An officer at Reno / Tahoe International Airport discovered Palumbo in a restricted area of the facility shortly after 12:00 AM on April 26, 2000. She was believed to be disoriented possibly hallucinating at the time. The officer dropped her off at Reno Hilton Hotel and Casino at approximately 1:30 AM. There is no record of her checking in at that hotel.
Palumbo's vehicle was discovered illegally parked and abandoned at the airport on April 27, one day after her disappearance. The majority of her personal belongings were found inside the car, along with her cellular phone and her purse, which contained $600 in cash. The owner of the Silver Dollar Casino in Elko, Nevada claimed that Palumbo was inside her establishment in December 2000, eight months after Palumbo disappeared. The owner told authorities that the woman became nervous when she saw a man peering through the bar's window during the evening. According to the owner, the woman then departed from the Silver Dollar Casino with another female. Authorities have been unable to confirm if the unidentified woman in the establishment was indeed Palumbo. Foul play is suspected in her case.