People’s Court Judge Marilyn Milian has spoken out following the arrest of Dale Smith Jr., who is accused of killing his former fiancée, Michelle Parker. Parker disappeared on the same day the couple’s pre-recorded appearance on the television courtroom show aired.
“We were devastated at the show,” Milian told Inside Edition after Smith’s Oct. 14 arrest. “Devastated. Because you sit there and you say to yourself, ‘Is there anything I could have done differently? Is there anything we could have anticipated? Is there anything he said, or she said that might have given a glimpse into what the future would hold?’”
Milian said she was relieved to learn about the latest development in the case. “I’m just so happy for her family that they may get some justice now,” she said.
Smith has entered a written plea of not guilty, according to court documents obtained by Oxygen. His attorney, Rajan Joshi, told Inside Edition that his “client has maintained his innocence.”
What Happened to Missing Mom Michelle Parker?
Parker was last seen on the afternoon of Nov. 17, 2011, when she dropped off her twins at her former fiancé’s home, Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said during a press conference.
The 33-year-old was reported missing after she failed to arrive for a bartending shift later that day in Sanford, Fla., Fox News reported.
Several days later, authorities found her abandoned Hummer near an apartment complex. A dive team also recovered Parker’s phone from a lake roughly four miles from Smith’s home.
Although Parker’s body has never been found, the police chief said investigators eventually gathered enough evidence to charge Smith with second-degree murder after taking another look at the case.
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“Over the past year, we expanded our investigative team looking into this case and took a fresh, focused look at all the evidence,” he said. “We re-examined testimony and conflicting statements made by the suspect, and used advanced and digital forensics to uncover and analyze additional evidence. This case never stopped being a priority.”
Why Did Michelle Parker and Dale Smith Jr. Appear on People’s Court?
Parker vanished the same day the segment she filmed with Smith aired on People’s Court. The former couple had appeared in the television courtroom to resolve a dispute involving Parker’s $5,000 engagement ring.
During the segment, Parker said she had thrown the ring over a balcony during a heated argument.
“He gets pretty malicious and vindictive,” she told Milian at the time. “He’s a mean person, especially when he’s been drinking.”
Smith brought the case against Parker after he was unable to retrieve the missing ring. Milian ultimately ruled that Parker had to pay Smith $2,500, representing half of the ring’s value.
Parker’s family members told Fox News that she had been embarrassed about appearing on the show and did not plan to watch the episode on the day she disappeared.
Smith had long been considered a suspect in Parker’s disappearance, but Orlando police did not arrest him until years later.
Smith is being held at the Orange County jail, according to jail records reviewed by Oxygen.
