Strange Cases of the Missing: Bethany Markowski & Dana Lanell Stidham

In this two-part deep dive, Raven and co-host Eric unravel two haunting disappearances separated by time and state lines—but united by unanswered questions.The first half explores the 2001 disappearance of 11-year-old Bethany Markowski from a Tennessee mall after a fraught custody battle and disturbing abuse allegations. Despite eyewitness reports of a mysterious woman enrolling a girl who looked like Bethany in a school weeks later, and hundreds of tips over two decades, Bethany’s fate remains a heartbreaking mystery.The second case reaches back to 1989, when 18-year-old Dana Lanell Stidham vanished during a routine errand in Bella Vista, Arkansas. Her abandoned car, scattered belongings, and remains discovered weeks later point to a violent crime—but despite potential suspects, bizarre alibis, and tantalizing clues, Dana’s killer has never been caught.These cases remind us how fragile justice can be and how the smallest details—a broken-down truck, a flat tire, or a stranger’s fleeting sighting—can mean everything in the search for the missing.⚠️ Content WarningThis episode contains discussion of child abduction, sexual abuse allegations, violence, and homicide.Listener discretion is strongly advised.Help us keep these cases alive.Support Deep Dark South on Patreon for early access to multi-part episodes, bonus cold case updates, and personal shoutouts.Prefer a one-time gesture? Share a coffee with us at BuyMeACoffee.com/DeepDarkSouth and help fund research that keeps these stories in the public eye. 🕯️💜