A decades-old disappearance has ended in relief and renewed questions after a North Carolina woman missing since 2001 was found alive. The case took a dramatic turn when Michele Hundley Smith told authorities she left home due to “ongoing domestic issues.”
The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Smith, who vanished in December 2001, was located Feb. 20 in North Carolina after detectives received new information. Sheriff Sam Page told People, “Let me just say there were no allegations of any foul play regarding her leaving.” He added, “But, according to Ms. Smith, she said she left … due to ongoing domestic issues at the time.” Page noted she “did not elaborate on that.”
Smith was 38 when her husband reported she left their Eden home Dec. 9, 2001, to go Christmas shopping in Martinsville, Virginia, and never returned. Her vehicle was never located. Authorities launched an extensive, multi-agency investigation involving the State Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
After more than two decades, Sgt. A. Disher and Det. C. Worley made contact with Smith at an undisclosed location. “She was in good health,” Page said. “But now at least the family has closure, and they know she’s OK.”
In a Facebook post, her daughter Amanda Smith described the discovery as a “whirlwind of emotions.” She defended her father, writing, “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.”
