People search for Bethany Markowski every single day.
We see it in our website data, in our inbox, and in the questions that come to us on social media. Most of them are some version of the same thing: Has she been found? What happened? Who is looking for her? Is anyone still trying?
The answer to the last question is yes. The answer to the others is more complicated. This post is our attempt to answer all of them as honestly and completely as we can, because Bethany’s family deserves a public record of what has been done, what is still being done, and what still needs to happen.
Who Bethany Is
Bethany Leanne Markowski was born on February 1, 1990. She was 11 years old when she disappeared on March 4, 2001. She would be 36 years old today.
She was last heard from in Gleason, Tennessee, with her last known cell phone activity pinging near the Natchez Trace. She was officially reported missing from Jackson, Tennessee, where her father told investigators she had gone into the Old Hickory Mall alone while he waited in the car. Surveillance footage from the mall showed she never entered the building.
She has never been found. No one has ever been charged.
For a full account of the events surrounding her disappearance, read our detailed case overview and complete timeline.
The Agencies Involved
Bethany’s case involves multiple law enforcement agencies. This is not unusual for a missing child case that has been open for 25 years, but it does create complexity, and it means the investigation has had many hands on it over the decades.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI)
The TBI was called into Bethany’s case nine days after she was reported missing, after Jackson Police Department contacted them to request help pulling cell phone records. When TBI asked why the records were needed, Jackson Police explained they had a missing child. TBI’s response, according to public records, was to ask why they had not been called sooner.
TBI Agent Cathy Ferguson has been actively involved in Bethany’s case for years. She remains the assigned TBI agent today. In 2016, Agent Ferguson called Jonnie directly after a young woman was found in the Knoxville area claiming to be Bethany. DNA ultimately proved the woman was not her. Ferguson has stayed in contact with the family and continues to work the case.
To submit a tip to the TBI: 1-800-TBI-FIND or TipsToTBI@tn.gov
The FBI
The FBI has been involved in Bethany’s case and maintains an active listing for her on their Most Wanted Kidnappings page. The FBI’s involvement reflects the seriousness and complexity of the case, particularly given evidence suggesting Bethany may have been moved across state lines in the days following her disappearance.
You can submit a tip directly to the FBI here.
Jackson Police Department
The Jackson Police Department was the first to respond and held the case in its early days. The nine-day delay in contacting TBI has been a point of public concern and scrutiny over the years. (Source: WBBJ-TV, May 2018)
The 26th Judicial District — DA Jody Pickens
The District Attorney’s office for the 26th Judicial District, currently led by DA Jody Pickens, has jurisdiction over Bethany’s case. The foundation has met directly with the DA’s office. In a meeting with the foundation, DA Pickens expressed optimism about the role emerging forensic technologies could play in cases like Bethany’s. No charges have ever been filed.
Larry Markowski: The Person of Interest
Bethany’s father, Larry Markowski, was the last known person to be with Bethany before she disappeared. Law enforcement has named him a person of interest in her disappearance. He has never been charged with any crime related to Bethany’s case.
Here is what the public record shows:
His account of what happened. According to Larry, Bethany went into Old Hickory Mall alone while he napped in the parking lot. After approximately two hours, he went in to look for her and could not find her. Surveillance footage from the mall does not show Bethany entering the building. (Source: FBI.gov)
The polygraph. Larry Markowski did not pass his polygraph test. Jonnie Carter, Bethany’s mother, passed hers and was issued a certificate by the examiner. Larry has maintained his innocence.
His cooperation with investigators. Larry has not actively participated in the investigation or in public events related to Bethany’s disappearance. Law enforcement has described his level of cooperation as limited. (Source: WBBJ-TV)
The van. Larry purchased a 1995 Chevy Astro van six days before Bethany disappeared. When TBI conducted a forensic examination of the vehicle, they found small blood droplets on a pillow and a blanket. Larry’s explanation was that Bethany had sat on a thorn. The van was deregistered on April 30, 2001 — less than two months after Bethany’s disappearance. It was sold at auction in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 18. It was then shipped to Puerto Rico on June 22. Of the more than 40 vehicles Larry Markowski is known to have owned, this was the only one ever sent out of the country. It resurfaced in 2003 with a new registered owner.
