TN - Gail Nowacki Palmgren, 44, Signal Mountain, 30 April 2011 - #6

[Sleuthy1]

I need to ask for some help with this. This is a full raw video of the press conference on May 17, recorded by Callie Starnes of WRCB. It also includes the Q&A afterwards.

The audio is very low, and I don't hear as well as I used to. If others could listen and help pick out any nuggets of info, I would be so grateful.

TIA!

http://twitcasting.tv/calliestarnes/movie/1606773

BBM

ORIGINALY POSTED ON WS BY jrb0124 on May 17, 2011
jrb0124
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 702
Here's a transcript of the press conference for those who can't hear it or pull it up at work:


Janice Atkinson (JA)
Public Information Officer
Hamilton County Sheriff's Office

JA: we are passing out info sheet to press would ask that any further requests for info come directly to my office

Diane: my name is Diane Nichols I am Gail Palmgren's sister...she's been missing since April 30th (voice breaking - emotional) and we have not seen or heard from her since then. My family asks for your help in finding her - we're asking for the public's help, I'm only one person and this is quite a large area, to cover..please...if anyone has seen her or the vehicle please call police immediately. Call 911 if you can't remember the number. That number, for the Signal Mt Police is 423-886-2123 or call 911 immediately. Her vehicle is a 2010 Jeep Rubicon 4 door with a black soft top. It has license plate that's "Eazy St". please, if anyone has any information on this vehicle call police immediately. If you've seen my sister she 44 yrs old she's 5' 8" tall weighs approx 135 pounds has blonde hair and brown eyes - please! she's got 2 little kids at home that miss their mommy, I'm begging you please help us find my sister. Gail, if you're out there somewhere and you can hear this. please call me, call the police, we love you - there are people concerned about you that love you and miss you. Please contact somebody we love you we miss you please come home. Thank you (leaves podium)

MP: Thank you. As you can tell its been a rough 2 weeks for the family. I'd like to start off by saying thank you to Chief Veal, Detective Tizzio, uh all my neigbors have been out Diane coming down all my family that's helped us look, uh, for Gail. And as you can see (referring to the info sheet I assume?) the jeep has been spotted a few times out there so we're asking for anybody who's seen that to immediately contact their local police and let us know to get more clues to where Gail could be. So...for myself, we've done everything in our power to finding Gail. We've hired a private investigator,(deep breath) we continue to look,(big gulp) we're turning over everything we can. So, as Diane says its like "yell if you hear us", please come forward, [#### and #### love you?], and please, please show yourself soon. I hope everyone keeps us in their thoughts and prayers. Thank You. (leaves podium)


JA: okay, this will conclude the press conference.

R: Janice do we ask questions of you or do we do that on an individual basis?

JA: There will not be any responses on the investigation today. As I said, when infomation can be released - it will be released immediately.

R: does that mean it will be released from your office? are you guys taking the lead on the investigation?

JA: we're not taking the lead...we're assisting: they have asked us to help with the media

R: so the investigators are not involved just the public information office at this point?

JA: we have 2 investigators that are 'assisting' SMPD

R: Have you guys worked at all with Alabama authorities? there's mention of a lake house, is it possible that agencies there will get involved?

JA: well as I said, no investigative information will be released right now

R2: Janice can you tell us what kind of efforts are being made to find her by the police dept if you can't comment on the details yet?

JA: every effort, every avenue to locate her is being done by SMPD and HCSO.

R2: can you tell us if there have been any searches that have been done? officers going out and looking in certain areas where she might be?

JA: not from the sheriff's office standpoint. There is a plan for something later on this week.

R2: Is there anything about the 'spotting' you say her jeep has been spotted can you elaborate on that?

JA: the only thing I can say about that is every lead that has been passed back to LE has been investigated or is in the process of being investigated

R: are there any suspects in the case at this point or are there anyone that has been able to provide lead information that you've been able to gain anything from?

JA: at this point its a missing persons re- .. investigation, so .. suspects - none.

R2: Janice is there any reason for the investigation to believe there may be foul play? I know as you stress in the press release here its a missing persons case but is there anything that leads to to believe something may have happened to her?

