Dateline NBC - The Butterfly

Episode Date: October 1, 2024

A young Ohio woman vanishes one summer night, prompting her community to conduct a massive search. When she’s found dead, investigators work to uncover her killer. Andrea Canning reports.Listen to Andrea Canning and Josh Mankiewicz as they go behind the scenes of the making of this episode in ‘Talking Dateline’: https://link.chtbl.com/tdl_thebutterfly

Tonight on the season premiere of DateLive. Hi, this is Caitlin Markham. She was bubbly. She was artistic. A butterfly coming out of her shell. My dad called me, and he asked, like, have you heard from Caitlin? I was getting worried.

It was not normal. I thought high school would be hard. And then my sister goes missing. People came out in droves. Hundreds. You're looking for someone in her world. Absolutely. You were hearing early on that there was

this close group of friends. That was the biggest part, was trying to interview everybody who knew her. I'm extremely nervous. I have anxiety problems. Only thing I can tell you for certain is what they saw didn't involve me. Proximity is not evidence of guilt.

True. Just because I'm near somebody does not mean that I murdered somebody. It was a shout of like, stop it, stop it. I definitely heard that. There's a big twist in this case. Another murder. Right. There was another young woman found. They were strikingly alike.

All the elements for a killer are in this guy. She was like, oh my God, this is it. A young art student disappears. Did someone design the perfect crime? I'm Lester Holt, and this is Dateline. Here's Andrea Canning with The Butterfly. It was supposed to be one of the most carefree days of the year. A summer Sunday at the Sacred Heart Festival in Fairfield, Ohio. I've been to these festivals in the Cincinnati area.

There are lots of fun and a lot of food, games, raffles. Little kids play the games and the rides. Teenagers just stand there. And then the adults drink. But on August 14th, 2011, it was the place where Allie Markham's world turned upside down. Life changed so quickly in your household. Yeah, very quickly. It was very different after that day. She was 15 years old at the time, hanging out with friends when her phone rang. We were just eating some food and playing games. My dad called me and asked if I had talked to Caitlin

or knew where she was. Caitlin, her older sister, was a student at the Art Institute of Cincinnati. She lived nearby. I was like, no, not recently. I saw her the morning before. Why? And he was like, well, nobody knows where she is.

Are you worried at all? Or are you thinking, oh, she'll call us. She's fine. She's somewhere. At that point, I was thinking that everything would be fine. She probably just went out to go grab a bite to eat. But her father, Dave, wasn't so sure. He'd received a call from Caitlin's fiance, John Carter, who told him,

Caitlin's missing. I can't find her anywhere. She's missing. John said he hadn't seen her since they hung out at her place the night before. Now, she wasn't picking up her phone, and she wasn't at the house. Dave drove over to Caitlin's to see what was going on. He noticed her car was out back. Do you go inside? I went inside. And what do you see? There was dog poop in her bedroom because her dog Murphy had been locked in the bedroom.

He had gone twice, so he was in there for a while. Caitlin's purse was on her bed. Her house keys were there too. Where would she have gone without those? Caitlin's purse was on her bed. Her house keys were there, too. Where would she have gone without those? Are you starting to feel a little panicky that this is not normal? I was. I mean, I didn't know what to think, but it... Didn't feel right.

It wasn't, no, it did not feel right. It didn't feel right to her fiancé, John, either. He called 911. Hi, my name is John Carter. I am calling. I know that you're not supposed to report a missing person after before 24 hours. But my fiance is missing. I can't find her anywhere. And then Sacred Heart Festival is going on right up the street, and there's a lot of questionable people there, and it's just kind of... I'm sorry. Okay, well, we'll go ahead,

and we'll have somebody meet you there. Fairfield Police Patrol Officer Sandy Sears arrived at the scene. You pull up into the neighborhood? Yes, ma'am. What do you see when you go in there? I mean, it's fairly clean. The coffee tables are actually pushed up against the couch.

That struck her as unusual. She also noted a few things out of place upstairs. Her art supplies on her desk were knocked over. She also had a poster bed, and there were some hats that were knocked off. Did anything appear to be stolen? I walked John Carter, Dave Markham through the townhouse and specifically asked them, is there anything missing? And I was told no.

A check of Caitlin's wallet revealed more than $200 cash still inside. The only thing that wasn't there was her cell phone. Officer Sears wanted to know when the phone was last used. She had a dispatcher contact Caitlin's cell phone carrier. They tell me that Caitlin Markham's phone had been turned off shortly after midnight. By now, some of Caitlin and John's friends had shown up at the house. One of them caught the officer's eye. He was very pale. He was disheveled and not speaking.

Just standing off to the side. Were you feeling like there's something suspicious here with this guy? Absolutely. Officer Sears says the whole scene left her uneasy. She called in her concerns. And as night fell, escorted everyone, including that questionable friend, to the station. From there, the detectives took over the case. Caitlin's dad was placed in an interview room.

What was happening at the police department that first night? They're just trying to get, you know, habits, patterns. When was the last time I'd talked to her? When was the last time I'd seen her? But if Caitlin's disappearance had been alarming to Officer Sears, Dave says the detectives didn't seem nearly as worried. So were the police suggesting to you then that she'll probably turn up, she probably just needed a break? Is that what they're saying? Kind of, yeah. Had she ever done that before?

Never. Just taken a break, you know, to get away from it all? Not without telling me. Not without somebody knowing. Caitlin would always leave notes. She always had a sketchbook and markers with her. So if she was leaving, she would write a note like, hey, I'm running to the store, or hey, I'm taking Murphy on a walk. So it was like she would just run away for a weekend trip.

Her fiance, John, was telling everyone the same thing. The entire situation felt wrong. Something happened. Something bad happened. And I was pretty convinced of that. But in those early hours, Dave didn't know yet just how wrong it was. As the investigation unfolded,

detectives would look at everyone. Tell me why so many people are interested in you. It has nothing to do with me. If you know something, you need to tell us. I mean, are you asking that like you think I did it, or? I want this case to be solved. I want people to stop looking at me weird. They'd even wonder if she wasn't the only one.

The similarities, they were strikingly alike. All in a relentless search to find out what really happened to Caitlin. You weren't going to stop until you figured it out? Nope. I don't stop. You know, I just don't do that. Within 24 hours of Caitlin Markham's disappearance, the investigation was in the hands of the Fairfield police. Word began filtering out to Caitlin's friends. I got a call while I was at work,

have you seen Caitlin or talked to Caitlin? Michelle Feist couldn't comprehend what she was hearing. Her best friend Caitlin missing? I'm like, what do you mean you can't find her? Like, what does that mean? Did this sound like Caitlin? No. That she would just disappear, leave her keys, the dog?

Yeah, no, not at all. Hi, this is Caitlin Markham. This is my very professional web page. I hope you enjoy it because I enjoyed making it. Colorful, quirky, creative. Just a few of the words Caitlin Markham's tight-knit group of friends might use to describe her. But irresponsible? No way. She had plans. Big ones.

This guy was the limit. There was no limit. Not with that incredible talent. Her doting dad spotted it early on. You know, you ask a four-year-old or a five-year-old to draw a face and it's circle and eyes and a mouth. Now, she had eyebrows and eyelashes and dimples, and so she was very on it from the very beginning. Dave and his wife had struggled for years to have children. So it was serendipity when they learned of a pregnant mother looking to give up her child for adoption. And I got to hold her 20 minutes after she was born.

