Florida man charged with murder in ex-fiancée's 2011 disappearance
Michelle Parker disappeared the same day that an episode of "The People's Court" aired that featured Parker and the suspect, Dale Smith Jr., in a contentious dispute over an engagement ring.
Key points
- Dale Smith Jr. was arrested Wednesday in Orlando on one count of second-degree murder in Michelle Parker's 2011 disappearance.
- Parker, 33, vanished on Nov. 17, 2011, the day a People's Court episode aired featuring her and Smith in a ring dispute.
- Police said Smith was the last known person to see or hear from Parker after she dropped their children at his home.
Orlando police announced Wednesday that Dale Smith Jr. has been arrested on a single count of second-degree murder in the disappearance of his ex-fiancée, Michelle Parker, nearly 15 years ago. Parker, then 33, went missing on Nov. 17, 2011, the same day an episode of The People's Court aired featuring her and Smith in a contentious dispute over an engagement ring.
Parker's SUV was found abandoned one day after she disappeared, but she has never been found. She and Smith have two children together.
What police said
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said at a news conference that Smith Jr. was "the last known person to see or hear from Michelle" on the day she disappeared after dropping their children at his home. The chief said the department expanded its investigation over the past year and "took a fresh, focused look at all the evidence."
Det. Phillip McMican said Smith Jr. had been interviewed multiple times and took part in several depositions. McMican said Smith Jr. gave different answers to the same specific questions over the years. He said advances in forensic technology allowed investigators to better interpret evidence from vehicles, electronic devices, phones and computers, and that new evidence was found in the last year.
all evidence leads to Dale Smith Jr. as the person responsible for Michelle's murder
— Orlando police
Evidence and prior findings
Police did not provide the exact details that prompted the arrest. In a separate statement, police said that although Parker has not been located, "all evidence leads to Dale Smith Jr. as the person responsible for Michelle's murder."
According to CBS affiliate WKMG-TV, security video showed Parker dropping her children off at Smith Jr.'s home on the night she disappeared. Her vehicle was found abandoned the next day in an Orlando parking lot, and her cellphone was found by divers in an area lake in December 2011. Smith Jr. had been a suspect since around that time.