JA: That's always a possibility and will be loked into by LE

R: Janice, how does this compare to other missing cases that we've done in out area - what are the similarities? what are the differences? does this one stand out to you?

JA: I don't think there are a lot of differences, each case is unique within itself. From a LE standpoint we treat every missing persons report the same. We make every effort to locate that

R: A lot has been said about "on air" especially 'Gail if you hear this call us'... is there the possibility that she still might be somewhere listening to what's broadcasted - and that might be a way oroption of getting her home?

JA: There is only hope that she is still there...listening...and she will respond...especially to her family members

R3: [question inaudible]

JA: she has been placed in the national missing person registry

JA: okay, that's all I have, thank you.

 

[BeanE]

Thank you soooooo much, Sleuthy1 :blowkiss:

 

[BeanE]

Since Gail disappeared, have the kids spent time with any member of Gail's family, without Matt or a member of his family around? How about with neighbors or at their friends' houses? Without Matt or a member or his family around?

 

[Sleuthy1]

Since Gail disappeared, have the kids spent time with any member of Gail's family, without Matt or a member of his family around? How about with neighbors or at their friends' houses? Without Matt or a member or his family around?

:twocents:Not that I am aware of...NO:maddening:

 

[BeanE]

Flyover video of Apison, TN, about 30 miles east of Signal Mountain on May 4. Gives an idea of terrain in the general area of Signal Mountain, as well as the number of places a Jeep could be obscured, and also the storm damage in the general area.

[ame]http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150170522652063[/ame]

You might not want to watch this whole video, as it shows a bear hit by a car at the end, but at the beginning, this video gives an idea of the roads in Sequatchie County. ETA: It's not a bloody mess!!!!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwyLbRpOhCA"]YouTube - ‪Sequatchie County Deputy Hits Bear In Patrol Car (Original)‬‏[/ame]

 

[BeanE]

along the Tennessee River Gorge on Suck Creek Road

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9zXURl-Wvk"]YouTube - ‪Driving along the Tennessee River Gorge‬‏[/ame]


Mountain Creek Road. Gail's last cell phone activity was near Mountain Creek Rd.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ouiaw5tPYDE"]YouTube - ‪900 Mountain Creek Rd, Signal View Condominiums‬‏[/ame]


Views from Raptor's Roost on Signal Mountain

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPADntBH3bU"]YouTube - ‪Raptor's Roost Views‬‏[/ame]

 

[Pearl*]

You might not want to watch this whole video, as it shows a bear hit by a car at the end, but at the beginning, this video gives an idea of the roads in Sequatchie County. ETA: It's not a bloody mess!!!!

I'd just like to add that the bear appears to have "skated" a distance down the road, and then it ran into the woods with no indication of injury. Although it obviously COULD be injured, it was a "bump" more than a "slam." Just didn't want anybody to be afraid they would see an injured or dead bear!

In addition to getting a feel for the roads, I think the video also shows good reason that amateur search parties might be wise to leave it to the professionals!

 

[hollyblue]

BeanE, IIRC Clive on FB, who has contact with SMPD, had stated some time ago that the storage facilities had been covered. Now, I don't know if he got that info from LE or means he himself/searchers may have taken her and the jeeps pic to the different storage facilities, but I'm betting it was not all the facilities available in the metro region.

**I'm wondering about different construction sites also...empty houses, etc.

 

[Oriah]

I'd just like to add that the bear appears to have "skated" a distance down the road, and then it ran into the woods with no indication of injury. Although it obviously COULD be injured, it was a "bump" more than a "slam." Just didn't want anybody to be afraid they would see an injured or dead bear!

In addition to getting a feel for the roads, I think the video also shows good reason that amateur search parties might be wise to leave it to the professionals![/quote]

BBM: Couldn't agree with you more on this point, Pearl.

Considering that this is an active investigation, IMO, LE will utilize professional SAR when they feel they have reason to.

 

[BeanE]

BeanE, IIRC Clive on FB, who has contact with SMPD, had stated some time ago that the storage facilities had been covered. Now, I don't know if he got that info from LE or means he himself/searchers may have taken her and the jeeps pic to the different storage facilities, but I'm betting it was not all the facilities available in the metro region.

