Matthew Palmgren speaks at a brief news conference concerning his missing wife, Gail, at the Signal Mountain Recreation Department in Signal Mountain.

The husband of a missing Signal Mountain woman has been fired from his job at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.

Matthew Palmgren was let go from his job Monday afternoon through a letter, said Lee Davis, a defense attorney, who is representing Palmgren.

The letter, according to Davis, cites the investigation into the disappearance of Palmgren's wife, Gail, as a reason for the action.

"Obviously, it cites the investigation. We're not going to discuss the details at this point," he said.

Palmgren's 44-year-old wife was last seen April 30 when she dropped off the couple's two children at their Signal Mountain home.

Matthew Palmgren was placed on leave last month from BlueCross, where he worked as the director of pharmacy programs for its government business and emerging markets business unit.

Palmgren recently withdrew Chancery Court filings dated May 6 in which he attempted to legally separate from his wife and custody of the two children.

In court records, Matthew Palmgren said his wife had access to hundreds of thousands of dollars in their accounts and was suffering from severe mental illness. He also said the children's passports are missing.

Records show Signal Mountain police were called to the couple's home to deal with arguments in the days and weeks leading up to Gail Palmgren's disappearance.

Matthew Palmgren has hired a former Chattanooga Police Department investigator to find his wife.

"Mr. Palmgren, through our office, is cooperating in every way he can with this investigation to find Gail," Davis said.

Gail Palmgren was last seen driving a red 2010 Rubicon Jeep with a tailgate tire cover that said "Life is Easy" and had a daisy painted on it. She also had a personalized Alabama tag - "EAZY ST."

She is 5 feet 8, weighs 135 pounds and has blonde hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with any information can contact Signal Mountain Police Department at 423-886-2124.