Body Found Near Crash Site Likely Gail Palmgren

Remains believed to be those of Gail Palmgren found on side of Signal Mountain. Forensic specialists from UT in Knoxville have been called in to investigate.

Matt Palmgren's criminal defense attorneys have released a statement that puts forward their theory on what happened. As far as I know, law enforcement has not confirmed Gail "lost control of her Jeep on East Brow Road on April 30, 2011 at approximately 12:25 p.m." as the statement claims. Officials don't even know that the body is Gail's, yet Matt's lawyers are already telling us what happened, down to the minute. Unbelievable.

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This case has been horrifying from day one, not simply because Gail Palmgren went missing after multiple 911 calls during a bad divorce where her husband reportedly acted in a threatening manner. It's because so many people who should have cared about Gail didn't, not until she disappeared. Some not even then. When people gathered to try to search, put out fliers, help in some way, they were not given the info they needed from law enforcement and were deliberately thwarted by Gail's own family. Several people close to her were clearly put out and even irritated by what had happened. People immediately believed the worst in Gail, not just online commenters posting on message boards that Gail was planning to steal the kids and had already stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars, but her own husband hiring lawyers to tell the media Gail was "flat fucked up." Law enforcement had an obviously blase attitude about the whole thing. And once the case became public, people -- some strangers, some friends, some in the pseudo-media -- used the case for their own agendas, everything from trying to show off on Websleuths to drama mongering to radio show ratings.

On multiple occasions, I would attempt to contact someone who was closely involved with the search to ask questions about the case or see what I could do. Usually I received no response, although many times these same people would be posting feverishly on Facebook or Websleuths about whatever unrelated drama was going on at the time. Yet whenever they were embroiled in unrelated drama, they would email me demanding I change my opinions to theirs, to show my loyalty to "their side," or to edit what I had written here or on other websites.

I am so unbelievably sorry for Gail. I'm sorry we live in a world where a woman can go missing, can have a catastrophic wreck right across the street from homes and not attract enough attention or care to be found until some tree trimmers stumble across her Jeep several months later. I'm certain this will ultimately be called an accident -- Matt's lawyers are already saying it was an accident, even though forensics hasn't even begun to investigate -- and everyone will move on with their lives. Nothing will have changed except some of the people Gail left behind now hate each other, and there will always be lingering questions as to what really happened, but no one will do anything about it.

Gail, I know what your real friends have said about you and how much they cared. I know you left two beautiful children who you loved very much and who loved you in return. You were strong and smart and standing up for yourself in a difficult divorce situation. If there is a silver lining here it is that your legacy will live on in your children. I did not know you, but as long as I live I will not forget you or what this situation has taught me. I wish you peace and rest and love.

Gail's Jeep Found (Updated)

They found Gail's Jeep. No body was inside. (From the Times Free Press.)

I hope more than anything that the Jeep is in good enough condition for evidence, no matter what evidence is found.

ETA:

WRCBtv -- Their first article earlier today when aerial searches began, before the Jeep was found.

Chattanoogan article

WRCBtv article (updated, also with video)

Nooga.com -- This one says Sheriff Hammond doesn't think the vehicle can be airlifted out.

News Channel 9 -- A brief quote from Arlene.

The Examiner

News Channel 9 -- a quote from the article:

Sheriff Hammond says the area where they believe her jeep was located, is, in fact, an area where they received one of the last hits from her cell phone.

So they knew there were pings in this area but didn't search, or at least didn't tell the media they searched the area? Didn't let volunteer searchers know? What a nice bunch of people they are.

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Websleuths' thread is up, though it's very slow right now and few of the regulars from before it was shut down have shown up, for obvious reasons. BGHN has a few good threads for discussion of this. The Times Free Press article has a ton of comments.

Gail Wristbands Now Available

NEVER STOP SEARCHING bracelets are now available.

The cost is $5 donation per wristband plus minimal U.S. postage, usually 65 cents in the continental U.S. All proceeds go to benefit the fund to further investigation and search efforts to find Gail Palmgren.

Front of the bracelet says GAIL PALMGREN 04.30.11 with a ribbon in front of the G. The back says NEVER STOP SEARCHING with a heart after the G in the word SEARCHING.

If you want to order bracelets, email BRINGGAILHOMENOW@aol.com

UPDATED: Six Months Later News

These links were already posted yesterday, but I thought a more in-depth post was in order.

Callie Starnes' report on WRCBtv runs at nearly 7 minutes. It's a good summary with a very even tone. A few new things are included in the report: Footage of Matt and one of his lawyers at the news conference refusing to answer Callie's question, a photo of Tammy Helton, and news that Arlene Durham has given the video (I believe the lake house security video) to the FBI.

Here's my attempt to embed the WRCBtv video, but it's being persnickety and if it doesn't work, you'll need to click here and watch it on their webpage directly. Here's the WRCBtv video transcript.










News Channel 9 WTVC also did a brief report, where Clive got a good comment in about wanting Matt Palmgren to speak to police. I was also very amused that while the reporter was discussing Matt filing a police report complaining that Arlene harassed him by taking photos of the Ridgerock house, they showed their own new footage of the very same Ridgerock house. I eagerly await Matt filing a harassment report against WTVC and WRCB, too. OH WAIT.






