Left: Dale Smith (Orange County Jail). Right: Michelle Parker (Orlando Police).
A Florida man has been jailed nearly 15 years after his former fiancée vanished shortly after the pair appeared on “The People”s Court” over a $5,000 engagement ring dispute.
Michelle Parker, 33, disappeared on Nov. 17, 2011, after dropping off the twins she shared with her former partner, Dale Smith Jr., at his Orlando home. Police had long viewed Smith as a person of interest, but he remained free until this week.
Smith, now 55, was arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree murder, the Orlando Police Department said.
“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,” Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith told reporters during a news conference. The chief said investigators had spent the past year taking a renewed look at the case, reviewing testimony, examining contradictory statements attributed to Smith and using modern digital and forensic tools to analyze additional evidence.
Detective Phil McMican said technology that did not exist when Parker disappeared helped investigators build the case. Authorities reviewed location information from phones and other electronic devices, along with statements Smith made during depositions connected to a civil lawsuit.
McMican said Smith offered differing responses when investigators repeatedly asked him “very specific questions” over the years.
The investigation produced several important clues soon after Parker vanished, but authorities never found her.
Her Hummer was discovered in a parking lot near the location where she disappeared. Weeks later, investigators found her cellphone beneath a bridge.
Parker and Smith had planned to marry, but repeated conflicts ended the engagement. Smith later sued Parker, claiming she had thrown his engagement ring from the ninth-floor balcony of a Georgia hotel during a convention. He said he ran downstairs to search for the ring but never recovered it.
The former couple later appeared on “The People’s Court,” where Judge Marilyn Milian ordered Parker to pay Smith $2,500. The episode aired on the same day Parker disappeared. During the televised dispute, Parker accused Smith of physical abuse and infidelity. She said she had attempted to preserve the relationship for the sake of their 3-year-old twins, but the couple ultimately could not reconcile.
Parker’s remains have never been found.
Smith was taken into custody Wednesday and is being held without bond at the Orange County Jail.
“In Orlando, we do not back down, and we do not give up,” Chief Smith said in a statement. “We will continue to pursue justice for every victim and hold those responsible accountable.”
Police did not provide further information, saying additional details are expected in a probable-cause arrest affidavit and during upcoming court proceedings.
