Her Fiancé Found Her Dog Had Been Locked Inside Of Her Bedroom After She Vanished From Her Condo, And 2 Years Later Her Remains Were Found At A Dumpsite
Twenty-one-year-old Katelyn Markham of Butler County, Ohio, was known by friends, family, and her fiancé– John – as a bubbly, friendly, and dedicated young woman.
She was also a talented artist just weeks away from earning her bachelor’s degree and had big plans to make the passion her full-time future.
But then, in August of 2011, these hopes and dreams were ripped away from Katelyn and her family.
She was last seen alive on August 13 at her Fairfield condo by fiancé John, who later reported her missing the following day.
According to 911 operator logs, John explained how Katelyn had just been at home– getting ready for bed– at about 12:00 a.m. the night before she disappeared.
“She was not going out to do anything. She would have been in her bed. I mean, I’ve been with her for six years, and she’s not deceiving,” John reportedly said.
Nonetheless, the next day, John became alarmed after Katelyn did not respond to his texts or calls all day.
So, that evening, he traveled to her condo and was shocked to find her car and purse left behind.
Facebook; pictured above is Katelyn
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Katelyn’s dog had also been locked in a bedroom, but she was nowhere to be found.
Leaving everything behind was not only uncharacteristic of Katelyn, but it was also highly suspicious.
“She was supposed to report to work,” explained retired Butler County Detective Frank Smith in an interview with FOX19.
“She was a student. Katelyn had never done anything like this in her life, and, from the get-go, the moment she was reported missing, foul play was suspected.”
In turn, an extensive investigation was launched by authorities over the following days. Meanwhile, hundreds of members of the Fairfield community showed up for Katelyn and aided police search efforts.
Unfortunately, though, the community and Katelyn’s family were left with no answers for nearly two years.
Then, in April of 2013, her remains were discovered in a dumpsite about thirty-three miles away in Cedar Grove, Indiana.
And when Dave Markham, Katelyn’s father, heard a knock on his front door that spring afternoon, his heart dropped.
“I knew what they were there to tell me,” Dave said.
Unlike standard remain recovery procedures, though, Dave opted to accompany the Texas EquuSearch team and the Franklin County Coroner’s office while they collected Katelyn’s remains.
“It was gut-wrenching to sit there and just watch a man take scoops of dirt and try to find pieces of what was left of his daughter. We don’t normally do that, but he insisted on it, and how can you tell a father no?” Ohio Chapter Director Dave Rader recalled.
Despite the discovery’s tragic implications, though, Katelyn’s remains also provided police officers with more evidence and a glimmer of hope that her case may soon close.
By 2016, police declared that the case did have a person of interest.
And although there were never publicly named, authorities believe that Katelyn likely knew her killer and quite possibly regarded them as a friend.
Then, in 2019, another possible suspect also came to light– the convicted killer Michael Strouse, sentenced to seventeen years to life in prison for stalking and killing West Chester, Ohio woman Ellie Weik.
Apparently, Michael shared mutual friends with Katelyn’s fiancé John. So, both Fairfield police and West Chester police have been looking into the connection and reportedly met with Michael about Katelyn’s case.
Nonetheless, these apparent breaks in the case have still not resulted in any definitively named suspects or charges.
Katelyn’s case has remained cold for over a decade now, and her family is trying their best to hold onto hope.
“I will never give up. She deserves it, and we all deserve it. The community wants answers, and I do believe that in time–when it’s the right time– we will know. We will have answers, and hopefully, we will have justice,” Dave said.
In the meantime, Katelyn’s family has found solace by creating a Facebook page to remember and raise awareness about her case. And if you have any information regarding Katelyn’s murder, you are encouraged to contact the Butler County Sheriff’s Office at (513) 785-1000 or the Fairfield Police at 513-867-6094.
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