News Channel 9 report transcript.

News Channel 9's Facebook page with discussion about Gail's case.



Callie Starnes tweeted during the WRCBtv show. You can find all her tweets here in my previous post. We learned through her tweets that Matt took Diane Nichols to court to try to get the $17,000 Gail gave her for safe keeping back, but the money is still with Diane. We also learned through both tweets and the report that the media didn't even know about Gail until her sister Diane Nichols arrived in town a week after Gail disappeared and went to Channel 3's offices with missing persons fliers.


I think the news coverage lately has been terrific, very much needed and hopefully will have some positive results. In the meantime, if you're reading this and have information, any information about Gail, please contact:

* The FBI Chattanooga office at 423-756-8914
* The Hamilton County Tennessee Sheriff's Office at 423-209-8940
* C.U.E. (Community United Effort) who has joined in the search for Gail. All tips and leads are confidential: (910) 343-1131 or (910) 232-1687


Gail will be found.

NEWS: Callie Starnes tweets about Gail's case.

There's a lot of stuff to report today, but one of the more interesting things are the tweets from Callie Starnes about Gail's case, tweeted earlier during the broadcast of the 6:00 news. You can see all the tweets using the #GailPalmgren hashtag here.

The most interesting one to me is that Matt took Gail's sister Diane Nichols to court to try to get that $17,000.00 back! Gee, what a nice guy he is.

I've put these in chronological order so you can read them top to bottom.

calliestarnes Callie Starnes
#GailPalmgren The flyer I just held up is the original. I remember the weekend we heard Gail's name for the first time.


calliestarnes Callie Starnes
This is the first time we are showing Tammy Helton on tv. Friends say Gail suspected she and Matthew were having an affair. #GailPalmgren


calliestarnes Callie Starnes
Our policy is to report missing person cases only if police ask. We had to contact SPD to confirm Gail was missing. #GailPalmgren


calliestarnes Callie Starnes
@internalex the money is still with her sister. Matthew took Diane to court to try to get it back.


calliestarnes Callie Starnes
Carol Coppinger is the woman who alleges seeing Gail on the trails. Police say no way to know for sure. #GailPalmgren


calliestarnes Callie Starnes
@internalex Authorities won't release ANY details in case. Friends have given us the VIN number. No hits that we know of.


calliestarnes Callie Starnes
We don't have access to #GailPalmgren's medical records but friends and family say she was not depressed.


calliestarnes Callie Starnes
@_Sofonias_ No, #GailPalmgren's children have not been questioned by police. They could know why she decided to go home that day.


calliestarnes Callie Starnes
The real estate agent who listed the Palmgren home says she's treating it like any other sale, though #GailPalmgren's name is on deed.


calliestarnes Callie Starnes
@_Sofonias_ the TBI is now reviewing the case and offering suggestions. #GailPalmgren

Six Months Later News

Two news articles have gone live online in the last hour that I wanted to post links to:

Gail Palmgren disappearance: Six months later

Search For Gail Palmgren: 6 Months Later

More later tonight...

Six Months

It has been six months since Gail Nowacki Palmgren went missing.

Melpomene asked in comments on the previous post:

I would love to hear from some of the people who knew her, loved her and are missing her..


Did she enjoy celebrating Halloween? Did she enjoy decorating the house, dressing up and handing out treats to the children in the neighborhood?

I think these are terrific questions. While I did not know Gail, my thoughts today are with her children as they get ready for Halloween and as we embark on the winter holiday season. I wish them peace and closure, and most of all to be reunited with their mother.


---



Gail was last seen driving away from her home at about 12:15 PM on April 30, 2011. She was driving a 2010 dark red Jeep Rubicon in Red Rock Crystal Pearl color. The Jeep has a tire cover with a blue daisy and "Life is good," and her trailer hitch had a novelty Goofy cover. Her license plate reads "EAZY ST." Gail is 5 foot 8, 135 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes.

Gail and her husband Matt Palmgren were about to separate with plans for divorce. In the months before her disappearance, she had given paperwork and evidence to friends to hold for the impending divorce proceedings. Also, Gail had been speaking to friends and relatives for a few weeks prior to her disappearance about fears that she was being followed. She had given several items and even money to relatives and friends to hold in case something happened to her.

Her last phone call was to her husband Matt Palmgren, apparently to let him know she had dropped the kids off at home. She has not been heard from since. Her phone last pinged on May 2nd, the day she was reported missing, and it has not been found. No sightings of her Jeep have been confirmed since the sighting by a neighbor around noon on April 30.

Matt Palmgren did not call police about his wife missing until after her sister Diane Nichols called police first, about 45 hours after last hearing from Gail. Soon after Gail was reported missing, Matt, his girlfriend Tammy Helton, and his mother Julanne Palmgren retained criminal defense attorneys. Neither Matt, Helton, his mother, nor his kids (the last to see Gail before she disappeared) have been questioned by police and no person of interest or suspect has been noted.

Police searched the Suck Creek area in May, reportedly did an aerial search several months ago, and are planning another when the leaves fall. After several months while hashing out an agreement for restricted searches as dictated by Matt's defense attorneys, law enforcement finally began searching the Palmgren homes in July. To our knowledge, nothing was found, but items had been removed from the homes and people had been staying in the homes during the months since Gail disappeared. Volunteers and relatives have searched the Chattanooga area looking for signs of Gail. None have been found, and no signs of an accident have been uncovered.

