Full Name: Bethany Leanne Markowski

Alternative Name: Bethany LeAnne

Case Status: Missing

Record ID#: 0195

*The names “Jane Doe”  and “John Doe” are English names used when the person’s true name is not known. If used above, the name refers to a person of unknown identity.

Date of Birth*: February 1, 1990
Birthplace: Tennessee
Age at the Time: 11
Age Group: Pre-Teenager (10 to 12 Years Old)
Biological Sex: Female
Hair: Brunette, shoulder-length with bangs
Eyes: Green
Skin Complexion:
Shoe Size:
Ethnicity: Caucasian or White
Nationality: United States
Languages Spoken:

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Physical Build:

Height:

Weight

Distinguishing Marks:

• Bites her fingernails when nervous

Medical Condition:
Physical Abnormality:
Dental Condition: Missing top and bottom baby molars
Scars & Other Marks: Mole on her left breast; freckles on her cheeks and nose
Piercings:
Tattoos:

Other Descriptors: Bites her fingernails when nervous

Clothing

• Green shirt
• Blue or black jeans
• Black slip-on shoes

Possessions:

Date of the Disappearance*: March 4, 2001

Description: Bethany Leanne Markowski, born February 1, 1990, in Tennessee, was an 11-year-old girl who vanished on March 4, 2001, from Jackson, Tennessee. Her case, classified as an “endangered missing” by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and FBI, remains unsolved with no arrests or charges.

Bethany was the youngest of five children in a blended family. Her mother, Jonnie Jo Carter (often spelled Johnie), and father, Larry Markowski, each had two children from previous relationships. By early 2001, the couple’s marriage had deteriorated, leading to a separation marked by allegations of abuse and a custody dispute. Jonnie claimed Larry was increasingly domineering and abusive toward her and Bethany, though these allegations were not criminally substantiated beyond court filings.

On January 31, 2001, Jonnie fled with Bethany to Nashville, enrolling her at DuPont Tyler Middle School in Old Hickory. That day, Larry appeared at the school, attempting to take Bethany. According to a teacher’s statement, he pushed the teacher, Jamie Sloan, and dragged Bethany into the hallway, where other staff and police intervened. Jonnie obtained a temporary no-contact restraining order against Larry that day, but it did not cover Bethany. On February 12, 2001, a judge granted Larry unsupervised visitation rights every other weekend from Friday at 5:00 p.m. to Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Exchanges occurred at the Waverly exit (Exit 143 on I-40), facilitated by Jonnie’s sister, Lori Jackson, due to the no-contact order.

The first visitation (February 16–18, 2001) was uneventful, with Bethany reportedly enjoying her time. On February 26, Larry registered a 1995 Chevy Astro van, later central to the investigation.

*The claims of Larry’s abuse are based solely on his ex-wife’s claims and have not been substantiated beyond a letter that supposedly mentions the scuffle at school.

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The Weekend of March 2–4, 2001

On Friday, March 2, 2001, Lori dropped Bethany off at Waverly at 5:00 p.m. for her second visitation with Larry. Bethany told Jonnie she planned to skate with a friend, Christina, but Christina later denied any such plans. Instead, Larry drove Bethany to Little Rock, Arkansas—about 4.5 hours away—to visit his friend Harold Roberts, without Jonnie’s knowledge or consent, violating the custody agreement. They arrived late Friday and stayed overnight, attending a cookout on Saturday, March 3. Harold urged Larry to stay Saturday night due to the long drive, but Larry insisted on leaving around 8:30–9:00 p.m., stating he’d abandon the van at the “Port of Mexico” and call when home.

At 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 4, Larry called Harold, claiming he was in Forrest City, Arkansas (1.5 hours from Little Rock). However, cell records placed the call near Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky—over 5 hours from Little Rock and 1 hour 50 minutes northeast of Gleason, suggesting they drove straight through.

On Sunday at 9:38 a.m., Bethany called Jonnie from the Gleason home phone, confirming the 5:00 p.m. Waverly exchange. They visited Christina’s house briefly. Larry later claimed they ate at McDonald’s and parked for an hour outside a Milan, Tennessee, residence he believed belonged to Jonnie’s boyfriend (a claim she denied); no evidence supports these stops.

At 12:12 p.m., Larry’s daughter Jenny called his cell; Bethany answered, saying they’d left Gleason after picking up items and were heading to Old Hickory Mall in Jackson to shop at Claire’s and the arcade. The call pinged near Natchez Trace State Park (Exit 116), consistent with the route to Jackson.

