A mom vanished after she and her ex-fiancé were on ‘The People’s Court.’ Now he’s accused of murder.
Dale Smith Jr. has been arrested for the 2011 murder of his ex-fiancée, Michelle Parker, nearly 15 years after she disappeared. The arrest follows a renewed investigation and the use of advanced digital forensics.
Why it matters
The case demonstrates how advancements in forensic technology can lead to breakthroughs in cold cases that have remained unsolved for over a decade.
An Orlando man has been arrested in the disappearance of his ex-fiancée, who vanished in 2011 hours after the pair appeared in a pretaped episode of “The People’s Court,” police said. Dale Smith Jr., 55, was arrested Wednesday at his business on a charge of second-degree murder, police said. Michelle Parker’s body has not been found, but police said “all evidence leads to Dale Smith Jr. as the person responsible for Michelle’s murder.” Smith was booked into jail in Orange County. It’s not immediately clear whether he has retained an attorney. The arrest comes nearly 15 years after Parker, a mother of three, disappeared. She was last seen on Nov. 17, 2011, dropping off her twins with their father, Smith. He was the last person to see her, Orlando Police Chief Eric D. Smith said Wednesday.
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