Disappearance and death of Fairfield’s Katelyn Markham to air on ‘Dateline’ this week

The wooded area was not far from a farm owned by the Carter family.

Markham’s death was then ruled a homicide, but the cause of death was not determined. It remained unsolved until Carter’s arrest in March 2023.

Markham’s disappearance initially was treated as a missing persons case by Fairfield police. She wasn’t at her Dorshire Drive residence and she didn’t show up for work at David’s Bridal near Tri-County Mall. Her car, keys, dog and other personal belongings, except for her cellphone, were at her townhouse. The phone was turned off, according to the investigation, at about 12:45 a.m. Aug. 14, 2011, and the GPS on her phone also was off.

Almost a month shy of a decade since her disappearance and with no arrests in her death ― though Carter had been under suspicion ― Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser announced the indictment of Carter on a murder charge after an 18-month investigation by his office.

Carter, now married and a father, was scheduled to go to trial on June 24 but pleaded to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced July 18 to the maximum of three years in prison. He had remained free on the $1 million bond he posted after arraignment in April 2023, but was handcuffed after Judge Dan Haughey imposed the sentence and was taken to prison.

His expected release date from prison is July 4, 2027, according to court records.

Gmoser was interviewed for the “Dateline” report and said he included statements about the circumstantial evidence used to build the case, lack of the cause of death for Katelyn, which created issues, and “a war” between Fairfield officers who could not agree on the guilt or innocence of Carter during the initial investigation that dragged the case on for years.

These were all factors in Carter’s plea deal. And Carter made no admissions at sentencing as to specifics of what happened the night Markham died.

But there is still investigation to be had, according to Gmoser,

“I am still around here and as long as I am around here, I am still going to be digging,” Gmoser said.

Gmoser says he will pursue a new perjury indictment against Jonathan Palmerton, who was accused of lying during official proceedings in connection with the Markham investigation. He was indicted in February 2023, but those charges were eventually dismissed months after the Carter indictment because Gmoser said circumstances would not allow Palmerton’s case to be tried before Carter.

There is a five-year statute of limitation in Palmerton’s perjury allegation.

Markham’s father, Dave Markham, talked with the media after the sentencing, saying Carter “was responsible for this and he deserved what he got.” He admitted he was “relieved” and “grateful” for the judge giving the maximum sentence possible under the plea agreement.

“It’s not over, and no it’s not closure, but it’s the start of something else to come,” he said. “I’m thankful and grateful for the judge handing out the sentence that he did.”

Staff writer Michael Pitman contributed to this report