Six years later, Sister Allie arrived. Did you look up to her? Yeah. She could always make anyone laugh. She could turn any situation funny. She was bubbly, bold. She did what she wanted, and she didn't care if other people liked it. She would just open up her closet or her drawers and pull things out.

She would do different eye makeup all the time, lots of really bright colors like blues and reds. Like usually the colors that you don't use on an eyeshadow palette, she would use those. I always wonder who buys those. Yeah, she did. As Caitlin grew, so did her artistic ability. She told me that she struggled with drawing eyes and so so she would just fixate on drawing any type of eyes. Caitlin's parents separated when she was a teenager, and Dave was mostly raising the girls on his own. He encouraged Caitlin to focus on art and design in high school. Always very vibrant, just kind of bold with color.

Her teacher, Dave Geiser, said Caitlin took creative risks with her art. Sometimes students are scared, but not Caitlin. Caitlin was always just ready to see what happens. And not just with art. Caitlin also found love with John Carter. Me and John are making a video. They were always laughing and smiling together. Amber Morgan was close with Caitlin and John. They seemed perfect for each other. Super happy and loving.

Typical teenage romance. Yeah, yeah. Puppy love. After high school, Laidback John took glassblowing classes and worked as a pizza delivery guy. Hey, John. It's Caitlin. While the ever-driven Caitlin studied full-time at the Art Institute of Cincinnati, had a job at the campus bookstore, and worked as a sales clerk at David's Bridal.

It was an opposites attract relationship, but they shared an appreciation for art and had the same sense of humor. Say something. Something funny. Were some people almost envious of what John and Caitlin had? I think so, yeah. I know I always wished I had that, you know. After five years together, John proposed. Caitlin said yes. They planned to move to Colorado together. She already had her wedding dress. And by August of 2011, she was just weeks away from her art school graduation, finishing up her final project. She's just like, Dad, it's not good enough. And I'm looking at it thinking, it's wonderful, it's beautiful.

It's missing something. Where did this drive come from? Not me. I don't know. She just wanted the best out of life. She wanted anybody around her to have the best out of life. Dave says his daughter always loved butterflies. Perhaps because they were a lot like her. Captivating. Colorful. Caitlin was just beginning to spread her wings. But now she was missing.

Somebody would say, like, well, maybe she just needed a break. Maybe she was starting to crack. Maybe the pressure of school. And like, no, that's not Caitlin. No. The day after police responded to Caitlin's house, her family and friends began scouring the neighborhood, looking for any sign of her. I participated, but I had to stop because I realized I had walked 50 yards and not paid attention to where I was walking because my mind was just... You were in such a bad place. Yeah, so I said, you know, I might have stepped on her phone and wouldn't have noticed,

so I stopped. Although Officer Sears had handed off the case to detectives, she still followed up with a neighbor who'd noticed something strange. She did see some folks in the parking lot that were suspicious earlier in the week. How did she describe them? Tattooed, older car, not a fit for the area, which kind of, you know, drew her attention. Worried her? Yes, yes it did.

And of course, there was the festival in town that weekend. There were a lot of festival workers that are transient in town. But Sears had also noticed there were no signs of forced entry at Caitlin's townhouse, nor were there any obvious signs of a struggle, meaning that if something had happened to her inside, either she opened the door for a stranger or this was someone she knew. Yes, ma'am. She was a smart girl. She wouldn't have just opened the door for someone she didn't know. So if it was someone Caitlin knew, who? Anyone there have any issues with you or Caitlin?

In her two decades covering the Cincinnati area, reporter Karen Johnson has seen more than her share of missing persons cases. But she says Caitlin Markham's sudden disappearance in August 2011 just felt different. Usually you hear, oh yeah, they've been depressed lately, suicidal thoughts, they were addicted to drugs. This one wasn't like that. This was a young woman who had so many goals set for her. She was engaged. She had a bright future ahead of her, and she was nowhere to be found. Concerned neighbors started calling Karen's station, NBC affiliate WLWT. It was more of neighbors saying, what's going on? There's police in our neighborhood, and now there are people putting up missing person posters.

The young woman on those posters spoke to people. They started to learn about her personality. She was referred to many times as like a butterfly coming out of her shell. For some reason, people, strangers, were just drawn to her without even knowing her. By August 16th, three days after Caitlin was last seen, Fairfield police ramped up the search effort. So did friends, family, and neighbors. Bringing their ATVs, bringing their walking sticks. They started off focusing around Caitlin's townhome and they spread out from there. That day also happened to be Caitlin's 22nd birthday.

Her close friends made sure they were there to support her family and her fiancé, John. How did he seem? Worried and concerned. He wanted to find her. Your friend group was just trying to be there for John as best they could? Yeah. We all, you know, wanted to be there for him.

For his part, John was out there talking to everyone he could. Caitlin is the love of my life. I've been with her for six years. We've been engaged for a year. Today would be exactly a year. John cooperated with police and sat down with them numerous times. And she's never done anything like this before? No.

No, I've... This is completely out of character. Okay. John took police through the last day anyone had seen Caitlin. That Saturday night, he said their friend Brad had come over to Caitlin's house for a while. Then he left, and I hung out with her for a little bit after he left. John wasn't ready to call it a night. Some friends of his were having a gathering.

He said Caitlin wanted to stay home. He recalled leaving around 11.30, and he said he and Caitlin texted back and forth a few times. After a couple of hours with friends, he left the gathering around 2 a.m. He said he went back to his mom's house where he lived and watched some episodes of the show White Collar on his computer. Before going to sleep at 4 a.m.,

he sent Caitlin a good morning message. Did you expect that she would be up at that hour? No. Okay, it's just something... It's something when she wakes up. So she wakes up and she reads it, you know, it gives her... But you were back home at that point. Absolutely.

When he woke up mid-afternoon, John said he was concerned when he didn't see a response from Caitlin. He texted multiple times, called, nothing. He went to his pizza delivery job later that afternoon, but eventually asked his boss if he could go check on his fiancée. I went over to her house to see if her car was there, because if her car is there, then she should be there. And if her car is not there, then she's at work and I'm okay. But her car was there. And then I immediately went into her house to see if she was there and she was not. He said that's when the panic set in. He called Dave around 7.30 p.m. to tell

him that Caitlin was missing and made that 911 call half panic set in. He called Dave around 7.30 p.m. to tell him that Caitlin was missing and made that 911 call half an hour later. My fiance is missing. I can't find her anywhere. John told investigators his feelings of concern had not abated in the hours since. All I can think about is her. Of course, John was the last known person to see Caitlin that night,

so they had to ask him some tough questions. When is the last time you guys had an argument? I don't remember. Was it recent? I mean, kind of recent, like two weeks ago, maybe. What were you arguing about? Um, I really can't remember. John insisted he had no involvement. I have no idea where Caitlin is and I have nothing to do with her disappearance. Okay. Detectives needed to dig into whether John

was telling the truth. They theorized something must have happened to Caitlin around midnight when her phone turned off. John said he was already at his friends' gathering by then. Police spoke with his friends who confirmed, yes, he'd been there with them. They also checked his computer, which had records of the show White Collar playing in the early morning hours, just as John had said. His story seemed to check out, and police asked John if he could think of anyone who might be involved in Caitlin's disappearance. One name came to mind. Somebody who was already in trouble with the law. Tell me why so many people are interested in you.

I don't know. One week passed. Then two, and still no sign of Caitlin Markham. Thursday, volunteers covered dozens of locations around Fairfield. The waning days of an Ohio summer marked by volunteers searching far and wide, all trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Caitlin. They were walking on train tracks. They were looking in abandoned buildings. A group called Texas EquiSearch even traveled in to help.

