OH - Katelyn Markham, 22, Fairfield, 14 Aug 2011, found deceased in 2013 *arrest in 2023* #5

While Palmerton has been charged with perjury, it is unclear if Butler County Prosecutors believe he's a person of interest in Markham's death. He is currently being held at the Butler County Jail.

Gmoser said Palmerton was arrested Friday at his Fairfield home after it was searched. Another property belonging to John Carter, who was believed to be Markham's partner at the time of her disappearance, was also searched by police. Gmoser said Carter has not been charged with any crime.

Gmoser also said the case took investigators to New Orleans, but he did not specify in what way. He also did not release any other information regarding Markham's case.
 
Search warrants were executed at a former Fairfield residence of the Katelyn’s fiancé, John Carter, and a person described as a friend of Carter, according to Gmoser. Investigators from his office and the Fairfield Police Department also dug up yards looking for evidence.

Evidence was taken from the yards and homes.
Carter was not arrested and there are no charges pending.

“This is not the beginning of the end, this is truly the end of the beginning as far as the investigation is concerned, Gmoser said.

Palmerton was indicted by a grand jury and it was served on him at the same time the search warrants were being served.

The investigation of the Katelyn Markham case has now gone into a more public stage and will continue,” Gmoser said.

Gmoser said he also talked to Katelyn’s father after the search warrants were served.

“I am so thankful and so grateful, Markham said choking back tears. “It is about damn time.”

What happened to the 22-year-old art student and how she died has remained a mystery, despite a $100,000 reward and the efforts of multiple police agencies, private detectives, television shows and a movie.
 
From the wcpo article linked above:
In 2016, the Butler County Sheriff's Office said they had a strong person of interest in her case, as well as another Fairfield cold case, but no arrests were ever made.
I can't remember this other case, does anyone know?

Reading the latest reports sounds like LE are being very careful to do everything correctly.
I think they know who and maybe even how and they are expecting (or at least hoping) this Palmerton guy will talk...
 
Just read the news! I thought PI J. Ryan Green did excellent work on podcast "Gone at 21" though it's been so long ago that I listened to it. Anyway great news for Katelyn's dad David.

 
From the wcpo article linked above:

I can't remember this other case, does anyone know?

Reading the latest reports sounds like LE are being very careful to do everything correctly.
I think they know who and maybe even how and they are expecting (or at least hoping) this Palmerton guy will talk...
They are probably referring to Chelsea Johnson.
 
So happy to see an arrest in this case. I had followed it from the start, as I was in Ohio when Katelyn was reported missing.

I remember hearing an interview with her fiancé John Carter on the radio the day she was reported as missing, and I thought some of the things he said sounded very, very fishy. JMO


From the article:

Sometime recently, prior to Palmerton’s arrest, investigators executed two search warrants on separate properties. One property is where Palmerton lived in 2011, a house on Ann Court in Fairfield.

The other property is where Markham’s fiancé at the time, John Carter, lived. Carter was allegedly the last person to see Markham alive and called 911 to report her disappearance. Retired Butler County Detective Frank Smith has said Carter was “scrutinized very heavily during this case
 
Its been a few years since I listened to "Gone at 21", so I don't remember if Palmerton or Strouse were mentioned in the podcast. I'm on the fence about Carter's involvement. I did get a sense from the podcast that there were others that needed to looked at.
 
I've started a sub-album for "Justice" for Katelyn

The main Case Archive has everything I found from the beginning to now.
 
I've started a sub-album for "Justice" for Katelyn

The main Case Archive has everything I found from the beginning to now.

Thank you for your dedication as always!
 
I suspected him from Day 1, after I heard the 911 call being played on the news on the radio.

This is what got my attention: Carter also said in his 911 call, “a Sacred Heart Festival is going on right up the street, and there are a lot of questionable people there.”
 

"Everybody is thrilled," Markham's father, Dave, said following the news. "This is the ending — or beginning of the end — and as everybody thought this ... we all suspected that he had something to do with it."

snip

Now, Markham's family said they are relieved to finally get answers.

"I'm numb, I'm ecstatic, I'm happy, obviously relieved," said Dave Markham. "It's about time — I think myself and a lot of other people were expecting this and were waiting for this for 12 years."
 
Where her body was found was the final nail for me pointing to his guilt. I am so glad they are finally charging him!

With his friends plea deal, sounds like he rolled on John! If that secures a conviction, that will be sweet! So glad the new investigators diligently worked on this “cold case”!!
 

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