Ex-fiancé arrested for murder in Michelle Parker disappearance, 15 years on

Orlando police have arrested Dale Smith Jr. in connection with the 2011 disappearance of Michelle Parker. Digital forensics advances helped crack the cold case.

Orlando cold case: ex-fiancé charged over Michelle Parker's presumed death

The Orlando Police Department has arrested Dale Smith Jr., the ex-fiancé of Michelle Parker, on suspicion of second-degree murder in connection with her disappearance nearly 15 years ago, fox35orlando.com reports.

Parker, then 33 and a mother of three, was last seen on 17 November 2011, after dropping her children off at Smith Jr.'s home. She was reported missing the following day after failing to show up for her shift at a bar in Sanford. Her black Hummer was found abandoned near Walden Circle on 18 November 2011, and her iPhone was later recovered from a lake south of Orlando, close to a bridge.

Smith Jr. was taken into custody early Wednesday morning. He had long been considered a suspect in Parker's disappearance but had not previously been arrested or charged. He had denied any involvement.

Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said a renewed push, combined with advances in digital forensics, led to the arrest. "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," the chief said. "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 analyse additional evidence."

Chief Smith added that the case had remained a priority throughout: "This case never stopped being a priority. Our detectives kept working. They kept asking questions. They kept examining the evidence."

One of the lead detectives, speaking at the same press conference, said new evidence had been gathered within the past year. He noted that older evidence and data had been reanalysed using updated technology, including improved location data and records of communications between devices used in 2011. "We were able to better interpret that data today," he said.

Parker's disappearance attracted widespread attention at the time, partly because it occurred hours after she and Smith Jr. had featured in a broadcast episode of The People's Court — taped months earlier — involving a dispute over a $5,000 ring.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)