TN - Gail Nowacki Palmgren, 44, Signal Mountain, 30 April 2011 - #7

[BeanE]

I thought the same thing, plus the headline was vague - just a search for remains. I had to read the article to figure out whose remains they were talking about!

If they've heard talk about a place where bodies were being dumped even now, then it would explain them bringing prisoners out to haul away brush in the middle of a heat wave!

Also, since they allegedly haven't found any new remains, why would they go ahead and have the archaeology team on stand-by? That set off my hinky-meter. I think they are searching for something specific. But what?

When I saw that Hoss was involved I nearly flipped out. That might or might not be a coincidence, but it sure is rather strange.

One of the articles says most of Melissa's skeletal remains were found. It looks to me like LE was looking for the rest?

 

[BeanE]

Glad you caught my humor.... I understand what you are saying, and that is the reason that I have always thought probably either Gail told him or the kids that she was going back to the lake. It would explain why he didn't think she was missing for those 48 hours.

There has to be a reason why no one who knows Gail appears to have taken action with notifying LE for 48 hours. I say 'appears' because someone could have called LE, and LE didn't look for Gail, during those 48 hours, and we just don't know about it. But the first reports we have are 48 hours later, with Matt reporting Gail missing, and Diane requesting a wellness check.

 

[Emeralgem]

There has to be a reason why no one who knows Gail appears to have taken action with notifying LE for 48 hours. I say 'appears' because someone could have called LE, and LE didn't look for Gail, during those 48 hours, and we just don't know about it. But the first reports we have are 48 hours later, with Matt reporting Gail missing, and Diane requesting a wellness check.

I don't have a link, and I could be wrong, but my understanding is it was GP's sister who first called SMPD....The SMPD went to the residence.At that time MP was not there..
MP did not make the call to SMPD until after GP's sister had already called them..JMHO

 

[Oriah]

Respectfully snipped:

<Yikes, that isn't what we see at the bottom of the mountain (i.e., white water). This is one of the boat launches on Suck Creek Road (there are more), pretty deep water, fishing, etc., we take our 18 foot boat out all the time, it could handle any trailored boat I would imagine. Although this isn't about a boat...but could a vehicle go missing? Absolutely! Did the two-hour water search cover the least bit of this waterway, NO!>


I agree, happy. And let's not forget the storm system as well. Parts of the river (and the lake, for that matter) flooded and then receeded quickly, as did several boat and vehicle access points.

If Gail departed SM for Alabama, I would think it likely she would depart from the S. If she departed from the N, then it seems she would have had to go around and double back (or at least, that would make the most sense directionally) and would be in keeping with the cell ping(s).

If the cell ping information is correct, and if her phone went into the water or was otherwise destroyed somewhere in the radius of the last ping- then it's possible it could have traveled from the bottom of SM (headed into Chattanooga), all the way around to the back side of SM... which would explain the loss of pings. (?!)
The same would be true if Gail's phone or vehicle entered the river at any of the access points S of SM.

Wait- did I just confuse everyone??

 

[BeanE]

I don't have a link, and I could be wrong, but my understanding is it was GP's sister who first called SMPD....The SMPD went to the residence.At that time MP was not there..
MP did not make the call to SMPD until after GP's sister had already called them..JMHO

I included Diane's call in my post. Yes, IIRC, I think her call was the first one. I don't have a link handy either.

ETA: Here's the link. Yes, Diane was first
http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=14669942

May 2, 2011 - Gail Palmgren's sister, Diane Nichols, calls Signal Mountain Police from her home in New York. Nichols reports not hearing from Gail, and requests a welfare check and files a missing persons report. An officer drove to the Palmgren's home. No one was home and there were no signs of foul play. Later that day, Matthew Palmgren calls 911 to report his wife missing. He tells police his wife dropped their children off at home alone and had not been seen since.

 

[Pearl*]

Saw a jeep like GP's today...same color, but had NM tags, a compass on the tire cover, roll bars and a big flag sticker in the side window. Also a two door. The poor guy must of thought I was a stalker or something. On a four lane street and I was slowing down in the passing lane to get a looksee.

Oh, this is great. I have the most hilarious image to carry around with me today. :floorlaugh:

 

[Emeralgem]

One of the articles says most of Melissa's skeletal remains were found. It looks to me like LE was looking for the rest?

Looks to me like LE is looking for possible remains of another victim/s that could have been placed in that immediate area...JMHO

 

[Pearl*]

:twocents:Okay....Let's try to clear something up now. It is my understanding that GP's son, told an adult neighbor within the first day or two of GP missing (I believe it was sometime between Apriil 30th and May 2, 2011 ... when GP was officially reported missing to the Signal Mountain Police Department). GP's son said that his Dad told them (the brother & sister) that their Mom went down to the Lake. So that story was told by MP & GP's son to an adult neighbor. This was before MP stopped allowing the children to speak to anyone without Palmgren supervision. That started a little bit later...exact date, I can't be sure. But, that is how the story of GP going back down to the lakehouse got out and by who. I hope this helps. So....you understand....MP told his kids this story about GP's alleged whereabouts when GP failed to come home to the kids on Saturday after bringing them home from Alabama and the son passed that information on to a VERY CREDIBLE adult neighbor, who in turn relayed the story, as it was told to the neighbor, by the son. This story was then passed on to KN, DN, AD...and a few others.:twocents:

Thanks, Sleuthy! This is really helpful to know where that came from.

 

[Oriah]

You're right Em! Wondering if you still have that intuition GP is somewhere right around here??

