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Fifteen years after Michelle Parker disappeared following her appearance on People’s Court in 2011, the Orlando Police Department arrested her ex-fiancé Dale Smith Jr. and charged him with murder.
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The cold case of Michelle Parker’s disappearance has a major update.
Nearly 15 years after the then-33-year-old disappeared in Orlando, Fla., police arrested her ex-fiancé Dale Smith Jr. and charged him with second-degree murder, to which he's pleaded not guilty.
“Smith was the last known person to see or hear from Michelle on Nov. 17, 2011, after she dropped their children off at his home,” the Orlando Police Chief said during an Oct. 14 press conference. “Over the past year, we've expanded our investigative team looking into this case and took a fresh-focused look at all of the evidence.”
The chief explained, “We re-examined testimony and conflicting statements made by the suspect and used advances in digital forensics to uncover and analyze additional evidence.”
The same November 2011 day that Parker dropped her and Smith’s 3-year-old twins off with him, the former couple’s episode of People’s Court aired, during which they fought over an engagement ring. Later that night, Parker never arrived for her bartending shift.
The next day, her car was found on the west side of Orlando, while her cellphone was recovered from a lake south of the city, police shared in a statement at the time.
Police said in 2011 that Smith was considered a suspect in her disappearance, per ABC News, though he was never charged. He previously denied being involved and pleaded not guilty to his second-degree murder charge when appearing in court Oct. 15, according to Fox 35 Orlando.
People's Court/YouTube
As for what led to Smith’s arrest, Detective Philip McMican explained that new technology allowed for Orlando police to have a break in the case.
“New evidence was found using advancements in technology, especially in our digital forensics related evidence,” he said during the Oct. 14 press conference. “We're able to better interpret that evidence today than what we were able to do back in 2011.”
Plus, the detective noted that Smith had given police conflicting information over the years.
Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images; Orlando Police Department via AP
“The suspect was interviewed more than once and since then has taken part in depositions related to this case,” McMican shared. “Very specific questions were asked of him numerous times over the years where he gave different answers to those same questions.”
Given the new details and Smith’s arrest, the Orlando Police Chief emphasized that the department has never rested in searching for answers in Parker’s disappearance.
“This case never stopped being a priority,” he said. “Our detectives kept working. They kept asking questions. They kept examining the evidence."
Meanwhile, authorities shared that they are still searching for Parker.
“While Michelle has not yet been located, all evidence leads to Dale Smith Jr as the person responsible for Michelle’s murder,” the Orlando Police Department wrote on Instagram Oct. 14. “We will continue pursuing justice for Michelle, her family, and every victim we serve.”
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