ORLANDO, Florida — A Florida man has been charged with murdering the mother of his children nearly 15 years ago after his ex-fiancée disappeared just hours after their pre-recorded appearance on “The People’s Court” aired, police said.
Orlando police announced Wednesday the arrest of Dale Smith Jr., 55, on charges of second-degree murder. The body of Michelle Parker, 33, has not been found, but all evidence points to Smith as the person responsible for her death, police said.
The body of Michelle Parker, 33, has not been found.
Orlando Police Department
Smith was scheduled to make his first court appearance Thursday afternoon. Online court records did not immediately list an attorney for him.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith, who is not related to Smith, said at Wednesday’s news conference that the case never stopped being a priority. Smith was the last person known to have seen or heard from Parker before she disappeared on Nov. 17, 2011, when she dropped their children off at his home, the chief said.
“Over the past year, we have expanded our investigative team in this case and taken a fresh, focused look at all of the evidence,” the police chief said. “We re-examined the testimony and conflicting statements made by the suspect and used advances in digital forensics to uncover and analyze additional evidence.”
Police have given few details about the evidence they have against Smith, but Detective Phillip McMican confirmed police have collected new evidence over the past year, as well as new information on old evidence thanks to advances in technology.
“Vehicles, electronics, phones, computers – we are able to interpret this evidence better today than in 2011,” McMican said.
Police continue to search for Parker’s body. Her vehicle was found abandoned a day after she went missing, and her cell phone was later recovered from a lake in the Orlando area.
Investigators have not publicly revealed a motive for Parker’s killing.
On the day of Parker’s disappearance, an episode of “The People’s Court” featuring her and Smith aired. Smith had sued Parker, claiming a $5,000 engagement ring he bought her was lost when she threw it at him during an argument. Judge Marilyn Milian ultimately ruled that both parties were responsible for the loss of the ring and ordered Parker to pay Smith $2,500 for half of that amount.
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