There are two main theories from the people who say Gail simply ran off. One is that she withdrew (or "stole" as some people put it) $420,000.00 from bank accounts just before she left. Since then it has been stated many times that she did not withdraw money but rather changed PINs on her own retirement accounts. These accounts have not been accessed by Gail since she disappeared, and she never attempted to get the money she gave others to hold for her.

The other theory is that she is in an underground safe shelter for women. Since it has been six full months, I personally feel that by now she would have gotten the legal assistance and protection she needed, and could have resumed returning to her children and her life. No woman would simply languish underground without her kids, her relatives, her friends, her money and her belongings. She would be trying to get her life back. Further, her friends and relatives say she would not have abandoned her kids, and I see no reason for them to lie.

Something happened to Gail. While it's true that she could have been in an accident or done something while despondent, the circumstances and timing of her disappearance point to foul play. To my eyes, it seems evidence of foul play has not been found simply because it has not been seriously searched for.

However, eventually someone will come forward with information or Gail and/or her Jeep will be found. That is simply all that there is to it. It may take time, it may take a lot of luck and even upset a lot of people who would rather this case not even be discussed, but she will be found. When she is found, the truth will come out.

WRCBtv To Have In-Depth Story on Gail This Monday

Just a reminder as we head into the weekend: WRCB is doing a story on Gail for Monday, the 31st. They already have a promo video up on Facebook, with comments of course.

I'm not local so I will have to wait until the video goes on WRCB's website, but anyone who watches it live at 6:00 PM is more than welcome to comment here, and on BGHN too.

Governor Haslam: Please Include Gail Palmgren In The Reward Fund

According to WRCBtv's recent article, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam is still reviewing Gail Palmgren's case. A few other cases in Tennessee have rewards offered by the Governor's office for anything that leads to the apprehension, arrest, and conviction of the person or group that is criminally responsible. Haslam's office still has not made a decision on whether to offer the same for information about Gail.

Tonight, I am sending a letter to Governor Haslam asking that he please offer a reward for information regarding Gail Palmgren's case. I am posting Governor Haslam's address (which is public information easily available online) for those of you who want to join me.

Office of Governor Bill Haslam
1st Floor, State Capitol
Nashville, TN 37243

Bring Gail Home Now also has a reward fund set up with a little over $1,700.00 as of right now.

Gail will be found.

NEWS: Matt Palmgren Calls Police on Arlene Durham

This just in from WRCBtv, as seen on Callie Starnes' Twitter a few minutes ago:

FIRST ON 3: Husband calls police to report missing wife's friend

Matt says Arlene has been harassing him and hugging his kids without permission. I'm not making that up, go read it for yourself. The entire article is worth a read, but I'd like to point out one specific quote from Lee Davis, Matt's lawyer:

"I frankly don't trust her, I've asked the police to investigate her," said Davis, "she was, by our investigations, the last person who was with Gail Palmgren before she dropped off the kids."

Well, now we know where the attempt to make Arlene look like a suspect comes from. It's an official theory from Matt's criminal defense attorneys, apparently, and it's interesting to go back and look at the people on various forums who have been pushing this particular theory for a few months. And isn't it odd that these lawyers say there has been no crime until they want to undermine Arlene Durham's credibility?

UPDATE: The Times Free Press has an article up as of about 11:15 PM Eastern:

Palmgren claims harassment

There is a little more info on this article, which basically says Palmgren thinks Arlene hugged his kid without permission, took photos of his car, and followed him one day. He has been videotaping this:

He gave a police officer a CD with video of Durham following him. The officer reviewed the video and saw what appears to be a gold van following him, according to the report, but the officer returned the CD to Palmgren because no charges are being filed.

It's too bad Matt didn't suggest to Gail that she video the car(s) she thought were following her, maybe we wouldn't all be praying for Gail to come home if he'd suggested that instead of just dismissing her as paranoid.

We Will Never Stop Searching Slideshow

We Will Never Stop Searching Slideshow: BRING’s trip from Signal Mountain, Tennessee, United States to 3 cities Tampa, Glens Falls and Wetumpka was created by TripAdvisor.

Bring Gail Home Now has created this terrific slideshow about Gail. Check it out!

UPDATE: iMarshals is featuring Gail in their missing persons section. They are a non-profit, non-governmental organization that uses online social media, facial recognition programs, and info from the public to find fugitives and wanted criminals as well as missing people.

Wristbands For Gail Palmgren Search Efforts

BGHN has wristbands for Gail available for a $5.00 donation plus 65 cents shipping. The funds (after costs of the bands and postage) will be used to further search efforts for Gail. For more details and how to get your wristbands, read Bring Gail Home Now's discussion page here.

Balloon Release For Gail

May all beings be filled with joy and peace.
May all beings everywhere,
The strong and the weak,
The great and the small,
The mean and the powerful,
The short and the long,
The subtle and the gross:


May all beings everywhere,
Seen and unseen,
Dwelling far off or nearby,
Being or waiting to become:
May all be filled with lasting joy.


Let no one deceive another.
Let no one anywhere despise another.
Let no one, out of anger or resentment,
Wish suffering on anyone at all.