There is no boundaries right now. Whether we go out all the way up to Lake Michigan, if that's what we have to do, then that's what we're going to have to do. People came out in droves to search for Caitlin. Hundreds a day. At a vigil for Caitlin, her dad embraced John, his future son-in-law. I'm so very proud to be her father.

Behind the scenes, investigators were following up on whatever leads they could find. And there was one name that kept popping up. A guy from Caitlin's past. I know there were at least one guy that was a little interested in her. Interested in a weird way? Yeah. And then I found out he got in trouble with the law for harassing a girl.

John mentioned the same guy to detectives. There's a very creepy kid named Ryan Ball who likes to freak women out. Ryan Ball was one of Caitlin's former classmates. They knew each other in high school, and then he would contact her over Facebook and talk to her that way and has made advances on Caitlin in a very awkward way. What do you mean? Texts, sending her Facebook messages like,

can I get your number? Can I, we should hang out. Let's get together, blah, blah, blah. He knows I'm with her. Investigators needed to talk to Ryan Ball. They didn't have to look very far to find him. Ball was in jail, arrested a week after Caitlyn disappeared for violating his probation. He was a registered sex offender who'd been convicted of soliciting sexual activity with a minor. He came to the Fairfield Police Department in his orange jumpsuit.

Print your name right here for me. Ball told the investigator about the last time he saw Caitlin. Last time I'd actually physically seen her that I'm aware of was high school graduation. When's the last time you saw who? Caitlin. The investigator told Ball about those rumors he'd been hearing. Well, tell me why so many people are interested in you. I don't know, to be honest. I really don't. It's kind of honestly, part of my, it's pissing me off.

I've had three detectives come talk to me. All three of them have gotten the same. I don't know why I'm still involved in this in the first place. I don't know why at all. You know, I understand you guys are doing your job, but I have nothing to hide, you know. They thought I used to have a crush on her or something like that. And I told him, I was like, I think I did at one point in high school, but like, it was nothing, you know. The investigators kept pushing. They gave him a voice stress analysis test similar to a polygraph. Do you know the whereabouts of Caitlin Markham? No. Did you kill Caitlin Markham?

No. Ball showed no deception. Police discovered he'd had little contact with Caitlin over the years and didn't even own a car. They had no evidence linking him to Caitlin's disappearance. This morning, it's just over two weeks since Caitlin Markham was last seen. By now, the case was making national headlines. Dave spoke with the Today Show.

I want to hug her so bad. I want to see her. With no answers from police, people online and in the community started doing their own detective work, picking apart John's TV appearances. There was definitely a switch. Outside John's inner circle, people were skeptical. They were analyzing his every move, his every sentence. People started pointing fingers at John. But Caitlin's friend Amber stood by him. It seemed unfair and it seemed like people were attacking him when they didn't know him and know the situation michelle said everyone had always liked john i mean he was a great guy i mean it's like good

old johnny z like he's hilarious it's not in him it's not his character at all john brushed the rumors aside and continued to keep caitlin's name in the news i hope that's all i've been doing is hoping. I just hope. He did not shy away from the cameras. He wanted to set the record straight that he had nothing to do with Caitlin's disappearance. He was very adamant about that. I'm not going to acknowledge the ridiculous things that people are saying because I know that I would never hurt Caitlin ever in a million years. By the end of August, Fairfield police were no closer to finding Caitlin. I've been doing this for 40-plus years,

and I can't recall a case where there simply was no evidence whatsoever to give you a direction to go in. Hope was dwindling for Michelle. I'm just like, she's freaking gone. And like, I just, you felt that. I couldn't stop crying. I was like, I was already like mourning her. When you say gone, you mean you felt that she had died?

Yeah. Even though? Yeah. I thought she was gone and she wasn't going to come back. But the detectives hadn't given up. They were about to take a closer look at the friend who visited Caitlin's house the night she disappeared, Brad. What would he have to say?

The way the test shows you shows you're a little bit nervous. I mean, I'm extremely nervous. Nature always takes its course. Summer rolling into fall with its golden leaves and cool breezes. But for Caitlin Markham's family, that September of 2011, life was anything but certain. I was just starting high school until I thought high school would be hard. And then my sister goes missing. Yeah, the hardest thing you'd ever faced was now in front of you.

Yeah. It was weird walking through the halls, knowing that everyone knew. Everyone knew what was going on. Everyone saw the news. It was like my whole life was on TV. And as sure as the change in the seasons, the TV cameras eventually moved on. The searchers left too, according to reporter Karen Johnson. There was just a moment where the hundreds of people turned into dozens, and it just got smaller and smaller and smaller.

Kaitlyn's dad felt helpless. Did you think she willingly disappeared or that someone had her? I hoped. I think more was it. I hoped that she was still alive, and I hoped that she wasn't being harmed, and I hoped that we would get her back, and I hoped that we would see her.

I didn't really feel that way. Your mind was going to a darker her. I didn't really feel that way. Your mind was going to a darker place. I just, yeah. The rumor mill in town continued to churn. Some stories even involved John and Caitlin's friend Amber. Amber says she and John had grabbed a bite to eat a few times. People made a comment about that.

Yeah. Online, that they thought maybe you and John had something to do with this together? Somebody said that they had seen us together in public holding hands and kissing, which was not true. I was like, you know, we've never done anything but hang out. Was that hurtful to you at all that people were saying that? That you two could be in cahoots? Yeah, it was very hurtful because I, you know, just wanted nothing more than to be there for Caitlin, and the best way I felt that was possible was to be there for John. As for John, Dave says police told him John had been cleared.

John continued to cooperate with investigators, and during one of their meetings, he mentioned he'd been thinking a lot about Brad Von Bargen, the friend who'd hung out with John and Caitlin the night she disappeared. He said Brad had seemed uncompassionate about Caitlin's disappearance. He hasn't come to any of the searches. And that Brad had a strange reaction when John asked him to speak to a private investigator who was looking into the case. Which is why I kind of was skeptical when I had called him and asked him to talk to the private investigator, investigator who was looking into the case. Fairfield detectives had already talked to Brad early in their investigation.

They'd asked him to tell his version of events that night. Brad said John greeted him at the door when he arrived at Caitlin's place around 9.30. I go up, hey man, what's going on? You know, the old handshake and haven't seen you in a month or two. Like, how's it been? He said they'd smoked some pot, watched a movie, and chatted about the glass blowing class John was taking. He's kind of giving me the lowdown of how you blow glass. But Brad remembered something seemed off about Caitlin. Normally, Brad, What's up? I mean, she's just bubbly, happy, positive.

She almost didn't even greet me. And it's just like, she's just like, distance! She stayed in the same spot on the couch. That same spot, didn't move, had a computer, a laptop in her lap the whole time. She did not move from that spot. Which was just, which which again was just weird. Brad told detectives he didn't know what was going on with Caitlin, but he had plans to visit another friend that night, so he left around 10.45,

stopped home, and then went to the friend's place. I was probably back home at around the one o'clock in the morning time. Now, six months into the investigation, they brought Brad in for another interview. They spoke with him about that private investigator. Brad said he didn't feel like he needed to talk to her because he'd already told the police everything he knew. So I was like, I'm just, no, I'm not talking to people like this that are going to, like, go to the media and misconstrue things.

