Overview
- Judge Dan Haughey rejected Carter’s bid for early release, ordering him to serve his full three-year sentence in state prison.
- Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser said he would consider supporting release only if Carter provided a truthful account, and Carter chose not to speak.
- The judge noted Carter’s good behavior in custody but said the court cannot undo the harm already done.
- Outside court, attorney Carl Lewis said Carter has nothing to offer about the death and urged authorities to find the “real person,” a stance echoed by Carter’s mother.
- Markham vanished in 2011 and was found in 2013 in Indiana; Carter pleaded guilty in 2024 to involuntary manslaughter, which his lawyer said was to avoid the risk of a murder conviction, and Markham’s father voiced relief at Friday’s ruling.