John Carter: Ohio man charged with murder of fiancee Katelyn Markham who went missing 12 years ago
BUTLER COUNTY, OHIO: An Ohio man has been charged with murder in connection to the disappearance of his fiancee. Katelyn Markham, an art student, went missing nearly 12 years ago before she was found dead. On Wednesday, March 22, John Carter, 34, was taken into custody at the Butler County Jail.
The Hamilton native has been charged with two counts of felony murder. The indictment unsealed on Thursday, March 23, read, "On or about August 13, 2011, through August 14, 2011, in Butler County, Ohio, John Allen Carter did purposefully cause the death of Katelyn Markham which constitutes the offense of murder," reported People.
READ MORE
Tabitha Zelida Wood: Georgia woman lived with fiance's dead body for months after murdering him
'I did suspect him all along'
The 22-year-old art student was last seen at her home in Fairfield on August 13, 2011. With plans to move to Colorado with her fiance, she was just months away from graduating from the Art Institute of Cincinnati. In April 2013, around 30 miles west of the missing girl's home, Markham's remains were discovered at a dump site in Cedar Grove. Her death was ruled as a homicide. Authorities have not disclosed information relating to evidence that led to the arrest of Carter and the cause of Makhram's death.
Following Carter's arrest, the victim's father said that he was not shocked about her fiance being taken into custody. Talking to Fox 19, Dave Markham said, "It's not a surprise. I mean, I did suspect him all along. I think a lot of people, if not a vast majority of people, suspected him."
"Statistically, it's the spouse or the boyfriend or you know, I mean, [a large percentage] of cases like this, it's their spouse or boyfriend or fiance. So, if you're looking at it, it should've happened," he said.
'My fiancee is missing and I can't find her anywhere'
On the day of her disappearance, Carter, who was believed to be the last person to have seen the victim alive, dialed 911 to report about his missing fiancee. He told the authorities that Markham who worked at David's Bridal near the Tri-County Mall did not show up for work. "I know you're not supposed to report a missing person before 24 hours, but my fiancee is missing and I can't find her anywhere," said Carter.
According to WCPO-TV, except for Markham's cellphone, all her personal belongings were not found in her apartment. However, her cellphone's GPS location data was turned off. Throughout the search for Markham, her fiance publicly pleaded for her return and was active in the hunt for her. More than a decade ago, Carter told WCPO-TV, "I keep believing that if she is somewhere in the worst-case scenario, that she fights her way out. I keep wanting to believe that. Because she's strong. I know she's strong."