And I'll be more than happy to talk to the proper authorities. They decided to give Brad a voice stress analysis test and he didn't ace it. In fact, Brad's test results showed stress when the police asked him questions about Caitlin's disappearance. Brad insisted he was just a worrier. I'm extremely nervous. I have anxiety problems. Detectives did some digging. Brad's alibi seemed to check out. His friend and roommates backed him up. Police moved on. A year went by. So frustrating waking up every morning with the same result. No Caitlin. Yeah, every day you're hoping for something.

And day by day, you know, there's nothing. And you know that somebody out there knows something. Yep, and it makes you beyond angry, you know, that not only am I suffering, but her father and her sister and her other friends. And then suddenly, a big break in the case from across state lines. Could you tell if it was man or woman? It appeared to be a woman. August of 2012 marked one year since Caitlin Markham disappeared.

For her father, Dave, it meant a year without her bright spirit. The pain you felt, just waking up every day with no answers. And more and more days are going by, months are going by. I have another daughter that needed my attention. So I couldn't wallow. I had to take care of her, too. You kept him going. Did it bring you two closer together?

Yeah. He was still always... always a great dad. While Dave tried to be strong for his family, he worried Caitlin's case was no longer a priority for investigators. Were the Fairfield police getting anywhere with this case? No, it seemed like they were not doing anything. It seemed the case was at a standstill. Until one Sunday in April 2013.

Indiana State Police Detective Vance Patton was on call when he was asked to report to a location about 25 miles west of Fairfield. You had gotten a call from... From our dispatch. He was directed to this country road in Indiana. A man searching for scrap metal made a grim discovery at a makeshift dump site.

You walked down there. what do you see? There was a lot of garbage down there. Somebody dumped garbage, and they pointed out the other officers, some of the skeletal remains down there. Investigators said the remains looked as if they were from someone small, probably female. They were covered with a black tarp, but there was nothing to help ID the partial set of bones, no wallet or clothing. One of the other officers, he pulled up, just Google searched, women missing in the area. And the first one that we came up was Caitlin Markle.

And she had a tooth that was crooked. And as soon as you look at the picture of Caitlin, I mean, the skeletal remains, the skull, it looked just like her. Dental records officially confirmed the remains were Caitlin's. It wasn't long before a car pulled into Dave's driveway. Two police officers and a preacher get out. I saw them coming up the door and I knew what they were going to say. It was positively identified as Caitlin's remains. Even though you suspected that, hearing that it's official, that it's confirmed. How do you handle that? Not very well.

I was really angry at how they treated Caitlin to toss her off the side of the road in garbage. They treated her like garbage. Whoever put her there treated my daughter like trash. And that infuriated me, and it still does to this day. You know, nobody treats them like trash. Now he had to tell Allie, who was with her grandmother. We just see like four cars coming down the driveway.

And she was like, oh my god, this is it. My dad came out of the car and came over and hugged me. And I still didn't really know. He just kept saying, they found her. They found her. It was an awful moment, but one they hoped might finally lead to answers. You got your baby back. Now it was about finding out who killed her. Right.

The case had gone from a missing person investigation to a homicide. Was there any evidence of that she had been shot or stabbed, or that there was maybe some type of a weapon in the area? No evidence at all. Caitlin's skull was covered by a plastic grocery store bag. Why do you think the head was bagged? The theory was, was possibly if she was brought here already deceased, the person that brought her here knew who she was and didn't want to look at her face. There was also a cut on her left wrist. By like a knife or something? Yeah, that's what we have seen.

Indiana State Police joined the Fairfield PD's investigation. Detective Patton and a fellow investigator started conducting interviews. Nice to meet you. You too. And one of the first people they sat down with was the very person who'd been pushing for answers, Dave Markham. I'm sure things are going to be a little difficult for you to talk about. That's a good answer. I'd rather you guys start from scratch. Okay, good. Good. Typically what we find is it's a family member. Fairfield didn't look at him, so we wanted to talk to him and see. Dave began to tell the whole awful story again.

She had to walk away. She had to just walk down the street, or she went to visit her friend, or her friend came and picked her up because it was just too weird. It's just that, you know. But pretty soon, the questions heated up. I want to ask you a tough question, because I'm kind of under the impression that it's not happened yet. Okay. Has anybody asked you if you know what happened to her? Dave Markham was caught off guard. Now he was the one across the table from investigators. What would he have to say? Dave Markham had spent the past two years

agonizing over who was responsible for his daughter's disappearance. Now he found himself in unfamiliar territory, at the center of a renewed investigation into her death. Has anybody asked you if you know what happened to her? Not those words, but, you know, the media is like, do you have a theory? You know, but nobody's ever asked, do I know what's happened to her?

No, I don't know what's happened to her other than I think she's been murdered. I mean, are you asking that like you think I did it, or? Well, you can take my question for however you want, seriously. The Indiana State Police asked Dave where he was the night Caitlin disappeared. What can we do in the process of logically coming to a conclusion, take a marker, and take you right off the list? I don't think that's been done yet, has it?

Probably not. Do you understand what I'm asking? Yeah. Dave said he'd been with his girlfriend that night. Yeah, I mean, I've always, it's kind of been a thought in the back of my head this whole time, too. What's that? You know, does anybody suspect me?

I mean, nobody's ever asked me like he has. Then investigators asked him to take a polygraph. I would rather have taken this two years ago when she first went missing. It's going to help get this case rolling, sure. They hooked him up to the machine. Did your actions cause that girl's death? No.

If he passed polygraph, he really wasn't on our radar any after that. You okay? Yep. To Dave, the whole thing seemed a little absurd. But at least he thought Indiana investigators were now rattling cages.

They also asked to speak with John Carter. Sounds like things are going well. Yeah, I mean, considering. He told the Indiana investigators the story he'd told

the Fairfield police about the night Caitlin disappeared. I went home after my friends. I watched some TV, which was like on my computer. I just like watched some, I think I watched White Collar. They pressed him on his relationship with Caitlin. She ever smack you, kick you?

Never. She ever punch her? Never. Kick her? Never. Poor hair? Mm-mm. Twister hair?

That's intense. Yeah. But no, we never got physical. John insisted he wanted nothing more than to see justice for Caitlin. I really just want that person to rot in jail. A few months after Caitlin's remains were found, Dave held a memorial service for his daughter at the local high school. What kind of things did you hear people say about Caitlin on that day? Just how lovely she was and bright and happy and cheery. John was there too, his voice breaking. Cincinnati's ABC station, WCPO, filmed his remarks.

We would have had our kiss. We would have had our marriage. We would have had our honeymoon. Caitlin's friends were wrestling with their own grief. Eight months after the memorial service, Amber and another friend of Caitlin's visited the site where her body had been found to pay their respects. But instead, they made a horrible discovery. They found more of Caitlin's bones in the ground. We both thought her whole entire, you know, body had been found. Were you losing it? A little bit.

I almost felt like I was in a Lifetime movie or something. Like, there is no way this is happening. Amber called the police and they came to the site. So did Dave. He showed up with a stack of strainers to help sift through the dirt. Reporter Karen Johnson was there. I'll never forget the image that I have of Dave on his hands and knees with a rake, raking in the dirt, trying to find his daughter's bones. Kind of a saying, if you want the job done right, do it yourself. That should not apply to finding your daughter's remains.

I don't think so either. Dave had hoped the Indiana State Police lending a hand would jumpstart the investigation. Now he decided it was time to do something bold. You went to the Fairfield chief with a plea to the police chief. Yeah, I was not happy with who was in charge of the investigation. Obviously nothing was going, so I did ask him to swap out his team, get a different set of eyes on it. When the chief told him the lead detective was doing the best job she could, Dave was at a loss.

