Southwest Harbor man reported missing

SOUTHWEST HARBOR – A week has passed since the sudden disappearance of a local restaurant owner, but police, while concerned, still aren’t ready to call the case suspicious.

Ralph “Randy” Palmer, 51, was last seen Monday, Aug. 20, at the Southwest Harbor post office around 11 a.m. When he didn’t come home that night, his wife called police.

“We’re not speculating at this point. We hope it’s not suspicious,” Southwest Harbor police Chief Dave Chapais said Monday. “But obviously we’re more concerned as time goes on.”

Southwest Harbor police have searched extensively for the man over several days and have received assistance from other local agencies, including the Maine State Police.

A Game Warden plane was in the air Monday looking for Palmer but found no signs of him, Chapais said.

Palmer and his wife own the Kozy Kove Restaurant on Seal Cove Road in Southwest Harbor. Several attempts to call the restaurant Monday were unsuccessful. Chapais said he didn’t know if the restaurant had suspended its hours in the wake of Palmer’s disappearance.

Calls to Palmer’s wife Monday also were not returned.

“I can only assume [his family] is concerned. I can’t speak for them, but I know I would be,” Chapais said.

Police described Palmer as being 6 feet tall and weighing about 335 pounds. He has auburn hair, wears glasses and is often seen wearing a baseball hat, according to police. He drives a silver 2003 Chevy Silverado pickup with the vanity license plate “Kozy Kov.”

Family members have told police it’s unlike Palmer to just take off.

“We have heard nothing so far,” the chief said. “We’ve done some follow-ups on calls, but nothing has paid off as of yet.”

Palmer has relatives in the area, Chapais said.

Palmer’s name has been added to the National Crime Information Center, a nationwide database operated by the FBI.

“People around here aren’t forgetting, but other people need to be reminded,” the chief said.

Anyone with information about Palmer’s disappearance or his whereabouts is asked to call the Southwest Harbor Police Department at 244-7911.