David Markham has theories about what happened to his daughter Katelyn, but he’s not willing to discuss them.
“I have theories. I have feelings. I have no proof or any hardcore facts,” Markham said.
It’s been almost two years and there are still no answers in Katelyn’s death. The 21-year-old Fairfield woman was last seen alive Aug. 13, 2011.
Her remains were discovered in April, in a wooded area in Indiana, roughly 25 miles from her home. No suspects have ever been named. The cause of death is still undetermined.
David Markham sat down with WCPO investigative reporter Jason Law to discuss the mystery surrounding his daughter’s disappearance, the status of the investigation and why he consented to a polygraph test.
“It's just that in the investigative process, they start at the closest [point] and work their way out. It gives me another feeling that they are starting over and doing the process like they should be,” Markham said about the Indiana State Police taking over the investigation from Fairfield Police.
Markham said he met with ISP investigators Wednesday and was given a polygraph test. He said the test took several hours, but at no point did he feel like he was viewed as a suspect.
"The only thing is, why two years later?” Markham said about the test. “Why not two years ago? That was kind of the only thing that bothered me. If it has to be done it has to be done."
Markham said investigators told him Katelyn’s remains may be released to him next week. Forensics experts have been performing tests for about four months. ISP spokesperson Sgt. Noel Houze said no cause of death has been determined, and one of Markham's fears is that he may never know what killed his daughter.
“This wasn't an accident. She didn't just walk 25 miles away and lay in that creek bed and never wake up. She was put there somehow by somebody. Yeah, I want to know [how she died]. I think she deserves that justice,” Markham said.
He expects hundreds to turn out for a funeral service.
“To bring her home and to put her to rest, it's not necessarily something i want to do. Nobody wants to say goodbye to their child. Then again, it is something I want to do. It's bittersweet. It's tough. It's final,” Markham said.
One subject that Markham has difficulty discussing is his relationship with Katelyn’s fiancé, John Carter. Carter reported Markham missing Aug. 14, 2011, after he couldn’t get a hold of her.
“I don't have a relationship with John,” Markham said about Carter. “I don't see John much anymore. I believe he's moved on.”