The investigation seemed like it was at a dead end. Then one day, a stranger called. Someone got involved in the case that you didn't know. A wealthy benefactor that took an interest and hired a private investigator. How did you feel when that happened? Very grateful for the generosity that people have shown with not just their time, but their money. He told Dave he wanted to remain anonymous and would pay to hire this man, former Florida detective turned private investigator J. Ryan Green.

To him, it all felt personal. I saw her dad talk on TV. I could see the pain in his eyes. I'm a father. I wanted to do this for Dave. I wanted to do this for Caitlin. Green got straight to work and would make a stunning discovery. Are you thinking that this could be it? We could get a match to to Caitlin's DNA? I did. I was extremely excited. Private investigator J. Ryan Green was looking into the death of Caitlin Markham. He traveled numerous times from his home in Florida to Ohio and conducted countless audio interviews with people connected to the case.

When was the last time you actually saw her before she disappeared? A day, two days? I think four or five days. You're looking for someone in her inner circle or in her world? Absolutely. That included Brad Von Bargen, the friend who hung out at the townhouse with Caitlin and John on the night she disappeared. I was probably back home at around the one o'clock in the morning time.

Brad wouldn't agree to be recorded, I was probably back home at around the one o'clock in the morning time. Brad wouldn't agree to be recorded, but he told Green the same story he told the Fairfield detectives. How do we know that Brad is innocent? Okay. Do we take him at his word on the story he's telling? No. You trust, but you verify. Let's trust and verify. Green wondered if Brad had come back to the house later, after John left, and on an instinct. You find a way to track down Brad's car. Old car. I did. Where was it?

It was in Ohio still. He sold it to an acquaintance. He said he was in a hurry to get rid of it. And I said, great, I want to buy it. With funding from the benefactor, Green bought the car. He worked with police to conduct forensic testing. A long shot, but it seemed to pay off. I was told that there were traces of blood that they got out of the trunk of Brad's car. Wow. Are you thinking that this could be it? We could get a match to Caitlin's DNA? I did. I was extremely excited. I know David Markham was hopeful. Brad had always insisted he had nothing to do with Caitlin's death. Green needed to get more sophisticated testing to come to any conclusions.

In the meantime, Green had grown close with Caitlin's dad, who confided in him. Dave said he'd always harbored doubts about someone else, John Carter. I just felt he knew something. Truth be told, Dave had never been John's biggest fan. I'm a dad, and I didn't think John was good enough for Caitlin, but he seemed to be a little sloppy, you know, slack. He kept thinking about the phone call he got from John saying Caitlin had disappeared. He remembered John had been so worked up. It was just so bizarre in the way he screamed at me that he knew she was missing.

How do you know she was missing? You never asked me. What if she was sitting at my kitchen table with me? No, she's not missing, John. She's here. Well, he was so adamant that she was missing. Another person who confided in Green was Caitlin's best friend, Michelle. She told him she also had long-simmering suspicions about John, starting with his early TV appearances.

I was watching some of his interviews and stuff, John's interviews. It just felt totally off and like totally strange. I just want to find Caitlin and celebrate her birthday with her and go to Red Lobster like she was planning. You had a nagging. It was just a feeling. I mean, I don't have any proof. Just something about his voice just sounded so like rehearsed.

She'd heard John's 911 call on the news, and that also troubled her. You guys didn't have an argument or anything? Not at all. She says that didn't add up, because the night before Caitlin disappeared, they'd all been at the Sacred Heart Festival together, and she'd seen them fighting.

She was just upset that he spent $100 on raffle tickets. I mean, at the festival. And, um... Money that... Yeah. They didn't have to spend. Right. mean, at the festival. And, um... Money that they didn't have to spend because they're trying to save. Right, right. But perhaps the thing that bothered Caitlin's family and friends the most

was the location of her remains in Indiana. The place she'd been found was not far from property owned by John's father. You have to, like, know that area to, like... Because it's, like, in the middle of nowhere. Like, it's all, like, country roads and stuff. I mean, like, what are the chances that some random person,

like, picked her out of her townhouse and just so happened to dispose of her right en route to where his dad's property is? Too big of a coincidence for you. Yeah, it's just, yeah. Convinced John was responsible, Michelle broke down one day and called him. I was very emotional and I was just like, screw it.

What did you say to him? I was just like, look, I don't know if it was an accident, but I think you guys got into a fight. Did he have any words? I mean, I think he managed to get out like a, Michelle, I didn't do anything. He like scoffed almost as if like, I can't believe you just like said all that. Someone else doubting John was his once close friend, Amber.

I definitely started to feel like I had been betrayed and Caitlin had been betrayed and all of the friends had been betrayed. Green's investigation was leading him in the same direction. But what about those forensic results from Brad's car? Is there enough to get a match to get a viable DNA sample? There was not any DNA that could be extracted from the samples. In fact, they couldn't even tell if it was blood at all. Green's focus narrowed to John Carter. But another killing in the area was going to put his hunch to the test. Another young woman found with a bag over her head. And a possible connection to Caitlin.

We have another young woman, 23 years old, almost the same age as Caitlin. They were strikingly alike. Private investigator J. Ryan Green was hearing lots of stories about John Carter from Caitlin's family and friends. He asked John to meet, and he agreed. In fact, the two would end up speaking four times. Are you aware that this interview is being tape recorded? Yes, I am. John took him through the now familiar story of the night Caitlin disappeared, but then he revealed something new. I said I wanted to go do something. She said she had to stay home. She was a little upset, and she got a little huffy, and then I said, I love you, sorry.

I got all kind of sarcastic attitude sort of thing, and she always laughed at that stuff. So she laughed. I gave her a kiss. I left. I kind of felt bad because I had left it like that. John had always maintained the couple was getting along that night. This is big. Yeah, it's real big.

Because if you're not fighting versus fighting and then you lie about it, you know, yeah, it's big. John explained why he'd never mentioned the argument before. I'm not going to say publicly to anyone that I was in a fight with her in any way. I'm going to tell you because you're interviewing me and you're looking for answers. And as for Caitlin's remains being found near his family's property. Proximity is not evidence of guilt. And just because I'm near somebody does not mean that I murdered somebody. And just because she was found near a property that my dad lives does not mean that I murdered somebody. Correct. And just because she was found near a property that my dad lives does not mean that I killed her. In their last meeting,

John met Green at his hotel just outside of Fairfield. He starts to kind of get a little more aggressive and his tone and his voice starts to get a little louder and I can tell that I'm kind of getting under his skin. You gotta understand at a certain point, I want my life I'm kind of getting under her skin. You got to understand at a certain point, I want my life. Okay. Okay. And I need it. We're five years later and nobody, all of these agencies, all of these people I've been on top of this for five years and they're still coming to me as if I have the answer. Right. I don't. I have no answers. I have nothing that's

going to lead you in that path. After almost a year of investigating, Green sent his findings to the Fairfield police. I felt John knew a lot more than he was telling. I felt he knew a lot more about what went on with Caitlin. It was the same thing Dave Markham had told them. Did you say to the police, like, he's your guy? You need to be, like, fixated on John Carter. Yeah. And what kind of response would you get? Well, he's, you know, we've cleared him.

According to an investigative report from the time, police thought John was accounted for the night Caitlin disappeared. Green's investigation wound down. The money from the benefactor had run out, and he'd spent some of his own, too. Months passed, then years. John moved on with his life. He got a new girlfriend, had a baby, and became a glassblowing instructor. Caitlin's sister, Allie, graduated from high school and went to college.

