A North Carolina mother who was reported missing more than two decades ago and was recently found alive has reportedly told authorities that she left her family because of “ongoing family issues.”
this Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office Michele Hundley Smith, who disappeared in December 2001, was found in North Carolina on February 20 after detectives received new information about her case.
“I just want to say there are no allegations regarding her leaving,” Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page told PEOPLE. “But, according to Ms. Smith, she said she left … because of ongoing domestic issues at the time.”
He added that she “did not elaborate on this”.
Mum who disappeared 24 years ago is found alive
Michele Hundley Smith, who disappeared 24 years ago, has been found living a new life in North Carolina, according to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office.
(Fox News)
Page did not elaborate on the “domestic issue,” but noted that the Sheriff’s Office had no records of domestic incidents at the home, the outlet reported.
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When Smith was 38, her husband reported that she left their Eden home on Dec. 9, 2001, to go Christmas shopping in Martinsville, Virginia, and never returned. Her vehicle was also never found.
An extensive investigation ensued, involving multiple agencies in North Carolina and Virginia, including the State Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI.
When they found the now 63-year-old woman, Page said, “She was in good health.”
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Michele Hundely Smith disappeared in December 2001 after leaving her home in North Carolina to go Christmas shopping in Virginia.
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Her daughter, Amanda Smith, wrote in a lengthy Facebook post on February 22 that the past 48 hours had been a “whirlwind of emotions” for her family.
“Of course you are free to think, just please don’t put them out there for my family to see. Please respect my family [because] We are hurting and going through a lot,” she wrote.
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“My dad has had a lot of accusations against him since then… Even before social media took off, where we live[ing] In a small town, there are many people [people] Acting like they just knew he was involved…but he didn’t! Of course I never thought about him…my dad had been through so much and I expected their marriage to have problems (like many marriages do), but my mom didn’t leave because it was a bad marriage. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but please remember, my father has been proven innocent. “
When Michele Hundley Smith disappeared in December 2001, a missing persons flyer was widely circulated.
Despite years of investigative efforts, Smith’s whereabouts remained unknown until recently, Sgt. A. Discher and Det. After receiving a tip, Worley made contact with Smith “at an undisclosed location in North Carolina,” where Smith was still alive, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
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“They went to this young lady; [has] Missing for many years, more than twenty years. We don’t see a lot of missing persons cases like this,” Page told People. “But now at least the family has closure and they know she’s OK. “
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita and Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
Original source of the article: Missing North Carolina mother found alive 24 years later, reveals why she left
