A North Carolina woman, who vanished over two decades ago, has been discovered alive and has informed authorities that she left due to “ongoing domestic issues.”

The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office announced that Michele Hundley Smith, missing since December 2001, was found on February 20th in North Carolina following the receipt of new leads in her case.

“I want to clarify that there were no suspicions of foul play related to her departure,” Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page told People magazine. “Ms. Smith explained that her decision to leave was prompted by domestic issues at the time,” he continued, though she did not provide further details.

Michele Hundley Smith has been living a different life in North Carolina since her disappearance 24 years ago, as per information from the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office.

While Sheriff Page chose not to disclose specifics regarding the “domestic issues,” he mentioned that there were no documented domestic incidents at her home, according to the sheriff’s records.

Page did not give specifics about the “domestic issues” but noted that the sheriff’s office had no record of domestic incidents in the household, the outlet reported.

Smith was 38 years old when her husband reported that she had left their Eden home Dec. 9, 2001, to go Christmas shopping in Martinsville, Virginia, and never returned. Her vehicle was also never located. 

An extensive investigation followed, involving multiple agencies across North Carolina and Virginia, including the State Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“She was in good health,” Page said when they found the now 63-year-old woman.

Michele Hundely Smith disappeared after leaving her home in North Carolina to go Christmas shopping in Virginia in December 2001. (Bring Michele Hundely Smith Home/Facebook)

In a lengthy Facebook post Feb. 22, her daughter, Amanda Smith, wrote that the last 48 hours were a “whirlwind of emotions” for her family.

“You are free to think whatever, of course, just please don’t put them out there for my family to see. Please respect my family bc [because] we are hurting and going through a lot,” she wrote.

“My dad has been through so many accusations since all the way back then… Even before social media was big, where we liv[ing] in a small town, there were many ppl [people] acting as if they just knew he was involved… Well he wasn’t! Of course, I never thought he was… My father has been through so much and I want it made clear that while their marriage had issues (just as many marriages go through) that my mom did not leave simply bc of a bad marriage. Everyone is entitled their opinions but please remember that my father has been proven innocent.”

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

Despite years of investigative work, Smith’s whereabouts remained unknown until recently, when Sgt. A. Disher and Det. C. Worley made contact with Smith at an “undisclosed location within North Carolina alive and well,” after receiving a tip, according to the sheriff’s office.

“They went and found this young lady that [has] been missing for many years, 20-plus years. And we don’t see a lot of the missing person cases like that,” Page told People. “But now at least the family has closure, and they know she’s OK.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office for comment.

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