But the grief was always there. I think about how if I have kids, they won't know me. Yeah. And now it's like I'm an only child. You know, I have to eventually deal with all the things on my own that siblings would do together. Caitlin's father, along with a group of supporters, held events for Caitlin every chance they could.

They planted a butterfly tree in her memory. And there were often times that butterflies would fly around, particularly monarchs. A really bad day and one would float around. That was Caitlin? That was Caitlin. And it would hang around

and then go on its way. And then in the summer of 2018, seven years after Caitlin's death, police made another terrible discovery not far from where Caitlin lived. 23-year-old Ellen Ellie Weick just disappeared weeks ago. Her body found Friday. A man named Michael Strauss was arrested for killing a young woman named Ellie Weick. The case was eerily similar to Caitlin's.

I do remember saying, oh, we have another young woman, 23 years old, almost the same age as Caitlin. They were strikingly alike. And when you were talking to this young woman's loved ones, they described her as a butterfly, very bubbly, artsy. Ellie's body was also found in a wooded area. And like Caitlin, her head was covered with a plastic bag. Strauss pleaded guilty to the murder. And what's more, he reportedly bragged behind bars that he had another victim. In court documents that were filed, he had mentioned allegedly to another inmate that he had killed before. But what really got people talking was this photo and two of the men in it. There was a photo that started circulating. And in the photo, there's Michael Strauss and John Carter.

So people were like, wait a second. These two people knew each other? Someone Caitlin knew reached out to private investigator Green. He was no longer working the case, but it turned his investigation into a podcast. Welcome to Gone at 21. I get a call and he says, this guy that was arrested for Ellie's murder hung out with the crew when Caitlin was still alive. He would go to fires. He would go to parties. He would go to festivals. How promising is this as a lead? I think it was one of the best leads that the police had since Caitlin went missing, honestly.

They needed to jump on this. Did you think you were wrong about John all along, that maybe he really didn't do it? Made me question. Yeah. Let me make this very clear. Michael Strauss was like the answer to an investigator's prayer. He knew these people. He's killed somebody. The method of operation with the plastic around their head. You weren't convinced.

Everything just seemed to, you know, at that time, just to keep circling back to John. Was it John, Michael Strauss, or someone else? While it seemed the case might be gaining traction, it would take yet another investigator to finally get justice for Caitlin. You weren't going to stop until you figured it out? Nope. I don't stop. You know, I just don't do that.

Caitlin's case had been through its share of investigators. In early 2020, nine years after her disappearance, it would once again be in the hands of someone new. Paul Newton, an investigator for the county prosecutor's office. The case came to him through a tip that didn't pan out, but his interest was piqued. You have a thing for challenging cases. Yes, I love doing them. I like to challenge. And once I get challenged, I don't stop until it's resolved. This case was perfect for you? Yes. Newton got permission from his boss to dig in. He spent more than three years

working the case and kept hearing one name. And everybody around the tri-state area kept mentioning Michael Strauss. Michael Strauss did this. And even some of the police departments were saying this. Michael Strauss, the man who committed a murder that seemed so similar to Caitlin's. To Newton's knowledge, no one from law enforcement had ever asked Strauss about Caitlin's case. Mr. Strauss. So Newton brought him from prison to the prosecutor's office for an interview. Everybody keeps connecting you to Caitlin Mark. They are deep, wide, and repeatedly that you've connected this girl. interview. Strauss said he had nothing to do with Caitlin's death. And despite that photo with John,

he didn't really know him or Caitlin. If he did, she might have been at a party. And the only reason I recognize him is because I never had any picture of him. Michael Strauss said he couldn't remember where he'd been the night Caitlin disappeared. But the investigator eventually tracked down friends of Michael's who did remember. I found out that Michael Strauss that night was at a party in Westchester. So he's on the opposite side of the county. Did they remember how long he stayed? To at least four o'clock in Westchester. So he's on the opposite side of the county. Did they remember how long he stayed? To at least 4 o'clock in the morning. Newton found this photo on Facebook of a guy wearing a lampshade on his head at the party.

And right behind him, there's Strauss. So it wasn't adding up? Nope, not at all. Newton also went to see Brad Von Bargen, the friend who was at Caitlin's that night. Brad had been given a voice stress analysis test early on, and the results showed stress. I'm extremely nervous. I have anxiety problems. Now Newton convinced him to take a polygraph. How did he do? Passed. I kind of felt bad after the polygraph.

Because I said, see, Brad was that bad? And he looked at me with sad eyes. He goes, yeah, it was. He goes, I still miss my friend. So you scratch him off your list then and there? Yeah. He had nothing to do with this. Which left one obvious person of interest, John Carter. According to Dave, he'd been cleared by the Fairfield police.

Newton says he spoke to the lead detective who pointed out John's alibi, that his computer record showed he was home that night. But Newton also discovered not everyone in the department was convinced. The first officer on the scene, Sandy Sears, found John suspicious from the start. Very nervous, very antsy, and just over the top with information. It was like he had rehearsed what he was going to say. Newton found plenty of reasons to be suspicious of John in the case file, too. Starting with something Fairfield detectives brought up during John's first recorded interview. While I've been sitting here talking to you, I've noticed you have some scratches on the left side of your neck.

Shaving. I mean, if you want to examine it, I'm... No, I'm just asking you what it was from. John said he had done it using the electric razor, but it wasn't along his jaw, it was along his neck. So it was a little bit lower than what somebody would normally shave. Newton also learned that within days of Caitlin's disappearance, John deleted the texts Caitlin had sent him that night. Fairfield police questioned him about it at the time.

And the last text message is that the love of your life has sent you. You've deleted. That makes no sense to me. And I know what you're saying, and I really wanted to save it, but I did it by accident. And there was no evidence John sent Caitlin that text message saying good morning, either. What's more, Newton discovered that over the years John had failed two polygraph tests. So a year into his investigation, Newton called him into his office for a meeting. I said, I'm on the fence with you, John. I said,

I'm on the fence. I said, I'm trying to rule you out. Well, how do I rule you out? He goes, I said, take a polygraph and pass one. John agreed. I want this case to be solved. I want people to stop looking at me weird when I'm at the store. Yeah. Did he take it? Yes. Did you dispose of that woman's body? No.

And what happens? He fails it miserably. It's been a long time since I had somebody do this poorly on a polygraph. See, and I don't understand. Were you convinced now, after talking to him, that he did it? Yes. So now you've got to catch him. Got to catch him.

The investigator started reaching out to Caitlin's friends. He learned that though Caitlin and John's relationship looked strong from the outside, Caitlin was having doubts. She's starting to question, hey, I love this guy, but do I really love him? Things were starting to unravel. Yes. People were going different directions. She's driven, he's driving pizzas around. Yes. These two aren't on the same wavelength.

Caitlin's co-worker at David's Bridal told him Caitlin was starting to second-guess her decision to get married. I said something to the effect of, like, well, what about your wedding plans? Are you going to get married in Colorado? And she kind of waffled and got a little cagey, and she said, I'm not sure if we're going to get married. Newton says the tension in the relationship seemed to bubble over the weekend Caitlin disappeared. Friday night, they'd had that fight at the festival over raffle tickets. Michelle wasn't the only one who'd seen it. A friend of John's states that something's wrong between John and Caitlyn.

And he tells me to the point where, and this was his words, it looked like they were going to break up. Maybe that explained why Caitlyn had been so distant the next night with Brad. Like, she just wasn't talking too much. She stayed in the same spot on the couch, which was just, which again was just weird. Newton wondered, had Caitlin decided to end things with John after Brad left? Because if she had...