Just as a mother with her own life
Protects her child, her only child, from harm,
So within yourself let grow
A boundless love for all creatures.


Let your love flow outward through the universe,
To its height, its depth, its broad extent,
A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.


Then, as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;
Your life will bring heaven to earth.

News From the CUE Rally

Sounds like the CUE Rally was a success! Here are some news stories already out today about the event:

News Channel 9 Coverage: Search for Gail Palmgren Gains National Help

Interesting tidbit at the end of the article:

Local law enforcement officers say they'll start doing a high-angle search for any signs of Palmgren once most of the leaves fall.

WRCBtv Coverage: Signal Mountain mom featured in nationwide missing persons tour

Saturday, detectives from Signal Mountain Police Department and Hamilton County Sheriff's Office were present for the rally. It's the first time law enforcement has attended a community meeting for Gail Palmgren.

Also encouraging! Thank you law enforcement for showing us that you are paying attention!


Times Free Press: Group Spotlights Gail Palmgren Case

Also, Callie Starnes just tweeted a picture of the wristbands handed out at the rally, which you can see on this post. I'm hoping those of us who couldn't make the rally can buy some of those wristbands, maybe for a donation toward CUE.

My thoughts are with you all in Signal Mountain tonight, with Gail and her family and her friends.


UPDATE: Here's another article from the 22nd:

WDEF: Rally For Missing Gail Palmgren

CUE Rally Reminder and Open Discussion Thread

REMINDER: The CUE Road to Remember Rally is this Saturday, October 22 at 1:00 PM at the Signal Mountain Pruett's on Taft Highway.

Please feel free to use this as a discussion thread for anything you want to talk about today.

Unidentified Remains Found Tonight in Renaissance Park, Chattanooga

I just checked in on Twitter and Callie Starnes, reporter for WRCBtv, is reporting that human remains were found in Renaissance Park earlier today. UPDATE: As of about 10:55 PM Eastern time, Callie has tweeted that police believe the deceased is male.

These are her tweets, which I have put in chronological order so they're easier to read:


Callie Starnes
BREAKING: Human remains found in Renaissance Park. Kids found skull while playing. CPD says partially clothed body severely decomposed.
58 minutes ago


Callie Starnes
Headlights point to where body was discovered. twitpic.com/71xorp
57 minutes ago


Callie Starnes
Investigators can't tell if body is male or female. No items found w/body to suggest person was homeless. Taken to M.E.'s office.
50 minutes ago


Callie Starnes
@becauseofdavid at foot of Market Street Bridge near parking lot. Dozens of joggers probably pass this spot every morning.
29 minutes ago


Callie Starnes
Lots of tweets out there from people hoping for leads in Gail Palmgren case. CPD says clothing leads them to believe remains are male.
1 minute ago


Read Callie's Twitter here. If there are more tweets tonight, I will post them as well.

CUE Rally on October 22

C.U.E.'s The Road To Remember Rally National Tour 2011 will stop in Signal Mountain on October 22nd.

The event will be held from 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM at Pruett's Food Town, 1210 Taft Highway in Signal Mountain. (Note this is the new updated time, it's no longer starting at noon!) C.U.E. will be spotlighting the case of Gail Nowacki Palmgren who went missing around 12:15 PM on April 30, 2011.

For more info, visit the CUE Road to Remember Rally Facebook page here.

I cannot attend as I live a few states away, but my hopes and prayers are with you all.

A Quick Websleuths Note

Websleuths made it clear that they do not want people talking about Facebook accounts or other blogs, including this one, on their thread for Gail Palmgren.

That probably means you can't use Websleuths to reply to posts on this blog, either.

Imagine my surprise this afternoon when I browsed Websleuths and found someone had responded to this blog post over there. They did not mention the blog, but their non sequitur comment with their own articles and links in the middle of people talking about other topics makes it pretty obvious what they are doing.

My big concern is that others might see what they did and believe it to be a sneaky way to get past Websleuth's rules. I wouldn't push it, personally. You never know when a Websleuths moderator will read the blog, put 2 and 2 together, and ban you for trying to circumvent their rule.

I keep mentioning these issues because I do not want anyone to get into trouble because of this blog. I doubt moderators or "that group" on Websleuths believes me, but it is the truth.

Missing Persons Cases Often Ignored

Below are several quotes from a sobering but important article published in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in 2003. This is a very lengthy article that was originally published in 10 parts. You can find all of them at this link which starts with the first part of the article, and remaining parts are linked in order below. Quite a bit of the article is about serial killers and identifying remains, but much in the beginning is about the difficulty getting law enforcement to take missing person's reports seriously.

Note that in the article, when they say "the P-I" they mean the Post-Intelligencer, not private investigator.

The article specifically investigates cases in Washington state, but the article details problems with nationwide databases and records, so I see no reason to think the problems are confined within the borders of one state.

Some choice quotes, all from the first two parts of the article:

Because of a lack of knowledge, indifference or poor training, police officers in Washington state -- and around the nation -- routinely fail to take even the most obvious steps, conduct routine follow-ups or comply with the law when handling missing-persons cases, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer found in a yearlong investigation.

"If people knew how little was done with missing-persons cases, they'd scream," said Gary Bell, forensic dentist for the Washington State Patrol's Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit.

