A woman from North Carolina who vanished over 20 years ago has been found alive, concluding an exhaustive 24-year search, officials have announced.

Michelle Hundely Smith, who disappeared in December 2001, was located on February 20 in North Carolina by the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office following fresh leads in her case.

At the time of her disappearance, Smith was 38 years old. Her husband had reported her missing after she left their Eden residence on December 9, 2001, intending to do some Christmas shopping in Martinsville, Virginia, but she never returned. Her car was also never recovered.

The case drew considerable attention and prompted a large-scale investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies from North Carolina and Virginia, including the State Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Despite the extensive efforts, Smith’s location remained a mystery until last week. It was then that Sgt. A. Disher and Detective C. Worley, acting on a tip, found her “alive and well” at an undisclosed location in North Carolina.

The finding marks a significant breakthrough in a case that had long perplexed authorities and the community, offering a rare resolution to a decades-old mystery.

At her request, officials said her current location will not be disclosed. Her family has been notified that she has been located and informed of her wishes. 

The motive for her disappearance remains unknown. 

“The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office extends its sincere gratitude to the many agencies and investigators who dedicated substantial time, resources, and unwavering determination to this case over the years,” the agency wrote on Facebook.

A missing persons flyer circulated at the time of Michelle Hundely Smith’s disappearance in December 2001. (Bring Michelle Hundely Smith Home/Facebook)

“Their persistence and commitment ultimately led to the locating of Michelle Hundely Smith and is a testament to the dedication of the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Criminal Investigations Division, and the many other Law Enforcement agencies that have assisted throughout the years.”

For years, Smith’s cousin Barbara Byrd searched for answers about her whereabouts, with her family even turning to true crime podcasts and television shows to keep her name in the news. 

“I kind of want to go outside and scream, ‘she’s alive, she’s alive,’” Byrd told WFMY. 

“For years, we didn’t know if we were grieving or waiting,” she added.

However, the reality that Smith has been alive and well for 24 years has reportedly left Byrd with conflicting feelings about how to proceed.

“My biggest question is to her… what happened all those years ago in December? What made you leave? What happened?” Byrd said.

Michelle Hundely Smith was found living a new life in North Carolina after disappearing 24 years ago, according to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office. (Bring Michelle Hundely Smith Home/Facebook)

While Byrd is relieved that her cousin was found, the reality that Smith does not want her location shared is adding a new layer of confusion within the family, though she insists she is choosing to be grateful.

“I understand and respect that she doesn’t want any of us to contact her,” Byrd told WFMY. “I’m not angry.”

“The biggest answer I had today was [that] she was alive. Nothing else matters right at this moment,” she said.

Smith’s daughter Amanda told the outlet she had only been recently informed of the development regarding her mother’s whereabouts and is still processing the news.

“As far as my opinions and feelings on my mom, I am ecstatic, I am p—-ed, I am heartbroken, I am all over the map! Will I have a relationship once more with my mom?” Smith’s daughter said in the statement posted to a Facebook account used to help find her missing mother.

“Honestly, I can’t answer that because I don’t even know. My initial reaction would be yes, absolutely, but then I think of all the hurt,” she added. “But even then, my mom is only human, just as we all are.”

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