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The Disappearance of Bethany Markowski
● Still Missing
Child Abduction
Jackson, Tennessee
Missing Since 2001
Missing Child
Bethany Leanne Markowski
Bethany Leanne Markowski — Age 11, 2001
| Date of Birth | February 1, 1990 |
| Date Missing | March 4, 2001 |
| Height / Weight | 4'8" / 95 lbs (at disappearance) |
| Hair / Eyes | Brown / Blue-green |
| Identifying Marks | Mole on left breast; freckles on cheeks and nose; missing top and bottom baby molars |
| Mother | Jonnie Carter |
Bethany Leanne Markowski was born on February 1, 1990, to Jonnie Jo Carter and Larry Markowski in Tennessee. She was the fifth and youngest child in a blended family, with each parent bringing two children from prior relationships. Those who knew her described her as sweet but with a sharp wit and a strong will, a girl who could light up a room. She was close with her mother.
In early 2001, Jonnie left the family home in Gleason, Tennessee, after escalating abuse, taking Bethany with her to stay with Jonnie's sister in Hermitage, near Nashville. Jonnie enrolled Bethany in a new school and obtained a protective order against Larry. A court granted Larry unsupervised weekend visitation. The weekend of March 2 through 4, 2001, was only his second such court-ordered visit.
At the time of her disappearance, Bethany had shoulder-length brown hair with bangs, blue-green eyes, freckles on her cheeks and nose, and a mole on her left breast. She was still losing her baby teeth and was missing her top and bottom molars. She had a habit of biting her fingernails when nervous. She was last seen wearing a green t-shirt, blue or black jeans, and black slip-on shoes.
Bethany has never been found. She would be 36 years old as of 2026. Her mother, Jonnie Carter, has never stopped searching for her. In 2025, Jonnie founded The Bethany Markowski Foundation, a Tennessee nonprofit dedicated to supporting families of missing children and providing child safety education across the state.
01
What We Know
March 4, 2001 — Jackson, Tennessee
On Friday, March 2, 2001, Bethany's aunt Lori Jackson drove Bethany to the neutral custody exchange point at the Waverly exit on Interstate 40, the halfway point between Nashville and Gleason, where Larry Markowski picked her up for the weekend. Because Jonnie Carter had a protective order against Larry, she was not permitted to conduct the exchange herself.
During the weekend, Larry took Bethany to Little Rock, Arkansas, to visit his friend Harold Roberts. This trip was not disclosed by Larry to investigators initially; he later acknowledged it. Harold Roberts confirmed the visit and told investigators that during the visit, Larry had mentioned wanting to take Bethany to Mexico. Larry denies making that statement. The Little Rock visit is the last confirmed sighting of Bethany by anyone other than her father.
On the morning of Sunday, March 4, Jonnie spoke with Bethany by phone and reported hearing Larry yelling in the background. She said Bethany sounded scared. At 12:12 p.m., Bethany spoke briefly with her half-sister Jenny from Larry's phone, saying they had just left Gleason and were heading to Old Hickory Mall in Jackson. That was the last confirmed contact anyone outside the car had with Bethany.
Around 2:00 p.m., a witness reported seeing Larry alone at a gas station in Parkers Crossroads, approximately 25 miles from Jackson. Larry reportedly told the person he had "just dropped off" his daughter. Bethany was not visible. Larry's account to investigators held that he and Bethany arrived at Old Hickory Mall at approximately 3:30 p.m., that she entered the mall alone while he slept in his vehicle, and that after approximately an hour he went inside to find her. At 5:15 p.m., he reported her missing to mall security. Police arrived shortly after.
No surveillance footage from Old Hickory Mall on March 4, 2001, shows Bethany entering or leaving the building. No witnesses at the mall saw her. No physical evidence linked to her was found at the scene. The TBI and FBI both investigated and found no confirmation that Bethany was ever inside the mall. Larry purchased a van six days before Bethany disappeared and sold it two months after her disappearance. He has not been cooperative with investigators and has not been ruled out as a suspect. Neither has Jonnie Carter, though Jonnie passed a polygraph examination and was given a certificate by the examiner attesting to her honesty. Larry failed his polygraph tests.
02
Case Timeline
Twenty-Five Years of an Open Case
January 2001
Jonnie Carter Leaves with Bethany
Jonnie Carter leaves the family home in Gleason, Tennessee, with Bethany after escalating abuse by Larry Markowski. She moves with Bethany to stay with her sister in Hermitage, near Nashville. Jonnie enrolls Bethany in a new school and obtains a protective order against Larry. A court subsequently grants Larry unsupervised weekend visitation, with exchanges taking place at the Waverly exit on I-40.
February 26, 2001
Larry Purchases a Van
Larry Markowski purchases a van six days before Bethany's disappearance. He sells it two months later, following her disappearance. The purchase and timing are considered significant by investigators.