Police consider missing-person cases a low priority, and there's no real penalty if they let them slide.

"Police departments hate missing-persons reports because they tend to be a pain in the butt," [Detective Tom Jensen, a longtime Green River Task Force member] explained. "Detectives will look for ways to dump cases so they don't have to do the follow-up work."

The P-I article describes specific problems of missing persons ignored who later turn out to be victims of serial killers:

...detectives often were overly eager to close cases on rumor or hearsay without confirming whether a missing person was really alive and well. Four women believed to be victims of the Green River Killer -- Gail Mathews, Andrea Childers, Mary Bello and Tammy Liles -- had been reported missing to various police departments. Yet their cases had been closed on the basis of unconfirmed sightings or rumors that they were alive. Investigators later learned the reports could not have been true -- the women had long been dead.

The problem of balancing respect for an adult's privacy and the possibility of foul play:

...small children don't disappear on their own. Adults are a different story. They can go and do what they please, and it's no crime if someone isn't where someone else thought they should be.


They also know, from past experience, that few missing people are victims of foul play.


In each of the past five years, the FBI reported that for every new missing-person case on the books, more than one was resolved. In 2001, for example, 841,266 cases were reported to the FBI, but 861,918 were cleared, reflecting closure of old cases.


Experts agree the number of missing adults reported each year -- almost 200,000 in 2001 -- is low because local police routinely take a wait-and-see approach. It's a matter of cost-effectiveness, they say.


"When you look at your midsize and smaller departments, probably none of them have a missing-persons unit," said Bremerton Police Capt. Craig Rogers. "With our resources, we have to make decisions on priorities and, obviously, crimes of violence are going to take top priority.


"So, when you get a missing-persons report with no obvious sign of foul play, it's probably not going to get the attention. You'd like to investigate every case, but you have to strike a balance."

---

A missing-person report is not a crime report. Nor does filing a report mean that anyone will go looking for the subject -- there's no law that says adults have to be where someone thinks they should be.


The report is a tripwire to alert police of a possible crime, and in many cases it is a way to reach across time and distance to identify any human remains that might turn up years later, hundreds of miles away.

The P-I article continues, saying that even when foul play is indicated, cases are ignored:

Through hundreds of interviews and analysis of hundreds of police reports and information in three state computer databases, the P-I found that police statewide routinely botch or ignore missing-person cases, even when there are ample indications of foul play. As a result, families have been left with unanswered questions, countless dead have been buried without a name and killers have been allowed to roam free.

This particular quote made me cringe (bolded by me):

"I don't think any law enforcement agency is going to dedicate those kind of resources to track down each and every missing person" without signs of a crime, said Bremerton Police Capt. Craig Rogers.


When asked about open cases, Rogers said: "Is it possible that some of these cases might end up with foul play involved? Anything's possible."

Sound familiar?

"If there was credible evidence to show us that we would focus on criminal activity here, perhaps we would have moved a quicker on some of these things," said Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond.

In an interview Wednesday, Hammond told Channel 3 this is still a missing persons case.

"I've seen cases strange enough where you would just swear somebody was dead to foul play and they do turn up, even years later," said Hammond, "so you can't discount that."

Gail Nowacki Palmgren was last seen on April 30 at about 12:15 p.m. while driving away from her home in Signal Mountain, Tennessee. She was driving a darker red (Red Rock Crystal Pearl) Jeep Rubicon with a Goofy tire hitch, a personalized Alabama plate that says "EAZY ST," and a black tire cover with a blue daisy and "Life Is Good" printed on it. Gail is 5 feet 8 inches, 135 pounds, blonde hair and brown eyes. If you have seen Gail or her Jeep, contact Hamilton County Sheriff's Office at 423-209-8940 or call your local police. If someone may be in danger, call 911.

On Websleuths and Facebook

This is just a quick post about the recent goings-on around the web today.

There has been some behind-the-scenes grumbling that the people who run BGHN also run this blog, and that is not true. (I doubt this post will convince the grumblers otherwise, though.) I want to clarify that this blog is not officially part of the Bring Gail Home Now Facebook page. I like BGHN and support what they do, and if anyone wants to take what is posted here and also re-post it on BGHN they are absolutely welcome to do so. This blog is pro-BGHN, but we are two separate entities.

The second point: Websleuths recently shut down their thread on Gail again. When it came back up, the moderator repeatedly stated that what happens on Facebook and on "other blogs" (that would be us!) cannot be mentioned on Websleuths. If you are a Websleuths participant, please keep that in mind.

Websleuths undoubtedly means any comments, speculations, and opinions made on this blog, but since this blog also has news articles and summaries and will have a timeline (hopefully soon) I don't know how that is going to play out. I assume that if you use the resources/links on this blog for a post on Websleuths but just don't mention this blog, it should be fine.

More about Websleuths: This was brought up by a "concerned friend" (ha ha) when the blog first opened, but there is reason to believe Websleuths will ban you if they find out you post on this blog:

WS Bashing:


Threads and posts attacking WS Policies will not be allowed. Further, any member found to be bad mouthing the WS community at an outside location will have their membership blocked. If you do not care for this community, you really have no business here anyway.