Someone inside John's end core group made the statement to me that if Caitlin was to break up with John, it would be catastrophic to John. Was he known to have a temper? Yes. Not in public, but we did come to find out that John's got a heck of a temper. Go ahead and do whatever the f*** you want. Newton got his hands on a video taken by John's new girlfriend. It captures them in a blistering fight. Stop! No! There's two guys inside John.

There's a John that you see every day out front in front of the public. Fine. And there's an inside of John you don't want to know. There was more damning info on John's cell phone, too. Remember, Caitlin's phone had been turned off around midnight the night she disappeared. Turns out John's phone had also gone dark. Her phone goes dark at 12.06. His goes off like at 12.04.

Inactive at 12.04. And John didn't use his again until the next afternoon. Law enforcement doesn't believe in coincidences. Not that many. I mean, that's another red flag, okay? You start pulling the flags up. The case against John Carter was getting stronger, but the investigator still had a big hurdle to clear, John's alibi. He was about to hear a lot more about that, because hiding in the shadows that night, unseen figures were watching John's house. And they saw something. They pulled back out of the

driveway without lights and then I think they flipped them on as soon as they like turned that corner. Dave Markham had spent more than 10 years waiting for justice for his daughter, Caitlin. Remarkably, he hadn't lost hope. I've had faith that answers are going to come out in God's time. You learned the art of patience. I guess I did. Dave didn't know it at the time, but behind the scenes, investigator Paul Newton was slowly building a case against John Carter.

Maybe there's no smoking gun, but there sure are a lot of pieces that are coming together. And it's coming together and it's fitting. But were they the right pieces to convince a jury? The investigator asked an assistant prosecutor in his office, Brad Burris, for guidance. His words to me were, you know, I have a lot of information here, The investigator asked an assistant prosecutor in his office, Brad Burris, for guidance. His words to me were, you know, I have a lot of information here, but I don't know exactly what it is that you need in a courtroom to be able to go in and prove your case. Burris could see right away that John's alibi could be a problem for the prosecution.

John had that gathering with friends, then home for the night on his computer. But in the Fairfield case files, he noticed something. Statements from two teenagers that seemed to call that story into question. They'd come forward after Caitlin's body was found in 2013. This puts a big hole in his alibi if these boys are right. That is correct. He suggested Newton tracked the boys down. Today is Saturday, April the 9th.

In separate interviews, the boys said about 2 a.m. that night they were walking through John Carter's neighborhood. We knew that my dad goes to sleep, and we were kind of notorious for sneaking out of the house and going to parties and such. They were standing on the corner across from John's house when they saw two cars pulling up with their lights off. We thought they were police, so we hid.

Right to our left was a pine tree or evergreen, you know, thick tree that we could hide behind. We darted right behind that tree. They watched through the foliage as one of the cars went into John's garage. Can you describe the cars as one being a Red Ford Focus? Red Ford Focus. What kind of car does John Carter have red Ford Focus? Red Ford Focus. What kind of car does John Carter have? He has a red Ford Focus. The other car, which was blue, parked outside John's house. Several minutes passed, and then... They pulled back out of the garage without lights,

and then I think they flipped them on as soon as they, like, turned that corner. Based on what the boys were telling Newton, the cars headed in the direction of Caitlin's house. He may not have been home the whole night, as he said, and he might have had help. Yeah, I was like, OK, this is this is huge. Of course, the next question was help from whom? Can you describe what you've seen the driver in the blue car? Yeah, just had, you know, long hair to his shoulders, pulled away, and then just unmanicured facial hair. Okay.

Newton thought he knew exactly who it was. He was very pale. He was disheveled. That same friend who gave Officer Sears the bad feeling the first night at Caitlin's. John's friend, John Palmerton. Newton slid Palmerton's picture across the table. Does he have this kind of hairstyle? Yes. So it's similar to what you've seen that night, the person, individual in that car? Yes. Okay. You need to talk to John Palmerton. They talked to John Palmerton. You go by John, Jonathan or? John or Jonathan. In the interview room, Newton asked Pomerton where he'd been that Saturday night. He said he'd worked at a restaurant until 11, then hung out with a co-worker.

What time did you guys leave the bar? About four in the morning. Do you confront him with that information from the teenage boys that they saw you there at John's? These two individuals were pretty damn sure what they'd seen that night, real sure. Does that sound familiar to you? What, that incident happen? Yeah.

Never? Never happened. Yeah, I was at the bar. You could tell he's being evasive, don't want to answer the question, very fidgety. But you could see why it's awful strange what these kids seen. I get what you're saying. Yeah. But only thing I can tell you for certain is what they saw

didn't involve me. Newton pushed harder. Driver, imagine your description. You live right around the corner from John. You know, John, since you were seven years old, if it goes bad, who's he going to turn to? Not me. He doesn't call me anymore. He occasionally does that. Anymore. He doesn't call you anymore. Do I think you killed Caitlin?

No, I don't. I truthfully don't. I will tell you that. Now, would you help a buddy? Yeah, I think you would. Now, with something like that, hell no, I'm not risking my ass. I don't care how good of a friend you are.

I've not risked myself for something like that and being that f***ing stupid. After Palmerton's interview, Newton felt sure he was on the right track. A belief that got stronger when Palmerton's co-workers at the restaurant disputed his story. The people who John Palmerton wanted me to talk to, to solidify his alibi that night. We're like, no, that's not how it went. A theory of Caitlin's murder was now forming in the investigator's mind. He believed John Carter had killed Caitlin before he left for the gathering with friends, then returned afterward with his friend John to move the body.

Then people go, why didn't he move the body right then and there? One answer. What's going on across the street? The Sacred Heart Festival. So John can't move the body until after everybody's gone. But his theory still had a big problem. John's computer. How could he be moving Caitlin

if his laptop showed he was home watching that TV show between 2 and 4 a.m.? Newton had an explanation for that, too. Just because he downloaded it and it's playing doesn't mean he's watching it. And you find out something that suggests he may not have been watching White Collar. Correct. A review of John's computer search history revealed that when he woke up the next day,

he searched for summaries of those episodes. He'd read the synopsis of two of those episodes the next day. Newton and Burris brought this new piece of information to Butler County Prosecutor Mike Moser. I did my happy dance at that point because it explained an awful lot. You think this was a piece of his alibi that he was building? I think that he, very early on, from the time that he caused her death, started a construct for an alibi. With that and all the other findings, the prosecutor made his first public move. John Palmerton? Yeah.

John Palmerton was charged with perjury, and in February 2023, he was arrested at the restaurant where he worked. Could you find a bag for me? He was arrested at the restaurant where he worked. Dave Markham was floored. He hadn't heard from anyone in law enforcement in more than three years. Your mind must have been spinning. Oh, it was. Not John Carter, but his friend. Yeah.

Michelle's mind was spinning, too. Caitlin's friend thought she knew where the investigation was headed. The fact that Palmerton is involved just screams that they know that it's John. I know how close they are. Caitlin's loved ones wouldn't have to wait much longer for another arrest. You guys copy? He's in custody. On March 22nd, 2023, Paul Newton showed up at a glassblowing class John was teaching. I put the cuffs on him. I said, you're under arrest. Oh my goodness. Can you imagine being in a glassblowing class John was teaching. I put the couch on him. I said, you're under arrest. Oh, my goodness. Can you imagine being in that glassblowing class?