March 2 to 4, 2001
Visitation Weekend — Little Rock Trip
Bethany's aunt drops her at the Waverly exchange point on March 2. Larry takes her to Gleason and then to Little Rock, Arkansas, to visit his friend Harold Roberts. Roberts later tells investigators that Larry mentioned wanting to flee to Mexico with Bethany. Larry denies this. The visit to Little Rock is the last confirmed sighting of Bethany by anyone outside the family.
March 4, 2001 — Morning
Last Known Contact with Bethany
Jonnie speaks with Bethany by phone and reports hearing Larry yelling in the background; she believes Bethany sounds frightened. At 12:12 p.m., Bethany tells her half-sister Jenny by phone that they have just left Gleason and are heading to Old Hickory Mall in Jackson. This is the last confirmed contact with Bethany by anyone outside the vehicle.
March 4, 2001 — Afternoon
Bethany Reported Missing at Old Hickory Mall
A witness reports seeing Larry alone at a gas station in Parkers Crossroads at approximately 2:00 p.m., telling someone he had "just dropped off" his daughter. Larry's account to police states he and Bethany arrived at Old Hickory Mall at 3:30 p.m., that she entered alone while he slept in the car, and that he alerted mall security at 5:15 p.m. after failing to find her inside. No mall surveillance footage shows Bethany entering the building. No witnesses saw her inside or outside the mall.
April 2001
Enrollment Attempt and Sightings in East Tennessee
An unidentified woman attempts to enroll a girl resembling Bethany in a private school in Sweetwater, Tennessee. Shortly after, multiple witnesses in Cleveland, Tennessee, report seeing a disheveled blonde woman and a young girl matching Bethany's description at a local cafe over three consecutive days. A composite sketch of the woman is released. A cab driver and a bus station ticket agent also report seeing the pair; witnesses say they purchased a ticket to Moline, Illinois. Law enforcement travels to Moline but does not locate them.
2016 to 2017
False Identification in Knoxville
The TBI contacts Jonnie about a woman found on a porch in Knoxville who claimed to be Bethany Markowski and identified Jonnie as her mother from a photograph. The woman shared several physical similarities with Bethany. DNA testing conclusively ruled her out.
2024 to 2026
Active FBI Tip and Foundation Launch
As of April 2024, the FBI is actively investigating a tip in connection with Bethany's disappearance. In 2025, Jonnie Carter founded The Bethany Markowski Foundation, a Tennessee 501(c)(3) nonprofit. In March 2026, on the 25th anniversary of Bethany's disappearance, the Foundation held Tennessee's first Missing Children's Day event at the Capitol Theatre in Lebanon, Tennessee. Bethany remains missing. No charges have ever been filed.
03
The Investigation
Surveillance Footage That Showed Nothing and Witnesses Who Saw Too Much
The central fact of the investigation into Bethany Markowski's disappearance is that the story told by her father, Larry Markowski, is directly contradicted by the physical evidence. Larry told investigators that Bethany entered Old Hickory Mall in Jackson, Tennessee, alone on the afternoon of March 4, 2001. Surveillance camera footage from the mall that day does not show Bethany entering or exiting the building. No witness placed her inside. No physical evidence connected her to the scene. The TBI and FBI both investigated and found no confirmation that Bethany was ever in the mall.
A witness at a gas station in Parkers Crossroads, approximately 25 miles from the mall, reported seeing Larry alone at approximately 2:00 p.m. and noted he said he had "just dropped off" his daughter. Bethany was not present. This sighting predates Larry's account of their arrival at the mall by an hour and a half and is geographically inconsistent with his story. Larry purchased a van six days before Bethany disappeared and sold it two months after she was reported missing. He has been inconsistent with investigators and has not been fully cooperative.
Harold Roberts, Larry's friend in Little Rock who hosted the pair during the weekend visit, told investigators that Larry had made statements about wanting to flee to Mexico with Bethany. Larry denies this. The Little Rock trip itself was not disclosed by Larry in his initial account to investigators. Both parents have been subjected to polygraph examinations. Jonnie Carter passed and was given a certificate by the examiner. Larry reportedly failed his tests.
The sightings of an unidentified woman with a girl resembling Bethany in April and May 2001 represent a separate investigative strand. Three independent witnesses in Cleveland, Tennessee, including a cafe waitress, a cab driver, and a bus station ticket agent, each reported seeing a young girl matching Bethany's description accompanied by a disheveled blonde woman aged approximately 42 to 44. The woman attempted to enroll a girl in a private school in Sweetwater, Tennessee, one month after Bethany went missing. The pair reportedly purchased a bus ticket to Moline, Illinois. Law enforcement traveled to Moline but found neither the woman nor the child. The unidentified woman has never been identified.
Case Document
The FBI missing persons poster for Bethany Leanne Markowski contains her physical description, identifying characteristics, case details, and contact information for the Memphis Field Office. The poster includes both her childhood photograph and an age progression image.