If you're a Websleuths member, I want you to be fully informed before you decide to post here, and if you decide to post I highly encourage you to use a pseudonym that will not link you to WS. I encourage you to not accidentally out yourself, and of course, do not out others. One Facebook page has received warning emails from Websleuths saying they will start banning people on Websleuths for what they have said on Facebook.

Personally, I think that Websleuths is morally and ethically out of bounds with their attempt to control discussion on unrelated websites. I completely recognize Websleuths' right to have any rules they want, but I do feel that Websleuths cannot and should not be trying to control what people say on Facebook, Blogger, or any other website. As I mentioned before, they would have to sleuth their own members to determine a connection, which seems a little creepy to be honest.

One of the reasons I started this blog is that I believe people need an outlet to vent their frustrations. This blog seems to have become an outlet for those who think something hinky is going on at Websleuths. As far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to discuss it all you want. Websleuths disagrees, and if you're a member of Websleuths, you need to be aware of that.

This blog isn't only about venting our spleens. We're all here because of Gail Palmgren, and tomorrow I will be posting a discussion topic that I hope you will all join in on.

Five Months

Hope is the thing...

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

     -- Emily Dickinson

As of today, Gail Palmgren has been missing five months. If you are not familiar with the case, please read this post for more details, and please, if you have any information about Gail or her Jeep, contact someone who can help. Contact information for the authorities is on the right side of this blog.

We are all praying that Gail comes home soon.

No News is No News

The promised Times Free Press update about the searches of the Alabama properties is here on their website, and it doesn't actually say anything new. It's basically the same article as yesterday.

I do have to chuckle at Matt's lawyers. In this article they are quoted as saying, "Matthew Palmgren continues to assist in this investigation and had done so since May."

The article ends with: "To date, neither Matthew Palmgren nor his children have given formal statements to investigators."

I'm trying to figure out how "no formal statement" equals "assisting in this investigation." It's a puzzler to be sure.

NEWS: Detectives (Finally) Searching Alabama Property

UPDATE 9:45 PM: This was mentioned in comments but I wanted to put it up here so you saw it first:

"I hear DIVE TEAMS are in the water searching for Gail and her Jeep (or related evidence). They are searching in the surrounding waters, with close proximity to the Easy Street home in Wetumpka, Alabama. This is "real time" information."

UPDATE: Per BGHN, there was no dive team search. They have updated the BGHN page and I am updating here as well. BGHN has reported that the investigators were at the Alabama site for a search for approximately two hours.

 
---

UPDATE: The Times Free Press has an article with some good news:

Sheriff Jim Hammond said that, after the last of the property searches are completed, investigators may consider doing another aerial search.


“I’m still of the opinion when the leaves drop, we’ll be able to see more,” he said.

Times Free Press says they will have more details tomorrow.


---

The Chattanoogan reported this in a very short article about 2 hours ago:

County detectives are in the process of searching property belonging to Matt and Gail Palmgren in Alabama as part of the investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Ms. Palmgren.

And the last sentence:

"This has been done with the complete cooperation of Mr. Palmgren and his attorney, Lee Davis."

But we knew that already, didn't we?

Also, WCRBtv has news on the search in an article updated this evening.

Somebody Wants This Blog Gone

Someone has repeatedly reported this blog as a violation of Blogger's terms of service. The blog was deleted for about 10 minutes earlier tonight until I called Google, who immediately reinstated it. I am investigating the situation, but you need to know the blog may disappear. If it does, it's because someone doesn't want this blog to exist. Since the blog is not in violation of Google's terms of service, I don't think they'll have much luck getting the blog removed permanently.

UPDATE: I've been talking with a help tech guy on the Google Help forums who thinks either someone is using my IP address in a denial of service attack, or someone is trying to manually hack into my email and blog by guessing the password. Considering the odd behavior of my email, I think someone is trying to hack in but hasn't succeeded.

Every time something strange happened with this account tonight, one specific person was reading the blog. This person visits the blog or refreshes the page constantly, often for 7-8 hours a day, sometimes logging over 150 refreshes/hits. They are either obsessed with this blog or they're looking for a way to hack in, I can't think of any other reason for them to be here so often. Because a hacker could possibly get your IP addresses and emails if they were able to log into this account, this hacking issue concerns you and I wanted to let you know what was going on.

This is why IP addresses are logged, guys, because there's always some jerk who wants to pull a stunt like this. I have no identifying information about this person, but I do have their IP logged and am still talking to Google about the possibility that someone is attempting to hack in. I'll keep you up to date.

If this blog disappears, I will put up a new page somewhere for more updates.

Comments Should Be Fixed

This is just a quick note to let you know that I believe I have fixed the problem with comments.  Please try out the comments on the blog and make sure you can post. If you can't, email me at gailismissing (at) gmail.com and let me know.

If you want to know how to post anonymously or have any problems with commenting, read this post for instructions.

Thank you for your patience while I work out the bugs!

CUE and 411Gina For Missing Persons

Good news posted by Clive on Facebook today: Gail has been added to 411Gina.org, an organization to help find missing persons. Gail's page can be seen here.


I also want to re-post what Bring Gail Home Now posted on Facebook Friday:

Gail's family has requested that CUE (Community United Effort) out of North Carolina, and CUE's founder Monica Caison along with her Crew of Professional Searchers has been scheduled sometime soon, to begin a professional search for Gail. They will be coming to the Signal Mountain area on October 22, 2011 (Saturday) during their Road to Remember Rally 2011. The Rally brings attention to those who have gone missing in many states, but will be profiling/spotlighting Gail Nowacki Palmgren's disappearance from Signal Mountain, TN this year.

