It's been well over a decade since the disappearance and death of Katelyn Markham. But dozens of supporters gathered at a grassy corner of Creekside Park in Fairfield on Saturday afternoon to show she hasn't been forgotten.

It was a less somber affair than previous gatherings honoring Katelyn's memory, Dave Markham, her father, said. Balloons and butterfly pins of purple and yellow, Katelyn's favorite colors, were handed out to attendees and some supporters wore shirts that read "Justice for Katelyn."

Though the reasons people came to Saturday's rally varied, one thing seemed to bring them all together: Markham's fiancé, 34-year-old John Carter, of Hamilton, has been charged with murder in connection with the young woman's death.

Dave Markham says he believes authorities nabbed the right man, though he remains cautiously optimistic that justice for his daughter's killing will be served.

"It was a lot of relief mostly," he said of Carter's arrest. "And I know that there's still a long way to go but, yes, it was relief that we finally have a new path."

Since Carter's trial isn't set to begin until the middle of next year, Dave Markham will have to wait a little while longer. But to him another year is nothing compared to the decade he's already spent waiting for answers and closure.

"We see an end coming," he said, standing next to a butterfly magnolia tree planted at the park in remembrance of his daughter.

When did Markham disappear?

The case, which attracted national media attention, began when Markham disappeared on Aug. 13, 2011. She was last seen between 11:30 p.m. and midnight that night when Carter said he left her Dorshire Drive home.

Carter called 911 the next evening, saying he had not been able to reach Markham throughout the day. He told Fairfield police that he let himself into the townhouse Markham shared with her father and found no signs of her. Her purse and keys were inside the apartment, but her cell phone was missing. Markham's car was parked outside the townhouse and her dog was locked in a bedroom, Carter said.

When Markham disappeared, she was a month away from finishing her graphic arts degree at the Art Institute of Ohio-Cincinnati. She also was nearing the first anniversary of her engagement to Carter.

Carter said he and Markham were planning to move to Colorado that November.

Friends, relatives, local authorities and even a national search group from Texas conducted searches for Markham. They combed local parks, waterways and areas in Butler and Hamilton counties but found no sign of her.

Where and when were her remains discovered?

Nearly two years after Markham's disappearance, the Fairfield woman's remains were discovered near Big Cedar Creek in Indiana, roughly 30 miles from her home, by a couple looking for aluminum cans. Investigators ruled her death a homicide.

Were there other suspects?

Dave Markham eventually grew tired of the Fairfield Police Department, which led the investigation, and even hired a private investigator from Florida before urging the Butler County Sheriff's Office to get involved.

In November 2016, the sheriff's office announced it had identified a "strong singular person of interest," but no arrests were ever made. Speculation emerged that Markham's case was connected to the murder of 23-year-old Ellen 'Ellie' Weik.

Michael Strouse was sentenced in April 2019 to 17 ½ years in prison for Weik's murder. After his arrest, Fairfield police asked at least two people about possible links between Strouse and Markham, according to a 2019 Enquirer report.

Carter earlier told The Enquirer that Fairfield police asked him if Markham knew Strouse. Authorities also asked "throughout the investigation" if Markham had ever spoken of a stalker, according to Carter.

The homicide investigation again showed signs of movement, almost a decade after her remains were recovered, when Jonathan Palmerton, 35, was arrested and charged with perjury in connection with the case.

Just a few weeks later on March 22, Carter was arrested and charged with two counts of murder.

The indictment states in one charge that Carter "purposefully" caused the death of Markham. The other charge states he caused her death as the "proximate result" of committing a felony of violence.

Evidence of murder presented during Carter's arraignment

Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser presented some pieces of evidence during Carter's arraignment on March 27.

The evidence included cryptic writings, that prosecutors say belong to Carter, recovered during the execution of a search warrant at Carter's former residence, as well as a forensic anthropology report noting signs of "sharp instrumental trauma" to Markham's wrist bone.

Gmoser said the report also indicates the location where Markham's remains were discovered is different from where they were first deposited.

Carter posted a $1 million bond earlier this month. As a condition of his bond, he must wear a GPS monitor that will track his location.

Palmerton posted a $50,000 bond in February and is likewise required to wear a GPS monitor, court records show.

In court filings, Carter's lawyer, Christopher Pagan, said his client has no criminal record or juvenile adjudications. Pagan noted that Carter has lived his entire life in Butler and Hamilton counties.

"The offense occurred in 2011," Pagan said. "The defendant has remained in the area since then and cooperated with law enforcement for over a decade without fail."

Neusole Glassworks in Forest Park, where Carter was hired in 2016, issued a statement last month saying Carter's employment there has been terminated due to the severity of the charges against him.

"As part of his vetting, law enforcement involved in the Markham case were contacted," Neusole Executive Director Debbie Bradley wrote. "At the time in 2016, we were informed that John was not a suspect."

What happens next?

Carter pleaded not guilty at his arrangement. A trial is scheduled for June 24, 2024, court records show. Palmerton is next scheduled to appear in court on April 20.

The Enquirer archive contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Katelyn Markham's dad: An end is near in decade-old murder case