The Green Light, October 2026
A new tip. A new Case Board. Trick-or-treat safety. And Bethany is still missing. The Green Light, October 2026.
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VOL. 1 / ISSUE 5 / OCTOBER 2026
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FREE / FINDBETHANY.ORG
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THE
GREEN
LIGHT
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A ZINE FOR CHILD ADVOCACY
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FROM THE BETHANY MARKOWSKI FOUNDATION / LEBANON, TENNESSEE
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New on the site this month: How to Talk to Children About Safety — plus three new community spaces we're calling The Case Board. This month also brought a real tip on Bethany's case, passed along to investigators. Keep reading.
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[ FROM THE TEAM ]
A new place to search, together.
Last month we told you about our new habit: one honest Case Updates post, every month, whether or not there's real news. This month, there's real news on two fronts.
First, a tip came in this year through our Facebook page. It's been passed along to the TBI and FBI, and it's being looked into. We can't share the details publicly — tips move faster and safer when they stay between the people investigating them — but we wanted you to know it happened, and we're grateful to everyone who keeps sending us what they remember.
Second: this month we opened The Case Board — a full timeline, a community theory space, and a brand-new place to talk about all of it. More on both below. Thank you for still being here.
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[ BETHANY'S CASE ]
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She is 36 years old. A new tip is being looked into.
Bethany Leanne Markowski was reported missing on March 4, 2001, near Jackson, Tennessee. She was 11 years old. She has never been found.
TBI Agent Cathy Ferguson remains the assigned investigator, and a forensic review of case evidence remains underway.
The last thing she said to her mama was "I love you."
Read this month's full case update →
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// CASE INFO
TBI #01-4723
NCMEC #906662
NamUs #4238
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// IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING
TBI: 1-800-TBI-FIND
NCMEC: 1-800-THE-LOST
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// THE CASE BOARD
This month we opened three new spaces to dig into Bethany's case together: a timeline, a theory board, and a brand-new subreddit. More below.
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New this month: a real tip, passed to investigators. If you have information — even something that feels small — reach out. @bethanymarkowskifoundation
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[ THE CASE BOARD ]
Introducing: The Case Board.
"Is there a place I can dig into this myself?" is a question almost as common as "is there anything new?" So this month, we built one — three of them, actually.
🗂️ A full case timeline, laid out from the beginning to now. 🧵 An open theory-and-discussion board, where you can drop your own questions and observations. 💬 A brand-new subreddit, r/findbethanymarkowski, built for exactly this kind of conversation.
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// GROUND RULES
Theories and questions are always welcome. Naming a specific person as guilty of something isn't — not unless it's something investigators have actually confirmed. And if you ever find something that feels like a real, concrete tip, please don't post it publicly — send it straight to us or the TBI (1-800-TBI-FIND) so it reaches the right people.
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This launched first in our HELP FIND BETHANY group — now it's open to everyone. Join us at r/findbethanymarkowski.
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[ CHILD SAFETY / HALLOWEEN ]
Trick-or-treat safety, in 5 simple steps.
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01
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MAKE COSTUMES VISIBLE.
Add reflective tape or a glow stick, and skip masks that block a full field of vision.
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02
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STICK TO FAMILIAR ROUTES.
Well-lit, familiar streets only — and make sure your child knows the planned route too.
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03
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SET A CHECK-IN TIME.
Agree on a time to check in, and a plan for what to do if anyone gets separated.
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04
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USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM.
No one trick-or-treats alone — even for "just one more house."
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05
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INSPECT ALL TREATS TOGETHER.
Look for anything unwrapped, opened, or unfamiliar before anyone digs in.
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[ IN THE NEWS ]
Missing children and advocacy headlines from August and September 2026. Staying informed is part of the fight.
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01
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163 missing children recovered in Florida's largest-ever child-recovery operation
FOX 17 / AUGUST 26, 2026
"Operation Statewide Shield," a four-and-a-half-day, multi-agency operation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Attorney General's office, recovered 163 missing children ages 2 months to 17 years — the state's first statewide child-recovery initiative and largest operation of its kind. "Recovery is just the first day of a child's case, not the last," said Rita Peters, special counsel to the attorney general for human trafficking. Every state deserves this kind of coordinated, well-resourced response — including Tennessee.
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Tennessee's TBI cold case bill: still no movement since it stalled in April
HOODLINE / APRIL 4, 2026 — STATUS UNCHANGED AS OF THIS ISSUE
The bill to create a dedicated TBI cold case division cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee and moved through House committee steps before stalling in the Finance Committee this spring — the same status we reported last month. Our own founder, Jonnie Carter, was one of the Tennessee families who packed the Capitol earlier this year to advocate for it. We haven't found any sign yet that it's been refiled for a future session — we'll tell you the moment that changes.
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Our HELP FIND BETHANY group passed 1,500 members this month — and they're the first ones building The Case Board with us.
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[ FOUNDATION UPDATE ]
Filming continues. So does the redesign.
The free Child Safety Course is still in production this month — filming continues, still on track, still free for every family in Tennessee regardless of income.
The website redesign is also underway — more room to host Tennessee missing-children data, stronger resources for families, and easier navigation, built to launch alongside The Case Board and the new Tennessee long-term missing children database.
Know a Tennessee case that belongs in our new database, or want to help build out The Case Board? Send it to the same address. Every lead matters.
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[ UNTIL NEXT MONTH ]
Bethany has been missing for over 25 years. This month brought a real tip, a new place for this community to dig in together, and one more honest update — the same habit we started last month, and we're keeping it.
If this issue moved you, share it — or come find us on r/findbethanymarkowski. There is someone in your circle who needs to see this.
The Bethany Markowski Foundation Team
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THE BETHANY MARKOWSKI FOUNDATION, INC.
EIN 41-2321010 / 501(c)(3) NONPROFIT
LEBANON / MOUNT JULIET, WILSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE
TAX-EXEMPT STATUS GRANTED JANUARY 2026
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