Palmer and her three-year-old son went out during the evening of October 29, 2000 with her former boyfriend, Maurice Shawtate Teele, in Carrollton, Texas. Teele told authorities that he dropped Palmer and her son off at an apartment complex across the street from Palmer's residence later that night. He and Palmer were not dating at the time. Palmer has never been heard from again.

A passing motorist discovered Palmer's son asleep on a concrete guardrail on the Josey Lane bridge over Indiana Creek in unincorporated part of Denton County near Carrolton at approximately 6:30 a.m. on October 30, the morning after Palmer's disappearance. He was in good health. An extensive search of the area produced no clues as to Palmer's whereabouts.

Palmer's family says she would never have willingly abandoned her child. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance.