HAMILTON, Ohio — Newly obtained documents by WCPO detail the autopsy report of Katelyn Markham. Her remains were found in 2013 in a remote, wooded area near a road in Indiana.
Part of the autopsy findings were presented as evidence Monday at the arraignment of John Carter, who was arrested and charged in Markham's death.
Carter, Markham's fiance at the time of her 2011 disappearance pleaded not guilty, and his bond was set at $1 million.
Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser said he presented Markham's autopsy report and other findings to the judge as evidence because there was no other way to talk about weight and sufficiency without the judge knowing what evidence was.
According to the autopsy report from the University of Indianapolis Archaeology & Forensics Laboratory, Markham's left wrist had three or four cut marks that caused "sharp force trauma." The autopsy doesn't indicate if these could be a cause of death but rather they could be from dismemberment.
Markham's bones were severely broken up and heavily decomposed, according to the autopsy. Despite this, the state of the decomposition suggested that her body was kept somewhere — possibly indoors — for a decent time before being dumped, according to the report.
One specific example of this the autopsy references is Markham's skull, which was found at the dump site tied in a plastic grocery bag. According to the autopsy, there was very little staining, decomposition fluid or remaining tissue on the skull, which would have been present if full decomposition happened inside that bag.
It is unclear if investigators know or have any idea of where Markham's body could have been held prior to being dumped.
Gmoser also presented documents with writings and poems found at Carter's home.
These documents didn't have a date on them, but Gmoser said they were found in a binder with Carter's name on it.
One poem includes the line "she must die," while another questions whether to hide a body under a trailer or in the back yard. Another line of a document reads “I slit your wrist with the key to your heart.”
These documents were found through a search warrant that was conducted shortly before Carter's indictment. Carter was taken into custody March 22 by Forest Park police.
Body camera footage of the arrest shows Carter in handcuffs being patted down by officers before he's put in the back of a police cruiser. A camera inside the police cruiser shows Carter sitting in the back of a cruiser. There is no audio on the video so it is unclear if Carter was saying anything. Carter is then taken out of the cruiser by police.
Watch the full body camera footage here:
Carter was arrested during his shift at Neusole Glassworks, where he has since been terminated due to the "severity of charges," according to a letter from the company.
Carter was with the company since 2016 where he was an assistant studio manager and instructor. Prior to his 2016 hiring, the company said Carter was fully vetted, and management was allegedly aware of his connection to the Markham case.
View the full letter from Neusole Glassworks here:
Carter's arrest is the first massive break in the case in more than a decade. His arrest came after a 35-year-old man, which Katelyn's father Dave said was friends with her at the time of her death, was indicted for perjury in February 2023.
According to that indictment, Jonathan Palmerton is accused of making a false statement under oath in April 2022. Gmoser was unable to give additional information regarding that indictment.
The day Palmerton was arrested is the same day the search warrants were conducted on Carter's former home where his mother lives, as well as other residences of relatives of friends.
Dave Markham said everyone was thrilled after Carter's indictment and arrest.
"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," Dave Markham said.
After Katelyn's remains were found in 2013, Dave Markham said he had theories he didn't want to speak about publicly, but that the family didn't see Carter "much anymore."
Carter, who was the person that reported Markham's disappearance to 911, has always maintained his innocence.
In his call to 911, Carter said, "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."
Markham vanished in August 2011 and her car, keys, dog and personal belongings except her cellphone were found at her Fairfield townhouse. Her cellphone, along with its GPS device, was turned off around 12:45 a.m. on Aug. 14, 2011.
According to court documents, Carter allegedly killed her between Aug. 13 and Aug. 14, 2011.
While she was missing. Carter assisted police and volunteers with searches for years. He told WCPO in an August 2011 interview that he was "absolutely terrified."
He also said at the time he was hopeful Markham could "fight her way out" if she was somewhere "because she's strong."
When he spoke to WCPO that same month about being interviewed by police, Carter said he wasn't worried.
"I know that I'm more than cooperative and I will always be cooperative until we get Katelyn back," Carter said.
As Carter is expected to be back in court on April 4, the Markham family said they are relieved to finally get some answers.
"I'm numb, I'm ecstatic, I'm happy, obviously relieved," Dave Markham said. "It's about time — I think myself and a lot of other people were expecting this and were waiting for this for 12 years."
READ MORE:
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'She must die' | Prosecutor reads documents from man who allegedly killed his fiancee Katelyn Markham in 2011
