A man faces a murder charge for the disappearance of his ex-fiancée in Orlando, Florida, nearly 15 years ago. Authorities announced on Wednesday that Dale Smith Jr. was arrested in connection with Michelle Parker’s vanishing on November 17, 2011.
Michelle Parker went missing on the same day an episode of ‘The People’s Court’ aired, featuring a dispute between Parker and Smith over an engagement ring. Orlando Police confirmed that Smith, the last known person to see Parker, was charged with second-degree murder.
Parker’s SUV was found abandoned a day after her disappearance, yet her whereabouts remain unknown. She and Smith have two children together. Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith stated that Parker had dropped off their children at Smith’s home on the day she went missing.
Police pursued a fresh investigation over the last year, revisiting case evidence with advanced digital forensics. Detective Phillip McMican noted that Smith had been re-interviewed, revealing inconsistencies in his past statements.
Enhanced forensic technology played a crucial role, according to McMican, allowing authorities to reinterpret evidence from electronic devices and vehicles. New evidence surfaced in the previous year, aiding in Smith’s arrest, though precise details of this evidence have not been disclosed.
A statement from the police indicates that all evidence points to Smith as responsible for Parker’s murder, despite her body remaining undiscovered. CBS affiliate WKMG-TV reported that Parker’s vehicle was found deserted, and her cellphone was later recovered from a lake in December 2011. Smith had been a suspect since that time.