BGHN also has a discussion page for people who want to volunteer when CUE is in Signal Mountain. There is always something you can do to help, and if you don't want to publicly be listed as a volunteer but still want to help out, email BGHN directly.


This week will mark the 5th month since Gail Nowacki Palmgren went missing. Please, if you have any information at all, please contact CUE and law enforcement. We need your help!

Problems With Comments - PLEASE READ

There have been a few reports that people cannot read comments on posts or post replies on some or all of the blog posts. First, I want to say this:



NOBODY IS BANNED FROM THIS BLOG. NOBODY.

I know there is a history of things being deleted from what I like to refer to as the Unnamed Forum, as well as comments removed from newspaper websites and Facebook pages. This blog was created in part to combat those problems, not to perpetuate them.

Since the blog opened, I have edited one comment and removed another. Everything else was left as-is and no one has been banned. However, there are some rules and sometimes things will be removed. I hope you can understand that. If this blog is to stay up, it's going to have to have to play by some rules and it can't be a free-for-all. That means no copyright infringement, no libel or slander, no posting real names of people who aren't even involved in the case, etc.

If you can't post, it's because there is a technical problem, and I need your patience while I fix the situation.

This is a blog, which means the default comments are just one long list where you can't reply to anyone specifically. Check out Swistle for an example of how default comments look on blogs like this one.

That's why I tried adding a different comment system to the blog, but clearly the system I chose did not work, which is why I had to fix it.

UPDATE: This weekend I installed another commenting system which should allow direct replies to specific people. All the comments that were made last week are still here, but if you see one that is missing, let me know so I can look into it!

Look, I know there has been a lot of stupid crap over the last few months, with people online doing some really rotten things. I know you're all probably gun-shy and assume the worst when something goes wrong, but I'm asking you to trust me a little here, work with me and be patient.

If you need to contact me and can't comment, feel free to email me: gailismissing (at) gmail.com

Thanks.

Discussion: Who has been interviewed?

This was brought up in the first post on the blog, and I thought it would be a good place to start for discussion.

BGHN mentioned a source in the media:

My source said: "Unless there have been new developments in the past 4 or 5 days no one has been interviewed" ~ that was 09/20/11

Praying4Gail asked:

What about other people like Arlene, Diane, Susie B, other friends like the G's, CC from the siting? Did they say if they been interviewed about phone calls or emails or the sightings? Or any conversations with Gail. What about friends of Matt or friends or coworkers of the gf? In other words, is the LE being active going out looking for information? Or just waiting for somebody come to them. Thank you.

That's an excellent question. Has anyone been interviewed by the PD? We know Arlene spoke with the FBI, but I don't know of anyone else who has been interviewed. Who do you think should be interviewed? Do you think Gail's children should be, or are they too young?

Missing Gail

Our thoughts are always with Gail, her family, and her children. As passionate as we are about our opinions, whatever they may be, we are all more alike than we are different because we are here for one common cause, with one common hope, one common prayer.


Shantideva's Prayer

May all beings everywhere
Plagued by sufferings of body and mind
Obtain an ocean of happiness and joy
By virtue of my merits.


May no living creature suffer,
Commit evil or ever fall ill.
May no one be afraid or belittled,
With a mind weighed down by depression.


May the blind see forms,
And the deaf hear sounds.
May those whose bodies are worn with toil
Be restored on finding repose.


May the naked find clothing,
The hungry find food;
May the thirsty find water
And delicious drinks.


May the poor find wealth,
Those weak with sorrow find joy;
May the forlorn find hope,
Constant happiness and prosperity.


May there be timely rains
And bountiful harvests;
May all medicine be effective
And wholesome prayers bear fruit.


May all who are sick and ill
Quickly be freed from their ailments.
Whatever diseases there are in the world,
May they never occur again.


May the frightened cease to be afraid
And those bound be freed;
May the powerless find power
And may people think of benefiting each other.

Instructions on How to Post Anonymously

There have been a few people having trouble replying, so I hope these instructions help. For the most part, comments are self-explanatory. Type in your reply, the make sure the button on the bottom right has the correct name you want to use. If it does, just click the button and your comment is posted. If it doesn't, click the "logout" link just above the reply box on the right hand side, change the information to what you want, then post.

Remember: The safest way to keep your identity here separate from your other online identities is to post with a pseudonym.

That should be all you need to know. However, if you're having trouble, read the in depth instructions below and see if your question is answered. If not, email me at gailismissing (at) gmail.com and I will try to help as best I can.


To post anonymously or with a pseudonym:

* Type your reply in the box underneath the post.

* Then click the button in the bottom right corner of the box where it says "Post as..."

     --> If that button does not say "Post as..." but has a name already filled in, you will need to click "logout" which is just above the comment box on the right hand side. When you do this, in a few seconds the page will refresh and the button should now say "Post as..."

* A window pops up that has a list of options on the left hand side. Make sure you choose "Guest," which is the option at the top of the list.