IMHO - Prentice Cooper obviously encompasses much of the mountain, basically. I previously wondered about CC's big fork recollection and realized that one part of Big Fork road comes off near her property and heads up the side of Signal from Whitwell. It's a long road, but ends up around where she said things were. Therefore, whoever was at Big Fork could very easily drive back down the back side of the mountain and never go through town. Interestingly, Big Fork road comes out near Suck Creek as well from another direction!?!? Hmmm...

Oriah...are these the copper mines near or around this route that you recall?? This appears to be near the end of Edward's Point Road (and the north end of the mountain overlooking Suck Creek (as the bird flies, since I don't think you can see it from there).

Edwards's Point - Latitude. 35.14833°, Longitude. -85.37028° , Elevation. 566m
Big Government Mine - Latitude. 35.145°, Longitude. -85.37778°
Barnes Mine - Latitude. 35.14833°, Longitude. -85.37833°
Backett and Pickett Mines - Latitude. 35.16194°, Longitude. -85.37583°
Doc Spangle Mine - Latitude. 35.16667°, Longitude. -85.35139°
Dill Mine - Latitude. 35.16583°, Longitude. -85.335°


Road trip!

Hi happy, yes those are some of the mines. Actually there are additional quarries as well- and when you follow the GA/NC/AL routes, there are a ton more clusters.

You can see here the locations: (it's kind of a large pdf...)
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mapdata/documnt1.pdf

 

[Oriah]

I see Sleuthy has posted the maps. Truly, none of those places is very far. It's all the same area. Prentice Cooper where Big Fork Road is on what we call the "back" of the Mountain (facing Sequatchie County, not Chattanooga and the River). Just beyond Prentice Cooper in the Sequatchie River Valley is Dunlap.

ThoughtFox (or any locals) do you by any chance recall whether or not the Nickajack Lake area flooded during the April storms? TIA.

http://www.state.tn.us/twra/gis/wmapdf/Prentice%20Cooper%20State%20Forest.pdf

 

[BeanE]

Bumping for Oriah

:blowkiss:

Well, we could take one scenario at a time. Missing by accident, let's say a car accident. I wonder if we could research and see if we could find accident rates for, say, routes going from SM to Titus AL.

We could compile a list of high accident areas, and then, we could use the magic of the intertubes. We could sent out tweets with hashtags focusing on those areas and maybe truckers, asking people to be on the lookout for the Jeep and provide a description of it.

Watcha think, happy?

Oriah, can you weigh in? Is this a good strategy? What would be the most useful way to provide the info on the high accident areas?

 

[hollyblue]

Wonder if LE checked with any of her neighbors to see if they had private surveillance cameras or anyone on the route down including Taft Hwy?

 

[Oriah]

Wonder if LE checked with any of her neighbors to see if they had private surveillance cameras or anyone on the route down including Taft Hwy?

Good question, holly. There seems to be quite a few private security firms serving the SM area. Also, does anyone know if all patrol cars in the SM area (both city and SO's) are equip with video surveillance?

What about emergency response vehicles, such as EMS and fire?

 

[JBean]

:twocents:Good thing we are not in court under oath:crazy:....double hearsay should be fine in conversation outside of the courtroom... snipped by jbean for emphasis.:twocents:

I totally agree! I was bein' cute. As long as you clarify where the info originated(which you did), it is totally fine.
Additionally since you are verified, it is fine to post what you heard. :hug:

 

[Pearl*]

Also- if I understand correctly- SM does not have traffic cams in town.

Yes, that is correct. Red Bank is the local place so well-known for those.

 

[Oriah]

I totally agree! I was bein' cute. As long as you clarify where the info originated(which you did), it is totally fine.
Additionally since you are verified, it is fine to post what you heard. :hug:

Sleuthy, given the info you shared- in your opinion, would that mean we should focus on the routes of travel that Gail may have taken to Alabama?

Or does it mean to focus on the immediate SM vicinity?
TIA.

I'm a little lost here- but it would be so helpful to know which exact route Gail was last known to be traveling.

 

[Oriah]

Yes, that is correct. Red Bank is the local place so well-known for those.

Thanks for the confirmation, Pearl! Do you know of any locally known 'speed traps' or anything like that?

 

[Pearl*]

Thanks for the confirmation, Pearl! Do you know of any locally known 'speed traps' or anything like that?

Oh my, yes. There are various "pull off" points on the main highway going down the mountain. Also church parking lots on the mountain. Also the side street close to me, hiding behind the tree. They're everywhere up here.

Red Bank is horrible though. There's been a fierce debate locally about their speed cameras, but that is something to consider. They've got one at Signal Mountain Blvd. and Dayton Blvd. That would not be a likely route but possible. I go through there if I can't "get over" in the right lane easily to make the ramp to Hwy 27 from Signal Mountain Blvd. I don't even fight it, because the other ramp is just a block away, right past that intersection.

Also one at Dayton Blvd. and Ashland Terrance. That would seem less likely, except that it's a commonly traveled route from Signal Mountain to Hixson.

Both cameras get a lot of people, even for dumb stuff like turning right on red. I'm likely to start a squabble here among the locals if I don't hush now.

ETA: Correction. Technically, they are "traffic light" cameras. Doesn't matter much though. A ticket is a ticket.

 

[Pearl*]

Oh my, yes. There are various "pull off" points on the main highway going down the mountain.

The last pull off point, as far as I know, is a scenic overlook right before "the space house."

 

[BeanE]

Wonder if LE checked with any of her neighbors to see if they had private surveillance cameras or anyone on the route down including Taft Hwy?

I think that's a fantastic idea, holly!!! Maybe call it in to SMPD and HCSO and even TBI? If it doesn't get the attention of one of them maybe it will get another's?