TN TN - Bethany Markowski, 11, Jackson, 4 March 2001

[turbosleuthing]

Thank you! It was the weirdest experience. I was hesitant to say anything, but now I'm glad I did. It was close. It's still weird because of the similarities in looks and discrepencies in my student's records. As soon as the TBI became involved, I was really weirded out.

:clap: I just wanted to say that I find it incredibly awesome that you took the chance, and pursued this look alike student.

It's people like you who make a difference. :clap:

 

[jonie]

Hello everyone,

My name is Jonnie and Bethany Markowski is my daughter.First I would like to thank you for all taking an intrest in our case.A special thank you to the person that was not scared to get involved when she thought that Bethany was one of her students.I remember when the TBI called and told me that they were investigating that lead.It is a comforting feeling knowing that going on 6 years of missing people are still calling in leads.I can not ever thank you enough for helping me keep Bethany alive.Thank you for your prayers and yes,I to thank Bethany is beautiful..All children are.

Jonnie, Bethany's mom

 

[Kymistry35]

I can tell many of you don't understand school enrollment. Public city (and perhaps others) schools enroll students who have a parent with them - no records required. The "parent" certifies the student's age and grade. Counselors check, but often the student wasn't at the previous school long enough to verify anything. Tracing is often not possible. A counselor calls in a kid to verify; he says his info is correct; you can't throw a kid out. Laws say he is entitled to be in school. It's the school's problem where to place him/her. How do you think kids of illegals are getting an education?

City schools have kids who are here today, gone tomorrow. Quite frankly, if a parent does not wish to enroll a student in school, it's easy to do this, too. I had two students who enrolled in mid-October/early November - had not been to school in the previous states where they were living. If they live/lived at a shelter, you may as well forget trying to verify anything.

Many of my inner city students change names on their papers at a whim. (I still have registered names on my online attendance.) Why do they do this? They're now living with Auntie, so they take her name, or they're living with another family, so they take their last name. Or, if they're of a certain culture, it's an accepted thing.

Education is not what it used to be.

I dont know what system you work for, but it is NOT like that here. I just recently enrolled my kids in a new school and I had to show birth certificates, shotrecords, social security cards for me and them, and since my boyfriend is not thier dad, he had to get a notary to sign a statement from him saying that we lived in the house and that all information submitted was true. Then when I could not find my oldest sons shot records, they kicked him out of school for a week until I could track them down.

 

[Juliana]

Hello everyone,

My name is Jonnie and Bethany Markowski is my daughter.First I would like to thank you for all taking an intrest in our case.A special thank you to the person that was not scared to get involved when she thought that Bethany was one of her students.I remember when the TBI called and told me that they were investigating that lead.It is a comforting feeling knowing that going on 6 years of missing people are still calling in leads.I can not ever thank you enough for helping me keep Bethany alive.Thank you for your prayers and yes,I to thank Bethany is beautiful..All children are.

Jonnie, Bethany's mom

Thank you for posting! Please know that you and Bethany are in my thoughts and prayers and I pray that you will be reunited one day.

 

[Lisahas2cats]

Hello everyone,

My name is Jonnie and Bethany Markowski is my daughter.First I would like to thank you for all taking an intrest in our case.A special thank you to the person that was not scared to get involved when she thought that Bethany was one of her students.I remember when the TBI called and told me that they were investigating that lead.It is a comforting feeling knowing that going on 6 years of missing people are still calling in leads.I can not ever thank you enough for helping me keep Bethany alive.Thank you for your prayers and yes,I to thank Bethany is beautiful..All children are.

Jonnie, Bethany's mom

I'd not heard of your Bethany's case until reading this thread, which is insane since she was apparently featured on a network local to my area (according to the OP). Here's hoping she comes home to you soon.

Hugs,
Lisa

 

[missacorah]

I was delighted to see this case being discussed again as i remember reading up on it and praying Bethanie would return someday!

 

[Bobbisangel]

This case is such a mystery. Where was Bethany seen with this lady...what town and state...anyone know? It's odd that she disappeared while on a visitation with her dad. I wonder if there had ever been fighting about custody? I also wonder how well the mom and dad got along after the divorce.

If there had been no fight over custody and the mom and dad were able to remain on friendly terms then it doesn't sound like the dad would have had Bethany abducted by anyone. If there were problems then the dad may have decided not to return Bethany.

It's odd that she has never contacted anyone as she was 11 yrs when she disappeared. Old enough to pick up a phone at the first opportunity. Has anyone heard of kids 11 yrs and up being abducted by strangers and the stranger keeping them to raise? It just seems odd to me because the cases that I've read about the victims were way younger.

I wish that Bethany would call her mom and at least let her know that she is alright even if she wants to live with whoever she is with...a relative or someone that she knew. As old as she is now she has to know that her mom is worried about her and misses her unless they didn't have a good relationship and Bethany just doesn't want to make contact. A real puzzle.

 

[emma l]

Hello everyone,

My name is Jonnie and Bethany Markowski is my daughter.First I would like to thank you for all taking an intrest in our case.A special thank you to the person that was not scared to get involved when she thought that Bethany was one of her students.I remember when the TBI called and told me that they were investigating that lead.It is a comforting feeling knowing that going on 6 years of missing people are still calling in leads.I can not ever thank you enough for helping me keep Bethany alive.Thank you for your prayers and yes,I to thank Bethany is beautiful..All children are.

