Police, FBI seek new answers of the whereabouts of accused killer Eugene Palmer
HAVERSTRAW − Has anyone seen accused killer Eugene Palmer or know his whereabouts? The town police and FBI want information nearly 11 years after he was charged with killing his daughter-in-law.
As the leaves traditionally turn colors to greet the coming of autumn, Haverstraw police have issued their public request reminding people that Palmer is wanted for the shotgun killing of Tammy Palmer on Sept. 24, 2012.
Tammy Palmer was found dead at Palmer's Willow Grove Road compound of houses, bordering Stony Point and Harriman State Park. She had just returned to the compound after dropping her two children off at the school bus stop.
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Palmer then went to his sister's house down the road, told a niece he'd shot his daughter-in-law, and left money to pay his taxes.
He's not been seen since by the local authorities.
Police later found Palmer's truck hidden among the trees up a fire lane in the park nearly a mile from his property. Palmer, known as an outdoorsman, was a frequent hunter, fisherman, trapper and hiker who knew the landscape of the 47,527-acre park, including its caves, abandoned root cellars, and other hideouts amid its 200 miles of trails through the wilderness straddling Rockland and Orange counties.
Palmer's immediate family members have said they believe he died in the woods. His kin have noted he depended on medication for diabetes, a heart condition and other ailments that come with age. One of Palmer's sons and a friend have searched for his remains in the woods, including areas that contain rattlesnake dens.
Born in April 1939, Palmer would be 84 years old now.
Haverstraw police are not buying that Palmer died in the woods. Nor is the FBI. The bureau has offered a reward of $20,000 while two other agencies added an additional $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Palmer.
"The Town of Haverstraw Police, along with their FBI and U.S. Marshal partners, have not forgotten this crime and have been continuously working on this case," the police said in a statement on Facebook.
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Haverstraw Police Capt. John Gould Jr. said the department constantly receives tips on possible locations where Palmer may be living. He said each tip is vetted and any plausible information is acted upon.
"During this investigation, evidence has been gathered leading us to believe that Eugene Palmer is alive," Gould said. "There is no reason for us to think that he is deceased.
"We believe now, and from the beginning of the investigation, that people are, have, and continue to assist him in eluding the police," he said.
Gould said detectives have interviewed Palmer's family members many times.
Palmer and his daughter-in-law had conflicts. She lived in a house with her husband, John, and their two children. The couple had been having marital problems, and Tammy Palmer had filed a restraining order against her husband. Police said Eugene Palmer became enraged that his son was banned from the family compound.
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A Rockland grand jury issued an indictment charging Palmer with second-degree murder. A nationwide fugitive warrant has been issued for his arrest.
In 2019, the FBI placed Palmer on its iconic 10 Most Wanted List after earlier offering a reward of $20,000 for information on Palmer's whereabouts. Haverstraw and the U.S. Marshals Service had previously put up rewards of $5,000 each in the case. The television program "America's Most Wanted" featured the case.
The FBI and Haverstraw police have said Palmer, a fan of auto racing, has ties to Florida, upstate New York, and the Adirondacks. His medical issues could make him a frequent visitor to doctors' offices and healthcare facilities, the FBI said.
Haverstraw police Detective Michael Cruger has said detectives have more evidence that Palmer left the area than he didn't leave.
"We have not had one shred of evidence that leads us to believe that Eugene Palmer is dead," Cruger said.
Anyone with information about Palmer's whereabouts can call the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or 212-384-1000, Haverstraw police detectives at 845-942-3730 or 845-354-1500 or the US Marshalls at 1-877-WANTED-2.
Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com. Twitter: @lohudlegal.
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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Eugene Palmer, one of FBI 10 most wanted, still sought for murder