Well, there was a bunch of elderly old women in there. And that sounds like something relaxing. It wasn't that day. They got a show. John was driven to the county sheriff's office and booked into the jail. My chest just kind of fell. My shoulders just dropped. It just was like, oh, what a relief. This weight was lifted off my shoulder. What's that moment like when you find out that he's been arrested for the murder of

your sister? Something is finally happening. Hopefully, we'll come to an end. After almost 12 years, it seemed like justice for Caitlin was finally on the way. But prosecutors still faced a big challenge. With no DNA and no forensics connecting John to the crime, the evidence was circumstantial. I felt like that in order for us to win the case, we were going to have to try a perfect case. But before that could happen, you get some news that will change everything.

It was very surprising to me. Caitlin is the love of my life. I've been with her for six years. Twelve years after pleading for Caitlin's safe return, John Carter was in jail charged with her murder. It's disgusting. It's so phony. I didn't know he was such a good actor. I always felt that he was so genuine.

John pleaded not guilty. In court, the prosecutor revealed disturbing new evidence against him. It was poems that he said his investigators found in John Carter's mother's house, and they were so dark. Deep down, I love her. You want to kill her, but I love her. She must die. Were you just floored? Yeah, I felt sick. Investigators also found writing scrawled atop a basement door.

I slit your wrists with the key to your heart. If you remember, they did make reference to shark force wounds in her wrist. Do you think Caitlin will finally get justice? I'm counting on it.

And I think the prosecutor's office has a lot. Prosecutors did have a lot, but they also knew getting a guilty verdict wouldn't be easy. Things looked bad for John Carter, but at the same time, this is a circumstantial case. This 100% was going to be a circumstantial case. There was no DNA. There was no fingerprint. We did not have a cause of death in this case.

Another challenge was the timeline. Some friends placed John at the gathering around the time prosecutors believed Caitlin was killed. He was there at least around like 11. It was right there. I want this case. Then there was the fact that John had always cooperated with police. I'm here to help you in any way I can. He never once lawyered up. Every single time he was asked to come in, he came in. But perhaps prosecutors' biggest challenge came from within the investigation itself. That report stating police believed John had been accounted for the night Caitlin died.

The Fairfield lead detective had also cast doubt on the neighborhood boys who'd seen John's car that night. She found their stories to be, quote, suspect. That was something that was going to be very difficult for us. Combating that the lead detective, you know detective from Fairfield did have some doubts. Which can lead to reasonable doubt with the jury. Yes. The original detective certainly paved the way for reasonable doubt. Well, she made statements that she thought that John Carter was not guilty.

She was convinced that he was not involved. She was wrong. Sandy Sears, who left the Fairfield Police Department in 2019, thinks John should have been investigated more thoroughly. You feel this case could have been solved a long time ago? I do. I think basic following of the evidence would have gotten this case solved a lot earlier.

The Fairfield Police Department disagrees with that. The current police chief told us the lead investigator, as well as her supervisors, always considered John a suspect and never cleared him. They just didn't uncover sufficient evidence to conclude he killed Caitlin. He also told us several outside agencies reviewed the case and came to the same conclusion. As prosecutors continued to grapple with the case, they suddenly got an unexpected boost. Today's date is Tuesday, April 23rd. Just two months before jury selection,

Paul Newton interviewed a woman who'd lived in the townhouse right next door to Caitlin's. She spoke to police early on, but says she'd been asked about the wrong night. Now, she told them that the night Caitlin disappeared, she heard an altercation through the wall. It was a shout of like, stop it, stop it. I definitely heard that. Then I heard a sound that just kind of reminded me of like something hitting a wall or a loud bang of sorts. It's not an eyewitness, but it's an earwitness. It is an earwitness.

They disclosed her interview to the defense. A few weeks later, one of John's attorneys waved Burris down in the courtroom. Defense counsel came up to me and said, hey, is there something that we could possibly work out in this case? He was stunned. A plea deal? Did John's defense team then tell your team what he was willing to plead guilty to? The offer became he's willing to enter a plea of guilty

to involuntary manslaughter, which is a felony of the third degree. Meaning John was finally willing to admit he caused Caitlin's death. He wouldn't say exactly what happened that night or why, but he would be taking responsibility. Given the challenges of the case, Prosecutor Mike Moser decided to go forward with it.

We'll do it. Like, just like that? It was almost that quick. A week later, Dave and Allie found themselves in a Butler County courtroom preparing to hear one word they never thought John would say. What is your plea to count one involuntary manslaughter a felony of the third degree? It's like you're holding your breath, right? Like... Absolutely.

You're gonna say it, right? Right. Yep. And he did. And he did. Guilty. And then you can take a deep breath in this case and the result was for her for justice for caitlyn and for her father but would the punishment fit the crime in ohio involuntary manslaughter of the third degree carries a maximum penalty of just

three years in prison. John could also get probation, no prison time. And there weren't any other charges prosecutors could tack on because the statute of limitations had run out. For Dave, the thought of John not going to prison at all was deeply upsetting. That's going to really feel like a letdown if he doesn't get time. It's, of course, very satisfying to hear John Carter take responsibility for this crime. That's going to really feel like a letdown if he doesn't get time. It's, of course, very satisfying to hear John Carter take responsibility for this crime. What's not satisfying for a lot of people is when you hear the sentencing guidelines, zero to three years. Man, that sounds light. Well, don't kill the messenger. The state of Ohio legislature decided what the penalties would be

for this type of offense. But to me, whether it's one day or six days or six months or six years, it was more important to me to get justice by an admission of guilt for Caitlin Markham. And I would imagine that you don't make that call lightly. I didn't make the call lightly in this case. Examining every piece of circumstantial evidence on how it would be attacked, how I would have attacked it as a defense attorney, I knew what was coming. Please be seated. At John's sentencing six weeks later, his attorneys asked the judge for leniency.

But the prosecutor argued for the max, saying John's refusal to give any details of Caitlin's death showed a lack of remorse. The judge agreed. Anything short of the maximum sentence would demean the seriousness of the offender's conduct and its impact upon the victim. One of the best noises in my sound is his handcuffs. Click, click. Boy, I felt good. Oh. And when he was walked away, I went like this. Oh, you gave him a wave, huh?

I did. I waved him goodbye. John Carter was sentenced to three years in prison. As for John Pomerton, the perjury charge was dropped, but the prosecutor has a message for him. If he's watching Dateline when this thing is aired, I want him to know that I am still looking at him. He should watch out. That's a fact. John Palmerton's attorney told us that's just rhetoric.

He says his client has always cooperated with the investigation and is innocent. Dave Markham is grateful to investigator Paul Newton and the prosecutor's office for not giving up on the case. And after 13 years, both he and Allie are trying to turn the page. Allie graduated from college and is a teacher now. Dave is engaged to be married and is pushing for legislation called Caitlin's Law that would extend the statute of limitations for crimes related to missing persons cases.

You want Caitlin's death to mean something, to help other families, other cases. That's been Caitlin's personality, helping people. She always wanted people to smile and be happy. I want them to remember she was bubbly and bold and bright. And I love you. Caitlin Markham, a creative, colorful, free spirit who was just beginning to spread her wings.

She comes and visits still with the butterflies. The butterflies are still coming. They're still coming. She'll always be with you. Always. That's all for this edition of Dateline. Check out our Talking Dateline podcast. Andrea Canning and Josh Mankiewicz will go behind the scenes of tonight's episode. Available Wednesday in the Dateline feed wherever you get your podcasts.

We'll see you again next Friday at 9, 8 central. I'm Lester Holt. For all of us at NBC News, good night.