Download FBI Missing Poster (PDF)04
Person of Interest
Larry Markowski
No Photo
Available
Available
Larry Markowski
Gleason, Tennessee — Believed Still Living in Tennessee
Relationship: Bethany's father; was exercising court-ordered visitation at the time of disappearance
Status: Person of interest — not charged; maintains innocence
Polygraph: Reportedly failed polygraph tests; Jonnie Carter passed hers
Van: Purchased six days before Bethany's disappearance; sold two months after
Mexico Statement: Friend Harold Roberts told investigators Larry discussed wanting to flee to Mexico with Bethany; Larry denies this
Cooperation: Has not been fully cooperative with investigators; has made public accusations against Jonnie Carter
Larry Markowski is the person of interest named by investigators in connection with Bethany's disappearance. He was the last adult confirmed to have been with Bethany before she vanished and his account of events is directly contradicted by mall surveillance footage and witness testimony. He has not been charged with any offense in connection with Bethany's disappearance. Authorities have also stated they have not ruled out either parent. No charges have been filed against any person in connection with this case.
Help Find Bethany
What Bethany May Look Like Today
Age progression — Bethany Markowski
Current Age and Description
Bethany would be 36 years old as of 2026
At the time of her disappearance, Bethany had shoulder-length brown hair with bangs, blue-green eyes, freckles on her cheeks and nose, and a mole on her left breast. She stood approximately 4 feet 8 inches tall and weighed around 95 pounds. She was still losing her baby teeth and was missing her top and bottom molars. As an adult, she would now have her permanent teeth, and her height and appearance would have changed significantly.
An age progression image has been developed by the FBI and NCMEC. The unidentified woman seen with a girl resembling Bethany in Tennessee in April 2001 has also never been found. If you believe you have seen Bethany or have any information about this case, please contact law enforcement immediately.
FBI — Memphis Field Office
(901) 747-4300
FBI Memphis Field Office — Reference: Bethany Leanne Markowski
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
1-800-TBI-FIND
1-800-824-3463 — Tennessee Bureau of Investigation tip line
Jackson Police Department
Jackson Police Department: (731) 425-8400. The case is classified as Endangered Missing by both the TBI and FBI.
NCMEC and The Bethany Markowski Foundation
Bethany is listed as an active missing child with NCMEC at missingkids.org. The Bethany Markowski Foundation, founded by her mother Jonnie Carter in 2025, can be reached at findbethany.org.
Sources
FBI.gov — Bethany Leanne Markowski (active listing) | NCMEC — Dear Bethany: 20 Years Missing (March 2021) | The Charley Project — Bethany Leanne Markowski case summary | Solve the Case — Bethany Leanne Markowski, Jackson, Tennessee | Stories of the Unsolved — The Disappearance of Bethany Markowski (August 2024, updated July 2025) | The Bethany Markowski Foundation — Case Overview (findbethany.org, updated June 2026) | The Bethany Markowski Foundation — Timeline of Events | The Bethany Markowski Foundation — FAQ | Today in Fort Smith — Missing in Plain Sight: The disappearance from Tennessee of Bethany Leanne Markowski (June 2025) | People Magazine — Tennessee Girl Who Vanished in 2001 at 11 Years Old: Mom Hopes for Reunion (2021) | WBBJ-TV — Mother remains hopeful for missing daughter 17 years after disappearance (2018) | WKRN — Case that inspired TN Missing Children's Day goes 23 years unsolved (March 2024) | CNN — Bethany Markowski vanished 25 years ago; mother still hasn't given up hope (March 2026)
Still Missing
Bethany Leanne Markowski
Bethany Markowski was eleven years old. She had freckles on her cheeks and a sharp wit and a mother who loved her more than anything. She left for a court-ordered weekend with her father on March 2, 2001, and she never came home. Twenty-five years have passed. She has never been found.
Her mother, Jonnie Carter, has never stopped. She went on television. She talked to investigators. She passed her polygraph and got the certificate to prove it. She kept the case alive through years when it might have faded into the silence that swallows so many missing children. In 2025, she founded a nonprofit in Bethany's name. In 2026, on the 25th anniversary of the day her daughter disappeared, she held Tennessee's first Missing Children's Day event and filled a theater with people who came because Bethany's name still means something.
Somewhere, there are people who know what happened. The surveillance footage that did not show her entering the mall. The witness who saw a man alone at a gas station saying he had just dropped off his daughter. The friend in Little Rock who heard something that has never been explained away. The unidentified woman in Cleveland, Tennessee, who sat with a girl in a cafe for three days and then boarded a bus and disappeared. Somewhere, the answers exist.
Bethany Markowski would be 36 years old. She had freckles and green-blue eyes and a mole on her left breast and she bit her fingernails when she was nervous. Her name is Bethany Leanne Markowski. She is still missing. She is not forgotten.
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