Dale Smith Jr, the ex-fiancé of Michelle Parker, was arrested by the Orlando Police Department on October 13. The arrest came after the mom of three went missing in 2011.
Smith Jr was arrested for Parker's murder, cops announced.
"Today, the Orlando Police Department’s Fugitive Unit and SWAT Team arrested Dale Smith Jr., Michelle Parker’s former fiancé, on a charge of second-degree murder.
This arrest follows years of investigative work and a renewed, focused effort over the past year. An expanded investigative team reexamined evidence and used advances in digital forensics to uncover and analyze additional evidence that moved this case forward.
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While Michelle has not yet been located, all evidence leads to Dale Smith Jr as the person responsible for Michelle’s murder," the statement read.
Who is Dale Smith Jr?
Dale Smith Jr was reportedly long considered a suspect in Parker's disappearance, though he had not been formally arrested or charged till now. As per the cops, Smith Jr was the last person to see or hear from Parker on November 17, 2011, when she dropped their kids off at his place.
{{/usCountry}}Dale Smith Jr was reportedly long considered a suspect in Parker's disappearance, though he had not been formally arrested or charged till now. As per the cops, Smith Jr was the last person to see or hear from Parker on November 17, 2011, when she dropped their kids off at his place.
{{/usCountry}}He had declined being involved in her disappearance at the time.
The two had appeared on an episode of The People's Court, which was regarding a dispute over a $5,000 ring. Parker went missing hours after the episode aired, though it was taped months prior to the disappearance.
The next day, her black Hummer was found abandoned in the area of Walden Circle. Parker's iPhone was also found later in a lake south of Orlando, close to a bridge.
What cops said about Dale Smith Jr?
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said “Smith was the last known person to see or hear from Michelle on Nov. 17, 2011, after she dropped their children off at his home. Over the past year, we've expanded our investigative team looking into this case and took a fresh-focused look at all of the evidence. We re-examined testimony and conflicting statements made by the suspect and used advances in digital forensics to uncover and analyze additional evidence. This case never stopped being a priority. Our detectives kept working. They kept asking questions. They kept examining the evidence.”
As per one of the lead detectives, they were able to interpret the data better in present times, including location data and communication between devices used in 2011.
Parker had been reported missing after failing to show up to work at a bar in Sanford.