#DC-0212
Michelle Parker
Charged · allegations
last updated 19 October 2026 · 2 sources
Confirmed facts
10
Open questions
5
Missing since
17 Nov 2011
Charge
2nd-degree murder
Remains found
No
This case is still developing. Get an email when the file updates.
Timeline of what's confirmed10 entries
2011
Parker and Dale Smith Jr. had two children together.
CBS News
17 November 2011
Michelle Parker, then 33, disappeared in Orlando, Florida.
CBS News
17 November 2011
CBS News reported that Parker disappeared the same day a pretaped episode of "The People's Court" aired featuring Parker and Dale Smith Jr. in a dispute over an engagement ring.
CBS News
17 November 2011
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said Dale Smith Jr. was the last known person to see or hear from Parker after she dropped their children off at his home.
CBS News
18 November 2011
Parker's SUV was found abandoned one day after she went missing.
CBS News
14 October 2026
Orlando police announced that Dale Smith Jr., 55, had been arrested on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with Parker's disappearance.
AP
14 October 2026
Orlando police said Parker's body had not been recovered.
AP
14 October 2026
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said the case had remained a priority and that police took a fresh look at evidence over the past year.
AP
14 October 2026
Detective Phillip McMican said police had collected new evidence in the past year and had new insights into older evidence through technological advancements.
AP
15 October 2026
A judge ordered Dale Smith Jr. held without bond pending a detention hearing, and defense attorney Rajan Joshi said he did not believe the state could meet its burden of proof based on the criminal complaint.
AP
Open questionsunconfirmed · not conclusions
Where are Michelle Parker's remains?unconfirmed; AP reported police are still searching · unconfirmed
What specific new evidence prompted the 2026 arrest?unconfirmed; AP and CBS News reported police gave few details · unconfirmed
When will the detention hearing occur?unconfirmed; AP reported it was not immediately scheduled · unconfirmed
What motive, if any, will prosecutors allege?unconfirmed; AP reported investigators had not publicly stated a motive · unconfirmed
How will the defense challenge the charge in court?unconfirmed; AP reported defense counsel disputed the prosecution's case · unconfirmed
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