The Mall Incident: Conflicting Timelines

A witness saw Larry alone at a Parkers Crossroads gas station (Exit 108) around 2:30 p.m., claiming he’d “just dropped Bethany off with her mother in Nashville,” with no sign of Bethany. Jackson’s Old Hickory Mall was 25 minutes away. Larry’s accounts of the mall stop vary, creating two timelines:

• Timeline One: They arrived around 3:30 p.m. Bethany entered alone to shop while Larry napped in the JCPenney overflow lot. He awoke at 4:30 p.m., searched for an hour, and contacted security at 5:15 p.m. This timeline is tight, as Waverly was 1 hour 10 minutes away, leaving little time for the 5:00 p.m. exchange.
• Timeline Two: They arrived at 2:30 p.m. and napped. Bethany entered alone around 1:30–2:00 p.m. Larry woke at 3:30 p.m., searched for nearly two hours, and called security at 5:15 p.m. Early reports mentioned a friend, “Hillary,” but Larry denied this; a Jackson PD poster incorrectly listed March 5.

Discrepancies between the two timelines could potentially be explained by distant memory and the possibility that Larry slept in the van longer than he planned.

Bethany was last described wearing a green t-shirt, blue or black jeans, and black slip-on shoes. No witnesses recalled seeing her in the mall, and security footage showed no evidence of her presence. Lori waited at Waverly from 5:00 p.m., calling Larry repeatedly until he answered at 5:43 p.m., saying his phone was charging and Bethany was missing. Police were notified at 6:05 p.m.

Investigation and Evidence

Searches of the mall and surrounding areas that night found nothing. The TBI joined on March 12. Jonnie passed a polygraph; Larry failed and later stopped cooperating. The van’s forensic exam revealed blood droplets on a pillow and blanket (likely Bethany’s, as her DNA was expected), which Larry attributed to a thorn scratch. He had cleaned the van (damp carpets, removed seats) before the search. The van was deregistered April 30, sold at auction in Florida on May 18, shipped to Puerto Rico on June 22, and reregistered in 2003.

On March 4, Walmart footage showed a man resembling Larry (per Jonnie, based on clothing and mannerisms) buying a shovel, rope, and gas can. A shovel with fresh dirt was found discarded in Elmwood Cemetery near the mall.

Theories and Current Status

Investigators suspect family involvement due to the custody dispute, Larry’s inconsistencies (cell records, polygraph, van, Walmart purchase), and the sightings. No evidence supports Jonnie’s involvement; she actively campaigns for answers. A stranger abduction is possible but less likely without mall evidence. The woman may be an accomplice, possibly tied to Larry.

Jonnie advocates through the Bethany Markowski Project and Tennessee Missing Children’s Day (established 2001). Tips are urged to 1-800-TBI-FIND or bethanymarkowski.com/tips.

Multiple Victims?: No

Rumored or Actual Sightings: In April 2001, witnesses reported seeing a girl matching Bethany’s description—4’8″–5’0″, 95–100 lbs., brunette, green-eyed, freckled, nail-biting—with an unknown woman.

• Early April, Sweetwater, TN: A woman, claiming to be the girl’s aunt with the father holding custody, tried enrolling the child at a private Catholic school but left without documents.
• April 25–27, Cleveland, TN: Over three days, a café waitress saw the pair; the woman was distressed, and the girl bit her nails and twirled her hair. A cab driver took them to a bus station, where a Greyhound ticket to Moline, Illinois (Larry’s hometown), was purchased. The woman was protective; a witness heard “Disney World” mentioned. They boarded but never arrived in Moline. Larry had a truck delivery in Cleveland that week.

The woman was described as Caucasian, 42–44, 5’4″–5’5″, 185 lbs., with frizzy blonde hair, brown eyes with dark circles, and an unkempt appearance. Jonnie said she resembled Larry’s distant aunt; Larry pointed to Jonnie’s mother (who was elsewhere).

A 2016 lead involved a Knoxville girl claiming to be Bethany, knowing specific details (name, birthdate, mole, “Jackson” reference). DNA tests ruled her out; the family was denied contact.

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Date the Body was Recovered:

Description: Unknown

Time of Death:

Cause of Death:

Recovered Remains (if partial):

Suspected Homicide?: No

Multiple Victims?: No

DNA Tested (No Match):

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Description: 1995 Chevy Astro.

The van was deregistered on April 30, 2001; Carfax records show it sold at auction in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 18, shipped to Puerto Rico on June 22 (unusual, as it was the only one of Larry’s 40+ vehicles sent abroad), and resurfaced with a new owner on October 29, 2003.

License Plate:

Description: A child resembling Bethany was seen in the company of an older woman elsewhere in Tennessee. The woman was described as Caucasian, 42–44, 5’4″–5’5″, 185 lbs., with frizzy blonde hair, brown eyes with dark circles, and an unkempt appearance. Jonnie said she resembled Larry’s distant aunt; Larry pointed to Jonnie’s mother (who was elsewhere).