An Ohio man, John Carter, was confronted with a murder indictment for the death of his fiancee, Katelyn Markham, and vehemently denied any involvement. During an interrogation in Butler County on March 22, 2023, he insisted on his innocence, crossing his arms and stating, “I don’t know what happened.” Despite his protests, Carter later pleaded guilty in July 2024 to a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter and is now serving a three-year prison sentence.
Markham had disappeared nearly 12 years before his indictment. Carter initially reported her missing on August 14, 2011, saying he had last seen her the night before at her home. Her disappearance remained a mystery for almost two years until April 2013, when a man scavenging for scrap metal discovered her skull in a plastic bag in a wooded area in Indiana. Other skeletal remains were later found about 30 miles from her home. Though investigators classified her death as a homicide, they were unable to determine the exact cause.
Authorities built their case against Carter based on several key pieces of evidence. He admitted to deleting text messages exchanged with Markham on the night she vanished, which raised suspicions. Investigators also noted he had scratches on his body the day after she went missing. Over the years, more details emerged, shedding new light on the case.
One chilling piece of evidence was a poem found in Carter’s mother’s home. The typed, undated document hinted at a deep internal struggle. “Deep down I love her,” it read. “You want to kill her. But I love her. She must die. I can’t kill her. Yes you can. No. Yes.” Prosecutors viewed this as a disturbing window into Carter’s mindset.
When confronted with the mounting evidence during his interrogation, Carter agreed to speak with investigators but maintained that he had never lied about what happened to Markham. One investigator pushed back, saying, “Your story has evolved constantly over the past almost 12 years.”
“Because it’s been 12 f—ing years,” Carter retorted, visibly frustrated.
The investigator persisted, pointing out that Carter had never told the same story twice. “That’s the best part about all this. It’s never the same story twice,” he said.
Despite his repeated denials, Carter eventually took a plea deal, admitting to involuntary manslaughter rather than standing trial for murder. His conviction marked the end of a years-long investigation that had left Markham’s family and friends searching for answers.
