Katelyn Markham, 22. Ohio - missing/murdered

[Lady Cop]

Cincinnati.com

FAIRFIELD - More than 120 people - including Katelyn Markham's fiancé John Carter - gathered early Thursday at Fairfield West Baptist Church for the most intensive search yet for the missing 22-year-old art student.

Markham's father, Dave, was among them and stood before the crowd during a briefing on ground rules for the search coordinated by Texas EquuSearch Mounted Search and Recovery Team.

There was prayer. Fairfield West Associate Pastor James Dick thanked God for his "guidance, strength, love and patience" for searchers. He asked for prayers from Dave Markham.

EquuSearch founder Tim Miller turned to Dave Markham in front of the crowd.

"Dave, it does not look good," Miller said about the prospect of finding his daughter alive. "But we are going to hold onto that hope until we know different."

Searchers, armed with fluorescent flags to mark evidence and the areas they checked, broke into teams and were dispatched to at least 10 locations in Butler and Hamilton counties, the farthest eight miles from the Dorshire Drive townhouse that Markham shared with her father.

More than 40 areas have been identified for subsequent searches, Miller said.

FBI statistics show that 86 percent of missing people are found within a 12 mile radius of where they were abducted and murdered, he said.

"Those numbers and our experience in what we've done are pretty darn accurate," Miller said.

If searchers found a body, they were instructed to have their team leader call Miller, who planned to stay at the command center at Fairfield West. He would call police to get to the scene. Texts, Twitter, Facebook and other social media communication were banned.

No other search teams were to be told, Miller said, for fear that word would spread and the media would go racing to the scene to start reporting the discovery before the Markhams were told.

edit later:
A highly specialized team of searchers have wrapped up today's planned search for a missing Fairfield woman. Texas Equusearch Mounted Search and Recovery Team members combed the area, looking for 22 year old Katelyn Markham.

A smaller group will search an area later this evening, with the next larger search planned for Saturday.


saturday?