Jonnie, Bethany's mom

Thankyou for posting. I think about Bethany all the time. I hope she comes home safe to you.

 

[Rle7]

The nights torment Jonnie Carter. Instead of sleeping, she thinks about her daughter, Bethany Leanne Markowski, who has been missing for more than six years.

Carter spends her nights thinking about what else could be done to find her daughter. She thinks about what Bethany might be doing.

"You get to thinking, ‘It's 100 degrees outside. I wonder if she is somewhere cool.’ Or, ‘It's cold outside. I wonder if she is somewhere warm.’ So, it's not good," Carter said.

http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070825/NEWS01/70825008

 

[Taximom]

I've been looking at pics too long. Bethany reminded me of someone and I finally figured it was another missing young lady: Bianca Piper

http://www.findbianca.org/

Guess that's not a match. Darn memory.

Mr. E, nice job. I'm currently holding my breath over two that I emailed LE about. I'm kind of hopeful, kind of nervous!

 

[Rle7]

Bethany was 11 when she disappeared on March 4, 2001. She had spent the weekend with her father, Larry Markowski, in Little Rock, Ark. Larry Markowski was to meet Carter, his ex-wife, at an Interstate 40 truck stop to return Bethany to her. He told authorities he stopped at Old Hickory Mall to rest and allowed Bethany to go inside by herself. She never came back.

Carter said in a phone interview last week that her daughter's disappearance has had a dramatic effect on her life.

"My whole life, my attitude, my emotions, everything just changed," Carter said. "I went from having a semi-decent life and getting plenty of sleep, to sleeping about three hours on the average a night. I pay attention to all of the missing children posters."

"I'm always online trying to find a new Web site to put Bethany on," she said. "It's my life. Bethany missing is my life."

Carter said she usually is able to maintain hope that Bethany is alive. She also has faith in law enforcement and members of the public, who still call in tips when they see Bethany's picture.

"The one thing about it is, it's been six years, almost seven, and there have been days that I have woke up and thought, 'There's no way. Bethany's 17. She's been gone six years. There's no way she could be alive and not look for me.' But that's hardly ever happened," Carter said.

http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070826/NEWS01/708260308

 

[emma l]

Bumping for Bethany and wondering whether Bethanys mom still posts here.

 

[thefragile7393]

I honestly feel this girl is alive somewhere. I'm betting she's likely homeschooled now, after the ickiness of trying to get her enrolled in a public school. But where..and how to start looking?

 

[Littledeer]

TaxiMom:

You posted on 8/26/07:

snip...

Mr. E, nice job. I'm currently holding my breath over two that I emailed LE about. I'm kind of hopeful, kind of nervous! snip...

Did you ever find out what happened to your tips?? Were they investigated by someone?

 

[Mr. E]

This new age-progressed pic
http://www.missingkids.com/missingk...=en_US&orgPrefix=NCMC&caseNum=906662&seqNum=1

does not look as much like my former student (who moved away, moved back, then graduated...her educational background was kind of sketchy, if I recall) as the previous age-progressed picture. I don't know if I would have said anything with the new picture. There's a resemblance, but the old one was spot on. In fact, when a counselor looked at the age-progressed pic of Bethany, her remark was something along the lines of "Oh, my God, that's [student's name]."

Did they change the pic because the old pic looked like this girl who isn't Bethany? Or is this just another age-progression? I wonder...

 

[dee10134]

Has anyone tried checking Myspace??? Bethany shares her birthday with my daughter, February 1, which would make her an Aquarius.

There is a 16 year old Beth Markowski in Sodus, New York. Last login Nov. 2005...

Second profile: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=51217783
Last login Jan. 2006.

I wonder if she had family in New York state?

Possibles within 100 miles of Chattanooga, TN:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=7815532

Center girl??? http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=10022925

Possibles within 100 miles of Jackson, TN:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=14141935

I didn't get through all of them, but I'm working on it...

Edited to add, I don't think they would have changed her first name. It may have been difficult for her to remember to answer by. I think they may have changed her LAST name, but not the first name. I honestly believe this girl is alive and hopefully we can find her ASAP!

 

[Littledeer]

dee:

I don't know anything about "myspace", but I did click on the link that you marked "Second Profile" and the one marked "Center Girl". They both went to the same myspace page????

Could you educate me a little bit here? Also, if you think that one might be Bethany, are you computer literate enough to put Beth's picture from the original picture, to the age progressed picture and any pic you are seeing now that MIGHT be Bethany from the myspace accounts that you are looking at??

If this is a stupid question, just ignore.

 

[WholeLottaRosie]

Bumping up. Bethany has been missing now for 8 years.

 

[Thinaire]

bumping again.....there was a post on Facebook by a friend of one my friends on this case.

There was another pleas by the mother and old footage shown of the interview of the father 3 days after Bethany disappeared.

 

[JennaBelle]

I believe this is the profile for the woman Bethany's father, Larry Markowski, married.

http://www.facebook.com/friends/?id=100000911691560#!/profile.php?id=100000911691560

She says in her profile she has has a 17 year-old daughter. Now, if she is anything like me she wrote her profile when she created her Facebook page (however long ago that was) and has not updated it since - which would account for the age discrepancy since Bethany is now 20. She also kinda does look like the images of the suspect in the case....

Anyhow, just some thoughts. I definitely think she is alive... but where? Probably with her dad and stepmom. Why hasn't she been found yet?