**I'm wondering about different construction sites also...empty houses, etc.

My understanding is that he simply asks LE if it's okay for him to do things etc, like pass out a flyer he's made or whatever, and they tell him if it's okay with them.

I think a couple other people's pics need to be taken to the storage places in addition to Gail's. People could keep a list of which places visited, response, and give the list to LE so LE could check against their own records and see what's covered maybe.

Great idea about construction sites, empty houses, abandoned buildings, etc!

 

[hollyblue]

More terrain. They have a big trail run every fall...here is part of the trail in 2010. The event is scheduled for October 16th this year. I hope she is found before then, but am wondering if any of the peeps taking this on and in training could be notified?

My kind of jogging!! No vehicle fumes. Downside: don't go alone.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/user/rockcreeker?blend=5&ob=5#p/u/3/Q7AiqxLL5eA"]YouTube - ‪rockcreeker's Channel‬‏[/ame]


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqAPl789rTY"]YouTube - ‪Rock Creek Stump Jump 2010 www.RunBum.com Sean Blanton‬‏[/ame]

 

[BeanE]

I'd just like to add that the bear appears to have "skated" a distance down the road, and then it ran into the woods with no indication of injury. Although it obviously COULD be injured, it was a "bump" more than a "slam." Just didn't want anybody to be afraid they would see an injured or dead bear!

In addition to getting a feel for the roads, I think the video also shows good reason that amateur search parties might be wise to leave it to the professionals![/quote]

BBM: Couldn't agree with you more on this point, Pearl.

Considering that this is an active investigation, IMO, LE will utilize professional SAR when they feel they have reason to.

I agree. I'm always nervous about untrained searchers. What people can do though, is keep a notepad in their car, and as they're out and about, make notes of areas a vehicle could have gone off the road and been obscured, and then email their list to LE.

But don't write while you're driving.

 

[Irish_Eyes]

Just throwing a couple things out there:

1) Where did MP spend the night on 4/29 and was he alone? The reason I ask is that if he was with TH, I could see if they went together to his moms or out running errands, etc., only taking one car....so maybe when GP pulled up she saw MP's car parked there and thought he was home and just let the kids out and drove away thinking their dad was home?

2) I am guessing that the reason there is no description of the clothing she was last wearing is that LE probably has not been allowed to talk to the children in depth about anything....

 

[Jade]

Looking at the timeline [Thank you BeanE]

It seems that MP never showed up at the lake house to tell the children about the divorce?

On the day of the disappearance it says that MP proposes to meet at the SM house.

So maybe he says meet at the SM house for the talk.

But instead of staying for the talk GP drops off the kids…..

The talk a trigger that led to whatever happened....?


http://timesfreepress.com/news/2011/may/12/missing-womans-husband-seeks-custody-children/

So this looks like Arlene posting?

Is this the only place we get an indication that a neighbor [S.B.?] said that MP arrived 10 minutes after GP dropped off the kids?

A True Friend also says “and she may be showing erratic behavior”.

And like a true friend goes on to say MP should have gotten her help.


IMO

 

[Snowbunny]

I remember a trip I once took coming back from Hickery NC and heading for Knoxville and there was a girl her ran off the road with her vehicle and if it hadn't been for some one seeing the car go off the road you would have never known there was an accident. Sadly the girl didn't make it. By the time we got to the scene of the accident you had to look darn hard to see the car in the first place so if you were just driving by you would have never known there was an accident.

 

[believe09]

Looking at the timeline [Thank you BeanE]

It seems that MP never showed up at the lake house to tell the children about the divorce?

On the day of the disappearance it says that MP proposes to meet at the SM house.

So maybe he says meet at the SM house for the talk.

But instead of staying for the talk GP drops off the kids…..

The talk a trigger that led to whatever happened....?


http://timesfreepress.com/news/2011/may/12/missing-womans-husband-seeks-custody-children/

So this looks like Arlene posting?

Is this the only place we get an indication that a neighbor [S.B.?] said that MP arrived 10 minutes after GP dropped off the kids?

A True Friend also says “and she may be showing erratic behavior”.

And like a true friend goes on to say MP should have gotten her help.


