She Vanished After Appearing On A Reality TV Show With Her Ex-Fiancé
Michelle Parker, a 33-year-old mother of three from Orlando, Florida, appeared on an episode of a reality TV show, The People’s Court, with her ex-fiancé, Dale Smith, on November 17, 2011. Then, she mysteriously vanished later that same day.
“Thirteen years ago, she was alive and well. She had hopes, dreams, and plans. In one flash of a moment, she was gone, and it’s unbelievable how that kind of thing can happen,” said Michelle’s stepmother, Gayle Parker.
That day, Michelle and Dale were featured on a recorded episode of the TV show, in which they argued about the loss of an engagement ring.
Hours later, Michelle was last seen dropping off her twins, who were 3 years old at the time, at Dale’s condo in Orlando.
She was driving her Hummer and reportedly intended to run some errands. Afterward, she was supposed to go to work as a bartender.
Yet, Michelle never showed up for her shift and has remained missing ever since. The following day, November 18, 2011, her Hummer was discovered abandoned in a parking lot. Three weeks later, her iPhone was also located in a nearby lake by divers.
It didn’t take long for investigators to hone in on Dale as their sole suspect. However, despite Dale reportedly still being considered a suspect in 2023, there have never been any arrests in connection with Michelle’s case.
Two years after Michelle vanished, authorities with the Orlando Police Department released red-light camera footage.
It showed a vehicle believed to be Michelle’s Hummer at 8:55 p.m. on the day she disappeared. The footage was captured less than one mile away from where her abandoned car was later located.
Facebook – pictured above is Michelle
“This is an important part of a timeline that we’ve had,” said Michael Moreschi, an Orlando Police Department investigator, who also claimed to believe Michelle’s disappearance was “a two-person crime.”
However, in 2019, Dale’s former attorney, Mark NeJame, maintained that Dale played no role in Michelle going missing. Rather, he called it “odd” that she vanished on the same day as The People’s Court episode.
“Those are the serendipitous things that happen in life. So it was wholly appropriate that law enforcement would’ve, should’ve, fully, completely investigated him from top to bottom. But they came up with nothing,” NeJame stated.
This proved true again in August 2023 when authorities visited Dale’s father’s property in Orange County and searched the backyard. Again, no evidence was found.
More recently, Michelle’s stepmother, Gayle, detailed how Michelle’s case has been taken over by Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith. Gayle has worked with several investigators since Michelle vanished and continues searching for answers.
“It’s the best we can do; there’s no guarantee. It’s just amazing someone can just make a person disappear and get away from it,” she said.
“I do what I can to find her, and I will follow through with that.”
A Facebook page entitled “Michelle Parker Missing Person” was also created to raise awareness about her case. On November 17, the 13-year anniversary of her disappearance, a post featuring a happy, smiling photo of Michelle was shared.
“Today marks 13 years since we’ve seen this beautiful smile. This photo is a favorite of our families because, in one moment, everything she was is captured. We miss her and love her every second of every day,” the post reads.
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