“I’ll be honest. We’re nowhere near done in that case,” he said. “I know we’re going to be back up there, especially after the first frost.”
After conducting several searches over the past two weeks, he said it’s time to give law enforcement time to work on the investigation and wait for information to come in.
“If they come up with anything at all, we’re only one phone call away,” he said.
While TES has postponed searches, area volunteers have not. Volunteers are tentatively meeting Wednesday evening to continue where TES left off.
Markham was last seen late Aug. 13 and was reported missing Aug. 14. Police say they have no evidence of what could have led to her disappearance.
Donna Metz of Fairfield doesn’t know Markham or the family, but has - in many ways - become the point person for heading search efforts. She quit her part-time job to be able to fully devote her time and energy to help find Markham.
“I feel very passionate about it,” Metz said. “I think God puts us in a place for a reason and I am where I am. My family thinks I’ve lost my mind,” she said, adding that her husband has been very understanding and supportive.
Metz said she is waiting for Fairfield police to give her the “OK” to resume searches. If the search goes on as planned, volunteers should not bring children and minors should not be present. She also said that those who show up should be serious about working.
Miller echoed Metz’s request for “serious” volunteers when he released a statement on the TES website Monday afternoon, saying TES doesn’t support any negative statements being posted online.
“This kind of behavior is doing nothing but hindering law enforcement’s investigation and distracting search efforts. ... We have one fact — and that is Katelyn is missing,” the message signed by Miller said.
One Facebook group that has emerged, Katelyn Markham’s Disappearance: Considering Everything, has gained more than 800 followers, where speculation is prominent.
Contact this reporter at (513) 483-5237 or kcano@coxohio.com.
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