IMO

Hi, Jade-I re read the comment and it appears that ATRUEFRIEND was quoting a twitter from somone else who was commenting that if Gail showed erratic behavior, Matt should have gotten her help. That is how I read it, fwiw.

 

[Sleuthy1]

My understanding is that he simply asks LE if it's okay for him to do things etc, like pass out a flyer he's made or whatever, and they tell him if it's okay with them.

I think a couple other people's pics need to be taken to the storage places in addition to Gail's. People could keep a list of which places visited, response, and give the list to LE so LE could check against their own records and see what's covered maybe.

Great idea about construction sites, empty houses, abandoned buildings, etc!

:twocents:Correct on CB and I believe when CB suggested or asked his LE contacts, if any of them(LE) had searched those types of places already....(CB had asked for reasons, so as not to duplicate checking out sights that had already been checked)...he was told "we have that covered...thank you"....in other words ....as CB would say "bugger off"....or "thanks but no thanks". As far as your suggestions about search ideas....they are all great,but I'm afraid that LE, might, ONCE AGAIN, take the same negative response to any1 else's efforts, if they tried to assist in this way...(remember AD in MS?)...Just saying:twocents:

 

[Sleuthy1]

Just throwing a couple things out there:

1) Where did MP spend the night on 4/29 and was he alone? The reason I ask is that if he was with TH, I could see if they went together to his moms or out running errands, etc., only taking one car....so maybe when GP pulled up she saw MP's car parked there and thought he was home and just let the kids out and drove away thinking their dad was home?

2) I am guessing that the reason there is no description of the clothing she was last wearing is that LE probably has not been allowed to talk to the children in depth about anything....

BBM

This is my understanding, as well Irish:banghead:And just to throw :twocents: in here...this sounds very feasible to me, as I don't recall SB mentioning that she actually saw MP pull up in his own vehicle upon his return to the family's Signal Mountain home on the afternoon of April 30, 2011.

 

[glorias]

I'm flummoxed by LE not vetting Susie Button's sighting of Gail at 12:15pm. It seems to straightforward. Was she not close enough to the Jeep that they are comfortable vetting her I.D. of Gail? Is it that Gail was not turned full face to her and they're not comfortable with vetting a partial face view?

Also, surely, Susie would be able to say if Gail was wearing a light or dark color top, spaghetti straps or long sleeves. Yet there is no clothing description. I'm sure she would have told this to LE. Yet it's not included.

The kids would have been able to give even a general description of the top and pants she was wearing. But not included.

I can't figure this one out, and had to get it off my chest.

As far as we know, they never asked anyone what Gail was wearing. Or if they did, they never released it to media or on BOLOs to get the info out there.

At first I thought this was because they believed that Gail must have just left on her own and they were unconcerned. That seems very strange on the surface as the 911 incidents were so near the time she disappeared, but maybe they thought she was scared and went to a safe location.

But if they bought the story that she was mentally unstable or if they thought her 911 calls were frivolous, they should have been concerned immediately about her welfare even if she did leave voluntarily. Even if they weren't, surely a few weeks ago they would have clued in that this was NOT a walkaway situation, yet still no description of what she was wearing or what she had with her. No lists of places she might have gone, either.

I often wonder if they knew from the beginning that there was no reason to even bother looking for her, and the thought kind of scares me.

I understand wondering just what the heck LE has been doing, but every time I think they're going to let this slide under the radar and hope people slowly forget about the case, they do a search or MP's people start releasing info to make Gail look bad, which makes me think there's a lot going on behind the scenes.

 

[glorias]

I need to ask for some help with this. This is a full raw video of the press conference on May 17, recorded by Callie Starnes of WRCB. It also includes the Q&A afterwards.

The audio is very low, and I don't hear as well as I used to. If others could listen and help pick out any nuggets of info, I would be so grateful.

I transcribed this a bit more fully than the one Sleuthy1 already gave you:

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6505842#post6505842"]TN TN - Gail Nowacki Palmgren, 44, Signal Mountain, 30 April 2011 - #2 - Page 13 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]


Note that it's not "yell if you hear us" but "Gail, if you hear us" in Matt's comments, but I couldn't correct it by the time I realized the mistake.