Orlando police arrested Dale Smith Jr., the ex-fiancé of Michelle Parker, on a charge of second-degree murder on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2026, nearly 15 years after Parker vanished the same day the two appeared together on a pre-taped episode of “The People’s Court,” according to NBC News. Parker’s body has not been found.
Smith Jr., 55, was taken into custody at his business, NBC News reported. Orlando Police Chief Eric D. Smith told reporters that investigators believe Smith Jr. was the last person to see Parker alive.
The Latest Development In The Michelle Parker Disappearance Arrest
“All evidence leads to Dale Smith Jr. as the person responsible for Michelle’s murder,” Chief Smith said, according to NBC News. Police said they re-examined the case over the past year, using advances in digital forensics to uncover additional evidence, according to NBC News.
Detective Phillip McMican said the renewed digital review turned up more detailed location data and communications between devices used back in 2011. He also said investigators found inconsistencies in Smith Jr.’s own statements over the years.
“The suspect was interviewed more than once, and since then has taken part in depositions related to this case,” McMican said, according to NBC News. “And very specific questions were asked of him numerous times over the years where he gave different answers to those same questions.”
CBS News reported that police expanded the investigation over the past year and took a fresh, focused look at all of the existing evidence, which turned up new material in the case.
Case Background
Parker was 33 and a mother of three when she disappeared on Nov. 17, 2011, according to CBS News. That evening, she dropped her children off at Smith Jr.’s home, an exchange captured on security video. She was last seen that day.
Hours earlier, Parker and Smith Jr. had appeared together on a pre-taped episode of “The People’s Court” that aired the same afternoon, according to NBC News. The episode centered on a dispute between the former couple over a $5,000 engagement ring.
Parker’s vehicle was found abandoned in an Orlando parking lot the day after she went missing, CBS News reported. Her cellphone was recovered by divers from a nearby lake the following month, in December 2011.
Smith Jr. had been considered a suspect in the case since around the time Parker disappeared, according to CBS News. Parker’s eldest child is now 26, and her twins, who were dropped off with Smith Jr. that night, are now 18.
What Officials And Family Have Said
Parker’s mother, identified by her last name Stewart, reacted to news of the arrest. “It’s like the happiest day because she deserves this,” Stewart said. “I just knew that one day everything dark would come into the light.”
Jennifer Bryant-Antilla, who attended the Aveda Institute of Orlando with Parker, also responded to the arrest. “I cried a lot today and I am beyond happy to see him in hand cuffs!” Bryant-Antilla said. “I knew the day she went missing that it was his fault.”
Dale Smith Jr. is charged with second-degree murder, a charge that under the law remains an allegation until proven in court. No statement from Smith Jr. or his legal representation was included in the reporting on his arrest.
What’s Next
Smith Jr. faces a second-degree murder charge following his arrest on Wednesday. No court date or additional proceedings were detailed in the reporting on the arrest. Police have not released further specifics on the new digital evidence that led to the charge.
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