Florida man charged with murder in ex-fiancée’s 2011 disappearance

A man has been arrested on a murder charge in connection with the disappearance of his ex-fiancée nearly 15 years ago, authorities in Orlando, Florida, announced Wednesday.

Michelle Parker, then 33, disappeared on Nov. 17, 2011, the same day that an episode of the reality court show “The People’s Court” aired that featured Parker and the suspect, Dale Smith Jr., in a contentious dispute over an engagement ring.

The Orlando Police Department reported Wednesday that Smith was taken into custody on a single count of second-degree murder.

Parker’s SUV was located abandoned one day after she went missing, but she has never been found. Parker and Smith have two children together.

Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said in a news conference following Wednesday’s arrest that Smith Jr. was “the last known person to see or hear from Michelle” on the day of her disappearance after she had dropped their children off at his home.

The police chief said that over the past year, his department expanded its investigation into the case and “took a fresh, focused look at all the evidence.”

“We reexamined testimony and conflicting statements made by the suspect and used advanced digital forensics to uncover and analyze additional evidence,” Smith told reporters.

Smith Jr. has been interviewed by investigators multiple times, Orlando police Det. Phillip McMican said Wednesday, and he had also taken part in several depositions related to the investigation as well.

“Very specific questions were asked of him numerous times over the years, where he gave different answers to those same questions,” McMican said of Smith Jr.

McMican said that advancements in forensic technology allowed investigators to “better interpret” evidence — including vehicles, electronic devices, phones and computers — than what was available to them 15 years ago.

McMican also disclosed that “new evidence has been found in the last year.”

The exact details of what specifically prompted the arrest were not provided, however.  

In a separate statement, police said that although Parker has not been located, “all evidence leads to Dale Smith Jr. as the person responsible for Michelle’s murder.”

According to CBS affiliate WKMG-TV, on the night she disappeared, Parker was captured on security video dropping her children off at Smith Jr.’s home. Her vehicle was found abandoned the following day in an Orlando parking lot, WKMG-TV reports, and her cellphone was located by divers in an area lake in December 2011. Smith Jr. had been a suspect in the case since around that time.