* You have to fill out the Email and Name boxes. You can put in a fake name in the Name box, something like Guest or Anonymous or a pseudonym you have made up. You can use a fake email address in the Email box, but if you want to subscribe to comments and get all replies sent to your email address, you must use a real email address! However, no one besides me can see the email address.


To post with another account:

* Disqus allows you to post with your Disqus, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, or OpenID accounts.

* When you want to reply using one of those accounts, type your reply then click the "Post as..." button in the bottom right side of the comment box.

     --> If that button does not say "Post as..." but has a name already filled in, make sure it is the name or account you want to use. For example, if you are already logged in to Facebook, Disqus may detect this and automatically fill in your Facebook name in the button. If that's the account you want to post with, you can continue by commenting and posting.

     -->If that is not the account you want to post with, you will need to click "logout" which is just above the comment box on the right hand side. When you do this, in a few seconds the page will refresh and the button should now say "Post as..."

* Once you clicked the "Post as..." button, a box comes up with the names of various accounts on the left hand side. Choose which account you want to use. (If you don't want to use an account, choose the "Guest" tab.) Disqus will show you a button that asks you to log in. Click it, and it will log you in to the account you chose and post your reply.


Comments cannot be deleted by you once you have posted. Anonymous/Guest posts cannot be edited, but if you have logged in with an identity or an account, you should be able to edit. If you have something you want deleted you can email me to request deletion, but I cannot guarantee I will see your email immediately, it might be hours until I see it.

Comments can be flagged for inappropriate content. There should be a little red flag that appears underneath the comment. Click it and I will be alerted to any problems.

Welcome

This blog was created to provide information, resources, links, and discussion space regarding the case of Gail Palmgren. If you are unfamiliar with Gail's case, please read here for a brief introduction.

This blog is very much a work in progress. Lots of links and info still need to be added on the sidebar and the individual pages. But as I know some of you feel there is a lack of discussion areas for Gail's case, I wanted to go ahead and open the blog and get discussion started.

Note that I don't want this blog to replace or be in competition with any other online forum. There is room enough for everyone on the internet. We're not affiliated with anyone else of course, but we do use other websites and news sources for our own information, and I assume we'll be talking about these other websites on occasion.

Speaking of discussion, I hope that we can get some good discussion on our blog entries. Before you comment, please take a moment to glance at the Moderation Policy tab at the top of the page. Note that people are allowed to post anonymously here, and no one should try to "out" any anonymous or pseudonymous people. Be warned that if I'm not on to moderate things immediately, some trolling or other problematic posts might go through. You're also all going to be my guinea pigs for a few days! I've installed IntenseDebate to help make comments on this blog easier to read, but I don't know if it works yet, which is why you're all guinea pigs.

So to everyone: Welcome! Consider this an open thread. What do you want to talk about today?

Gail Nowacki Palmgren: Missing Since April 30, 2011

Gail Nowacki Palmgren, mother of two, has been missing since April 30, 2011.

Gail Palmgren was last seen about 12:15 PM on April 30, driving away from her home in Signal Mountain, TN. Gail is 5 feet 8 inches tall, 135 pounds, blonde hair, brown eyes. She was driving a 2010 Jeep Rubicon, a dark red color known as Red Rock Crystal Pearl. The Jeep has a back tire cover that says "Life Is Good" with a blue flower, and a personalized Alabama license plate that says EAZY ST



Gail has not been in contact with anyone since April 30. She reportedly left without her driver's license, credit cards, and has not accessed any bank accounts since. Prior to the day she disappeared, she left money and valuables with a variety of friends and relatives, but has not come back for any of these items or contacted the people she gave items to. Her Jeep has not been seen. Her phone last pinged on May 2nd at the base of Signal Mountain, but has not been found.

In the weeks prior to her disappearance, she called 911 on April 22 for a domestic dispute with her husband, and again on April 29th. On the 29th, her husband Matt Palmgren had returned from a Blue Cross Blue Shield company conference in Minnesota; however, instead of attending the conference, he and his girlfriend, co-worker Tammy Helton, had skipped the conference and stayed together for a few days. After he returned on the 29th, Gail and the children went to the Signal Mountain police station where 911 was called. Matt and another person (their name has been redacted from the Signal Mountain police report published in the media) arrived as well. Police gave Gail the number to a safe house. She decided to go to a lake house owned in Alabama, and take the two children and the dogs with her. The next morning at about 6:30 AM, she called her sister Diane Nichols and stated she was returning to Signal Mountain. She asked Diane to call Signal Mountain police and have them meet her at the home when she arrived at about noon. They would not meet her, instead calling her for a welfare check as she drove back to Signal Mountain. When she returned to Signal Mountain about noon on April 30th, she dropped off the kids and left. Matt was not at the home at the time; somehow, he was notified the kids were at the home and so he returned right then. Gail was seen driving off before Matt returned, according to neighbor Susie Button. That is the last anyone has seen of her.

There are more details of course, but some things are complicated enough that they should be discussed separately. Please stay tuned for media links and posts with additional information about this case.

Anyone with any information on Gail or her Jeep, please contact Hamilton County Sheriff's Department at 423-622-0022 or the Signal Mountain Police Department at 423-886-2124. If you feel someone is in distress and needs assistance, call your local 911 immediately.




Photos courtesy WDEF; poster courtesy friends of Gail Palmgren.