Going West: True Crime

Episode 531 — Katelyn Markham
Release Date: August 22, 2025
Hosts: Daphne Woolsoncroft & Heath Merryman

Episode Overview

In this episode, Daphne and Heath unravel the haunting disappearance and murder of Katelyn Markham, a 21-year-old Ohio art student who vanished from her Fairfield townhouse in August 2011. The episode details the baffling investigation, the discovery of Katelyn’s remains nearly two years later across state lines, years of frustration for her family, and the eventual—unsatisfying—legal outcome over a decade later. The episode critiques investigative mistakes, highlights the roles of those closest to Katelyn, and underscores the continuing fight for justice via “Katelyn’s Law.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Katelyn’s Background and Disappearance (03:55–08:28)

• Background: Katelyn, born in 1989, was described as creative, kind, and beloved by friends and family. Close with her adoptive family, she lived with her dad after her parents’ divorce.
• Life at Time of Disappearance: An art student at the Art Institute of Cincinnati, working multiple jobs, and engaged to longtime boyfriend John Carter. Their wedding and move to Colorado were approaching.
• Night Before Disappearance: On Saturday, August 13, 2011, Katelyn and John were at her townhouse. Their mutual friend Brad Von Bargen sensed tension between them; Katelyn was unusually subdued.
• Timeline: John left around 11:30pm to meet friends, claiming text exchanges continued afterward. The next day, John became worried when Katelyn didn’t respond to his messages—a rare occurrence—prompting him to visit her home where he found her missing but her personal belongings and dog left behind.

"Her purse, her car, even her beloved dog were all left behind. And with no clear signs of a struggle and no clear explanation, the case baffled investigators and shook her community for nearly two years." – Daphne (03:55)

2. Early Investigation and Suspects (08:28–21:25)

• Initial Search: Friends, family, and John Carter mobilized quickly; John was described as emotional and present, unlike some suspects in similar cases.
• Suspects Emerge: Police focused on two individuals early:
  • Ryan Ball: A high school acquaintance and convicted sex offender. Ryan was cleared after denying any involvement and no evidence linking him to Katelyn.
  • Brad Von Bargen: The last friend to see Katelyn, who failed a voice stress test but rationalized it was due to anxiety; no evidence implicated him.
• John Carter’s Role: John remained highly visible, gave media interviews, and pointed police toward both Ryan Ball and Brad as persons of interest.

"People can hide behind their emotions for sure, but a lot of times in cases like this...the fiancé does the opposite. They hide. But John isn't doing that. He's saying, help me find her." – Daphne (12:48)

• Katelyn’s Cellphone: Turned off just after midnight (shortly after John left), never turned back on or recovered; John’s alibi with friends that night was later questioned but not initially disproven.

3. The Discovery of Katelyn’s Remains (21:25–24:09)

• Remains Found: April 7, 2013, in a rural creek in Cedar Grove, Indiana—40 minutes from Fairfield, across state lines.
• Scene Details: Remains wrapped in a tarp and plastic bag, covered with garbage—efforts made to conceal the body.
• Investigation Complications: Jurisdictional confusion between Ohio and Indiana hindered the investigation.

"Her body was covered in a black tarp and her head had been wrapped in a plastic bag." – Daphne (23:21) "I knew it. I felt it." – Dave Markham, Katelyn's father, on learning her remains were found (24:09)

4. Investigative Fumbles and Family Frustration (32:05–34:38)

• Police Failures: Friends discovered more of Katelyn’s remains at the scene after police had finished—an egregious oversight.
• Private Investigation: An anonymous donor hired PI J. Ryan Green, who focused again on those closest to Katelyn, notably Brad and John Carter.
• Physical Evidence Attempts: Green acquired Brad's former car; possible blood traces found, but not enough for DNA analysis.

"Just two of her friends, you know, walking around, and then they're...finding pieces of their friend." – Heath (32:37)

5. Building the Case: Suspicion Narrows on John Carter (34:38–48:58)

• Michelle’s Suspicions (Katelyn’s Best Friend):
  • Noted an argument between Katelyn and John about money at a public fair the night before the disappearance.
  • Raised concerns that Katelyn’s remains were found near land owned by John’s father.
  • Provided this information to investigators.
• John’s Changing Story: Admitted to private investigator Jay Ryan Green, for the first time, that he and Katelyn fought the night she vanished, contradicting his police statements (“not at all” – 35:28).
• Red Flags:
  • John’s phone was turned off after midnight—the same timeframe as Katelyn’s and inconsistent with his story of texting.
  • Deleted texts to and from Katelyn cited as an “accident.”
  • No record of the 4am text he claimed to have sent her.
  • Polygraph results detected deception on multiple occasions.

