Dale Smith Jr. charged with murder in 2011 disappearance of Michelle Parker
Orlando police charged Dale Smith Jr. with murder nearly 15 years after Michelle Parker vanished, citing re-examined evidence and new analysis.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
2 min read
Dale Smith Jr.'s murder charge marks the first arrest in the 2011 disappearance of Orlando mother Michelle Parker. Orlando police announced Oct. 14 that Smith, Parker's former fiancé and the father of her twins, was arrested at his business and charged with second-degree murder.
Parker has not been found. The charge is an accusation, and Smith has not been convicted.
Police say Parker, a mother of three, was last seen on Nov. 17, 2011, as she dropped off her twins with Smith at his Orlando condo. Orlando Police Chief Eric D. Smith said Smith was the last person known to have seen her, according to NBC News.
What led to Dale Smith Jr.'s arrest?
Orlando police said they re-examined evidence and used advances in digital forensics to identify additional evidence in the case. Investigators also reviewed prior testimony and statements attributed to Smith, WESH reported.
Police have said their evidence points to Smith as responsible for Parker's death. They have not publicly detailed the new evidence described in the reports.
Smith had long been considered a prime suspect or person of interest in the disappearance but had not previously been charged. He denied involvement in the past, NBC News and WESH reported. The available reports did not include a response from Smith after his arrest or identify an attorney speaking for him.
The 2011 timeline
The day Parker disappeared, she and Smith appeared in a prerecorded episode of The People's Court. Their case involved a dispute over a $5,000 engagement ring, NBC News reported.
The episode was taped before it aired, and the reporting does not establish that the television appearance or the ring dispute caused Parker's disappearance.
Parker's vehicle was recovered in Orlando the following day, police said. Her phone was later recovered from a body of water in the area. WESH reported that the phone was found under an Orange County bridge in December 2011.
State Attorney Monique Worrell said the second-degree murder charge could change depending on the evidence, according to WESH. The case now moves forward without Parker's remains having been recovered.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.