The Green Light, July 2026
A new blog post. A grief without a name. A federal law just signed. And Bethany is still missing. The Green Light, July 2026.
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VOL. 1 / ISSUE 2 / JULY 2026
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FREE / BETHANYMARKOWSKI.COM
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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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[ FROM THE TEAM ]
July. Still building.
Still not silent.
July is Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. This month, we are talking about a grief the world does not have a clean word for: the grief of not knowing. The grief of a family whose child is missing, not gone, and who has to figure out how to keep living inside that.
The Bethany Markowski Foundation has also published our most complete public account of Bethany's case to date — who is investigating, what we know, and what you can do. Read it here.
This month also brings real movement on federal child safety legislation. Congress is acting. We are watching. And we will keep you informed.
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[ BETHANY'S CASE ]
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25 years. Still open. Still fighting.
Bethany Leanne Markowski was reported missing on March 4, 2001. She was 11 years old. She was last heard from in Gleason, Tennessee, with her last known cell phone activity pinging near the Natchez Trace. She has never been found.
TBI Agent Cathy Ferguson remains the assigned investigator. DA Jody Pickens has expressed optimism about emerging forensic technologies.
The last thing she said to her mama was "I love you."
Read the full case investigation 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 BILL THAT DIED
HB 2606/SB 2649 — the TBI Cold Case Division bill — failed in House Finance Committee, April 2026. Tennessee still has 1 detective for 479 cold cases. We will be back.
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[ BEBE MOORE CAMPBELL NATIONAL MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH ]
The grief no one has a word for.
There are support groups for grief. There are therapists for loss. But when your child is missing — not gone, missing — you fall into a category the mental health system does not have a framework for. You are not a widow. You are something the world does not have a clean word for.
Jonnie Carter has lived there for 25 years. She has learned to function, to fight, to build a foundation in her daughter's name — while never knowing if Bethany is alive. This month is dedicated to naming that grief and refusing to look away from it.
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// IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING
If you are a family of a missing child and you are carrying this grief, you do not have to do it alone. Reach out to us. We will help you find support.
✉ team@bethanymarkowski.com
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[ CHILD SAFETY / WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD GOES MISSING ]
If your child goes missing, every minute matters.
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01
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CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT WAIT.
There is no waiting period to report a missing child in Tennessee. Anyone who tells you to wait 24 hours is wrong.
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02
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REQUEST IMMEDIATE NCIC ENTRY.
Ask law enforcement to enter your child into the National Crime Information Center right away. Required by law for children under 18.
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03
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CALL TBI: 1-800-TBI-FIND
The TBI coordinates statewide missing child cases and can issue Amber Alerts when criteria are met.
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04
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CALL NCMEC: 1-800-THE-LOST
They assign a case manager, can produce age progressions, and coordinate with law enforcement on your behalf.
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05
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DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.
Last time seen, what they were wearing, who they mentioned, where they might go. Write it down immediately.
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[ BREAKING / FEDERAL LEGISLATION ]
Congress is moving on child safety. Here's what just happened.
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Renewed Hope Act provision signed into law — June 10, 2026
U.S. SENATE / SECURE AMERICA ACT
Signed by President Trump as part of the Secure America Act. Increases Homeland Security Investigations' capacity to hire and retain investigators and forensic analysts focused on online child sexual exploitation. A direct response to the surge in AI-assisted predatory targeting of children.
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SAFE for Kids Act introduced — June 10, 2026
U.S. SENATE / SEN. JIM BANKS (R-IND.)
Requires commercial pornography websites to implement age verification to prevent minors from accessing sexually explicit content. Part of a wave of legislation responding to the documented harm of unfiltered online content on children's development.
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26 states now require age verification for adult content
MULTISTATE.US / APRIL 2026
Nearly 300 children's online safety bills were introduced across state legislatures this year. 26 states now require age verification for explicit content sites. Recent jury verdicts against Meta and Google have added momentum to the push for tech company accountability.
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New report: Americans overwhelmingly support stronger child safety laws
INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION / 2026
A national survey of 1,111 U.S. adults found overwhelming bipartisan concern about online child exploitation, strong support for tech company accountability, and broad public backing for the STOP CSAM Act. Growing alarm around livestreamed abuse, grooming, and AI-accelerated exploitation.
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[ IN THE NEWS ]
Missing children and advocacy headlines from June 2026. Staying informed is part of the fight.
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Missing 5-year-old Karen Rojas found safe after six years
NCMEC / MARCH 2026
Karen Rojas was reported missing from Duarte, California in June 2020 at age five. NCMEC released an age progression and worked with media partners and law enforcement until she was found safe six years later. "Her recovery reflects the persistence of never giving up on a missing child." We hold onto stories like this.
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Missing and endangered children rescued in Southwest Florida operation
COASTAL BREEZE NEWS / JUNE 2026
A multiagency operation in Southwest Florida recovered missing and endangered children, connecting each directly with local advocacy organizations for support after recovery. The operation involved the FBI, HSI, NCMEC, and the U.S. Marshals Service alongside community nonprofits. This is what coordinated advocacy looks like.
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03
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Nashville woman's mother arrested for fraud using her missing daughter's identity
WSMV / MAY 2026
Brooke Anderson has been missing since 2017. Her mother was recently arrested for using her identity to commit fraud. The case drew renewed attention to Tennessee's epidemic of missing persons, and to the ways that families and systems sometimes fail the very people who go missing. "There is an epidemic of children and young adults missing in Tennessee," Brooke's aunt said.
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Jennifer Wix family files wrongful death lawsuit — new cold case developments in Tennessee
FOX 17 INVESTIGATES / 2025-2026
Our advocacy partner Casey Robinson's sister Jennifer Wix and two-year-old niece Adrianna have been missing from Robertson County since 2004. A wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Jennifer's ex-boyfriend, whose father is alleged to have been involved. Because the statute of limitations on disposing of a body in Tennessee is two years, no charges can currently be filed. This is exactly why the cold case reform legislation matters.
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[ FOUNDATION UPDATE ]
Still in the building season.
Here's what's moving.
We are deep in grant season. Our Google Ad Grants campaigns are being built right now — $10,000 per month in free Google advertising that will help Tennessee families find the resources we are creating for them.
Our free child safety video course is in development, scripted on the best evidence-based frameworks available. It will be free. Always. For every family in Tennessee, regardless of income.
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// WE NEED YOU
Writing, design, social media, grant research, event planning, photography, legal knowledge, fundraising, video editing — any skill at all. No skill is too small. And we have an unusual ask: what would you type into Google if you were looking for us? Drop your keyword ideas in an email. It feeds directly into our Ad Grants campaigns.
✉ team@bethanymarkowski.com
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Know of a grant we should apply for? Know a place in your Tennessee city where Bethany's flyer should be posted? Send it to the same address.
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[ UNTIL NEXT MONTH ]
Bethany has been missing for 25 years. This foundation exists because her family refused to be quiet about it. And so do we.
If this issue moved you, share it. There is someone in your circle who needs to read it.
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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