 Carter's attorney approached you with a deal. 678 00:37:35,968 --> 00:37:38,701 How did you weigh his offer? 679 00:37:38,868 --> 00:37:41,000 I wanted acceptance of responsibility 680 00:37:41,167 --> 00:37:42,200 and accountability. 681 00:37:42,367 --> 00:37:44,000 One way or another, 682 00:37:44,167 --> 00:37:48,467 John Carter needed to admit that he killed this girl, 683 00:37:48,634 --> 00:37:51,567 that the end of the relationship caused his anger, 684 00:37:51,734 --> 00:37:53,601 and bad things happened. 685 00:37:53,767 --> 00:37:55,167 He was responsible. 686 00:37:55,334 --> 00:37:57,868 It needed to have closure in that way. 687 00:38:00,167 --> 00:38:03,400 District Attorney Gmoser got his confession. 688 00:38:03,567 --> 00:38:06,901 John Carter admitted he killed Katelyn. 689 00:38:08,701 --> 00:38:10,968 But the price was shocking. 690 00:38:12,501 --> 00:38:14,567 Carter would plead guilty 691 00:38:14,734 --> 00:38:17,167 to the charge of involuntary manslaughter 692 00:38:17,334 --> 00:38:21,601 and face a prison sentence of just three years. 693 00:38:23,701 --> 00:38:26,000 While the general public might say, 694 00:38:26,167 --> 00:38:29,501 "Well, only three years? How can that be justice?" 695 00:38:29,667 --> 00:38:34,367 Well, justice has to be decided on issues of what the truth is. 696 00:38:34,534 --> 00:38:36,167 And we didn't have the truth 697 00:38:36,334 --> 00:38:38,968 until he agreed to take the deal. 698 00:38:39,133 --> 00:38:40,601 Then, we had the truth. 699 00:38:44,968 --> 00:38:46,367 For Dave Markham, 700 00:38:46,534 --> 00:38:51,167 the outcome brought a wave of mixed emotions. 701 00:38:51,334 --> 00:38:53,267 When Mike Gmoser approached you 702 00:38:53,434 --> 00:38:55,300 with the possibility of a plea deal, 703 00:38:55,467 --> 00:38:56,767 were you on board? 704 00:38:56,934 --> 00:38:59,200 I was on board. I wasn't happy with it. 705 00:38:59,367 --> 00:39:03,000 But I did not want a hung jury or a mistrial. 706 00:39:03,167 --> 00:39:05,501 He could've walked and gotten absolutely nothing. 707 00:39:06,601 --> 00:39:09,167 So I'm happy that he's in prison right now. 708 00:39:10,868 --> 00:39:13,868 Investigator Paul Newton was deeply disappointed 709 00:39:14,033 --> 00:39:16,567 the case wasn't going to trial. 710 00:39:16,734 --> 00:39:20,501 What was your reaction to John Carter pleading guilty 711 00:39:20,667 --> 00:39:22,701 to involuntary manslaughter? 712 00:39:22,868 --> 00:39:23,901 No, I didn't like it at all. 713 00:39:24,067 --> 00:39:25,467 But we could've tried this case. 714 00:39:25,634 --> 00:39:27,100 We could've found him guilty. 715 00:39:27,267 --> 00:39:30,567 And John would've went the rest of his life saying, 716 00:39:30,734 --> 00:39:31,733 "I didn't kill Katelyn." 717 00:39:31,734 --> 00:39:33,567 With this involuntary manslaughter charge, 718 00:39:33,734 --> 00:39:36,367 John has to walk into a Butler County courtroom 719 00:39:36,534 --> 00:39:39,701 in front of God and everybody and say, "I killed Katelyn." 720 00:39:45,167 --> 00:39:47,467 Paul Newton's tireless pursuit 721 00:39:47,634 --> 00:39:51,367 of Katelyn's killer has forged an unbreakable bond 722 00:39:51,534 --> 00:39:54,267 between him and Dave Markham. 723 00:39:55,767 --> 00:39:59,400 How much gratitude do you have for the team 724 00:39:59,567 --> 00:40:01,701 that finally solved this case? 725 00:40:01,868 --> 00:40:02,868 Very grateful. 726 00:40:03,033 --> 00:40:06,667 Paul Newton, he was a godsend. 727 00:40:06,834 --> 00:40:08,000 You know, without Paul, 728 00:40:08,167 --> 00:40:10,300 we wouldn't be sitting here today. 729 00:40:10,467 --> 00:40:13,868 He put his heart and soul into solving this. 730 00:40:15,701 --> 00:40:17,968 Katelyn had an amazing future, 731 00:40:18,133 --> 00:40:19,801 and she had a lot of passion 732 00:40:19,968 --> 00:40:22,167 about the direction she was moving in. 733 00:40:23,300 --> 00:40:26,567 What do you think John Carter robbed her of? 734 00:40:26,734 --> 00:40:29,067 Life, happiness, joy. 735 00:40:29,234 --> 00:40:31,267 John Carter didn't just rob Katelyn. 736 00:40:31,434 --> 00:40:33,601 He robbed me of the joy of seeing Katelyn 737 00:40:33,767 --> 00:40:35,300 do great things with her art. 738 00:40:39,334 --> 00:40:42,501 He took away a lot from a lot of people. 739 00:40:42,667 --> 00:40:45,200 Katelyn would have touched so many lives. 740 00:40:45,367 --> 00:40:47,501 But, uh, that's it. 741 00:40:48,767 --> 00:40:49,901 Love you. 742 00:40:51,167 --> 00:40:53,667 Dave Markham hopes he can touch lives 743 00:40:53,834 --> 00:40:55,367 in Katelyn's memory. 744 00:40:55,534 --> 00:40:57,868 He's pursuing legislation in her name 745 00:40:58,033 --> 00:41:00,400 that would extend the statute of limitation 746 00:41:00,567 --> 00:41:03,567 on any crime committed during a homicide. 747 00:41:04,701 --> 00:41:06,067 I'm Paula Zahn. 748 00:41:06,234 --> 00:41:09,667 Please join us again next time when we're back on the case. 749 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:13,100 On the next On the Case... 750 00:41:13,267 --> 00:41:14,901 What happened that morning? 751 00:41:15,067 --> 00:41:18,067 DJ saw an unknown assailant that had a 752 00:41:18,234 --> 00:41:19,801 firearm pointed at Roger. 753 00:41:19,968 --> 00:41:22,868 It did feel like it was premeditated. 754 00:41:23,033 --> 00:41:26,067 My dad and mom were the target. 755 00:41:26,234 --> 00:41:28,968 He brought all the tools to commit a murder.