“Deep down, I love her. You want to kill her, but I love her, she must die.” – Diary entry from John Carter (48:02)

• Physical Evidence: Landscaping fibers found with Katelyn’s body matched materials at John’s mother’s house where he lived.
• Teenage Witnesses: Years later, two boys reported seeing John’s car and his friend John Palmerton’s car driving without headlights near John’s mom’s house that night.

6. Legal Resolution (and Lack Thereof) (50:01–55:33)

• Arrests:
  • John Palmerton (John Carter’s friend) arrested for perjury – Feb 2023.
  • John Carter arrested for murder – Mar 2023.
• Case Challenges:
  • No DNA, no confession, and only circumstantial evidence.
  • Prosecution, fearing acquittal, offered a plea deal.
• Plea Deal: John Carter pled guilty to third-degree involuntary manslaughter—admitting accidental killing.
• Sentence: Just three years in prison, the legal maximum for that charge.
• Family Reaction: Disbelief and anger that John would serve so little time for ending Katelyn’s life.

"Not a day goes by that I do not think of Katelyn. I don't think three years is justice. Not for Katelyn, not for her sister, not for me, her friends, or the entire community that ached and grieved alongside us." – Dave Markham, Katelyn’s father (55:33)

7. Aftermath and Legacy (55:44–end)

• Palmerton Released: Perjury charge dropped.
• Family’s Next Steps:
  • Dave remarried; Katelyn’s sister Allie became a teacher.
  • The Markham family is pursuing “Katelyn’s Law” to extend statutes of limitations in homicide cases where victims aren’t immediately found.
• Reflection:
  • Hosts express outrage over the short sentence and investigative mishandling.
  • Daphne highlights the bitter irony that John Carter, who appeared publicly desperate to find Katelyn, was the killer all along.
  • Family and hosts mourn the lack of true justice, but hope Katelyn’s Law can help future victims.

“It just frustrates me so much when somebody— they get off. Like, you accept a plea deal, all you got to do is plead guilty. But you don't have to tell us anything. So... that's not really accepting responsibility.” – Daphne (53:18) “Honestly, this case really pisses me off...John should not be released in three years or two years.” – Heath (57:43)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Katelyn’s Legacy:
  “She was bright, vibrant, coming out of her shell like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. It's hard to imagine that somebody would have harmed her because nobody disliked her.” – Dave Markham (56:08)
• On Police Failures:
  “If they had dug into John Carter’s phone records or his alibi, which feels like the easiest and first thing to do, they would have found numerous holes in his story.” – Daphne (50:54)
• On the Sentence:
  “35-year-old John Carter was sentenced to just three years in prison. Yes, you got that correct. Three years in prison, which was the maximum sentence allowed by law for third degree involuntary manslaughter in the state of Ohio.” – Heath (54:28)

Important Timestamps

• Katelyn's Background/Disappearance: 03:55–08:28
• Red Flags & Early Suspects: 12:11–18:36
• Discovery of Remains: 21:25–24:09
• Investigation Missteps: 32:05–34:38
• John’s Changed Story & Physical Evidence: 39:14–48:58
• Legal Outcome: 50:01–55:33
• Aftermath & Legacy: 55:44–end

Tone and Atmosphere

The episode balances the personal heartbreak of Katelyn’s friends and family with critical coverage of law enforcement failures and the justice system’s limitations. The hosts inject empathy, frustration, and at times dark humor to cope with the story’s difficult themes, but their sense of injustice is the prevailing note throughout.

Final Reflections

This episode is a sobering exploration of how investigative errors, lack of physical evidence, and statutory time limits can result in outcomes that feel contrary to justice. Katelyn Markham’s case, while officially closed, remains a poignant reminder of the need for legal reform and vigilance in the search for truth. The Markham family’s push for “Katelyn’s Law” stands as their enduring hope that future victims and families won’t be let down the way they were.