Walmart surveillance. On the day Bethany disappeared, Walmart surveillance footage showed a man purchasing a shovel, rope, and gas cans. A shovel with fresh dirt was later found discarded at Elmwood Cemetery, which is located next to the overflow parking lot at Old Hickory Mall. Whether the man in the footage was Larry Markowski has never been officially confirmed. (Source: The Suitcase Detective)
Where Larry is now. As far as is publicly known, Larry Markowski is believed to be living in Tennessee. He has spoken publicly about the case on one occasion, in an interview with Crime Watch Daily, approximately 17 years after Bethany’s disappearance. He maintains that he does not know what happened to his daughter. For a full public record of what is known about Larry Markowski, visit our dedicated page: What Do We Know About Larry Markowski?
We are not a law enforcement agency. We cannot name Larry Markowski as a suspect — law enforcement has not done that, and we will not overstep what the evidence allows us to say. What we can say is that his story does not add up. It has never added up. And the questions around his behavior in the days and weeks following Bethany’s disappearance have never been answered.
If you have ever known Larry Markowski, worked with him, or have any information about his whereabouts or behavior around the time of Bethany’s disappearance in 2001, please contact law enforcement. Even a small detail could matter.
What Else Is Being Pursued
New Forensic Technology
Advances in forensic technology — including forensic genetic genealogy, advanced DNA analysis, and digital forensics — have cracked cold cases that sat dormant for decades. In a meeting with the foundation, DA Jody Pickens expressed optimism about the role emerging forensic technologies could play in cases like Bethany’s. We share that hope. We are pursuing every avenue available to us to make sure those tools are applied here.
The Cold Case Bill That Died — And Why It Matters
In early 2026, a bipartisan bill — HB 2606 in the House, SB 2649 in the Senate — was introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly to create a dedicated cold case division within the TBI.
The bill would have established three regional units across the state, each staffed with a director and at least five dedicated cold case detectives. It would have required law enforcement agencies to submit unsolved missing person and homicide cases to the division after 10 years without resolution.
To put that in context: at the time the bill was being debated, the TBI had just one full-time detective assigned to 479 cold cases in the state of Tennessee.
Families of missing children and homicide victims — including Jonnie Carter and our advocacy partners — testified before legislative committees and packed the Capitol to demand passage. The foundation was proud to be part of that effort, alongside Casey Robinson, whose sister Jennifer Wix and two-year-old niece Adrianna have been missing from Robertson County since 2004.
The bill failed to pass the House Finance Committee in late April 2026. The 2026 legislative session has ended.
We are not done. Bethany’s case has been open for 25 years. The state of Tennessee currently has one detective for nearly 500 cold cases. We will be back at the Capitol when the next session opens, and we will bring more families with us.
What You Can Do Right Now
Submit a tip.
If you have any information about Bethany Markowski’s disappearance — no matter how old, no matter how small you think it is — please contact:
- TBI: 1-800-TBI-FIND or TipsToTBI@tn.gov
- NCMEC: 1-800-THE-LOST or missingkids.org
- FBI: tips.fbi.gov
- Or submit privately at: findbethany.org/tips
Bethany’s case numbers: TBI #01-4723 | NCMEC #906662 | NamUs #4238
Share this post.
Public awareness is not a passive act in a cold case. When more people know a name, more people remember things. When more people remember things, they make the call. Please share this post with anyone who lives in or near Jackson, Tennessee, Gleason, Tennessee, the Natchez Trace area, or who knew Larry Markowski in the early 2000s.
Support the foundation.
The Bethany Markowski Foundation exists to keep Bethany’s name visible, to advocate for cold case families across Tennessee, and to build free child safety resources so other families have the tools they need before the unthinkable happens. If you want to support that work, you can donate at givebutter.com/gptnQ8.
Stay connected.
Sign up for our monthly newsletter, The Green Light, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @bethanymarkowskifoundation.
Bethany Leanne Markowski has been missing for 25 years. Her mother has never stopped fighting. Neither have we. And we will not stop until she comes home.
Sources: FBI.gov | WBBJ-TV | The Charley Project | Stories of the Unsolved | The Suitcase Detective | Fox 17 News | NewsChannel 5 | Main Street Media of Tennessee | We The Missing | Foundation records and direct law enforcement communications.
