I've been writing this blog for a few years now, presenting information, or just honoring missing mothers and the children they leave behind. This blog does not intend to pass judgement, only to present what's found in the public forum, i.e. main stream media or internet sources, and occasionally from the opportunity to speak directly with families or friends of the missing mother.
What are some of the common threads that weave through most cases of missing mothers?
- She would NEVER leave her children, no matter what, no matter how bad things are in the home, in interview after interview you will see a family member or good friend repeat this, time and time again.
- She was being abused. Abuse can take many avenues, not just physical, and many of the signs are not visible to those around her. Abuse is often overlooked, or not believed, in families who are highly educated or hold high paying positions. She is often portrayed as the "crazy" one, or accused of having mental issues. (You know how females are!)
- A husband or boyfriend is usually the last one to see her, or has an alibi, sometimes flimsy.
- A husband or boyfriend who doesn't take part in searches, events, or pleas to the media for help in finding her and quickly hires an attorney, becoming uncooperative with an investigation.
- A husband or boyfriend who isolates her children from other family members after her disappearance.
- A husband or boyfriend who isolates himself from the public, and only communicates through lawyers or a particular trusted member of his own family.
- A distinct pattern of conduct in both parties, before the disappearance, which usually holds very important clues, some may be proven, others may not, but well worth studying.
Gail Nowacki Palmgren was last seen on her way to meet with her husband at their home in Signal Mountain, TN. She was seen driving away from the home after dropping off her children, in a hurry, according to neighbors who saw her. It's not been proven whether there was any one else in her red Jeep Rubicon, or that she drove off alone. It has been reported that it was out of character for Gail to quickly drop off her children and never be seen or heard from since that day, April 30, 2011.
In the days following her disappearance, her husband, Matt, immediately filed papers with the court protecting his assets, the marital property and custody of the children. He also began telling people that Gail had mental issues, although that has not been corroborated with professionals. Making her out to be the "crazy" one, deflecting any blame upon himself, is also a tactic of one who will try to make themselves look like they are calm and in control. Anyone going through a life changing ordeal, such as ending a marriage, will most likely have episodes where they feel everything is overwhelming, they may even lose control at times, but in Gail's case, we are to believe that she was "crazy with mental issues."
What is known is that Gail was ending her marriage to Matthew Palmgren, perhaps because she found out about his affair with a co-worker, or that he often was out of control with his drinking, as witnessed by others. It's reported that police were called to the home on a few occasions in response to verbal domestic violence, the last time the night before she vanished. Gail was given phone numbers to local domestic violence agencies, but it's not known if she made contact. However, it's clear Gail was making her plans to leave the marriage.
As in most cases when someone is preparing to leave an abusive relationship, it's important to plan ahead. Gail did her due diligence and made several correct decisions to protect her personal interests as well as her safety. Gail had a trusted friend and gave her items of value, documents and information to hold for her. As any good intimate partner violence advocate would advise, she took the correct steps to preserve evidence which could one day hold the answers.
In this age of technology, all electronic devices can hold potential evidence. Cell phones, computers and GPS devices were all a part of the Palmgren household. All of them could hold clues to what happened to Gail the day she disappeared, however, they were not readily confiscated, but only recently handed over to authorities, after Matt Palmgren and his attorney laid out the "ground rules" for searching the home. Why have the investigating agencies delayed getting aggressive in this case? Yes, it's important to cross all the t's and dot all the i's in any ongoing investigation, but it's just not clear why it seems they have been negotiating instead.
When all is said and done there are only three possibilities:
- Gail left her children, home, assets, family and friends and is hiding out somewhere.
- Gail had an accident and she and her vehicle have not yet been found.
- Gail is a victim of foul play.
The truth will come out, it usually does, but that doesn't relieve the anxiety of two little children. Two children who are the world of Gail Palmgren, who would NEVER leave them. May these kids get the answers soon as to what's happened to their mother, and know that she loved them, she did NOT abandon them willingly.
Gail drove a four-door maroon 2010 Rubicon Jeep Wrangler with a black soft top. The wheel cover on the back has the words “Life is Good” and a daisy painted on it. The trailer hitch has a picture of the Disney character Goofy on it, and the Jeep has Alabama tags that read “EAZY ST”.
Gail is 5’8” and weighs 135 pounds. She has blonde hair and brown eyes.
If you have any information about Gail’s disappearance or her whereabouts you are asked to call the Signal Mountain Police Department at 423-886-2123.
A Facebook page, "
Bring Gail Home Now" has been created as a support for family and for news updates.
More information:
Isabelle Zehnder, Missing Persons Examiner
Susan Murphy Milano, Blog and Radio Show,
May 19 June 16
Case Signal, Timeline and organized information
UPDATE
12/2/2011
Technology Helps in Search for Palmgren
"It appears Gail Palmgren lost control of her Jeep on East Brow Road on April 30th, 2011 at approximately, 12:25," this according to Matthew Palmgren's attorneys in a statement released today.
This is video we found of East Brow Road using Google Earth.
Resident David Axmacher She ran off the bluff some way or another. I know where that bluff is and it's really a long ways down)
The video shows the thick area where investigators found human remains and the Jeep Rubicon belonging to Gail Palmgren.
7 months after the mom went missing, it was technology that brought the case to the next level.
Monica Caison, CUE, says "it was a good day as far as all the technology and things coming together and people coming together that made this search successful."
Caison is with The Community United Effort for missing persons, also known as CUE.
CUE along with two other groups were called in to help with specialized equipment.
You can see just how steep this area is and what rescuers were dealing with.
"The technology used on Wednesday is a high resolution imaging device that can photograph in a millionth of a second the area so you can look at it in real time," says Caison.
The technology was used in aerial searches, to find this Jeep down below.
Even though many leaves have fallen off trees, some areas were hard to photograph, which is why officials came back on Thursday.
They were able to target the vehicle and send a special group of rescuers down the mountain.
"It was very difficult. Actually high angle experts were called in to go down there and actually assess a lot of the situations," says Caison.
An area where officials found Gail's purse and cell phone, just miles from her Signal Mountain home.
