A North Carolina mother who disappeared in 2001 has been found alive, according to officials.
The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office announced in a statement, Michelle Hendry Smith somewhere in North Carolina, adding that at her request, the woman’s “current whereabouts will not be disclosed.”
Police said the woman was not in any danger and was in good condition, adding that her loved ones had been “notified that she had been located and informed of the request”.
Smith, 62, was last seen leaving his Eden home on December 9, 2001. She reportedly told her husband she was going shopping at a Kmart in Martinsville, Virginia, but never returned.
The Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that a formal missing persons report was filed for the mother, who was 38 at the time, and an “extensive investigation immediately began.”
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“Over the years, this case has attracted the attention and cooperation of multiple agencies in North Carolina and Virginia, including the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),” the press statement reads. “Despite countless hours of investigative work and the pursuit of numerous leads, Michelle Hundley Smith remains missing.”
The Sheriff’s Office never gave up on the search, which concluded on Friday, February 20th.
The statement explained that the Sheriff’s Office’s Criminal Investigation Division “received new information regarding Michelle Hendry Smith and her disappearance” and “detectives immediately followed up on the tip and began further investigative efforts.”
Two detectives spoke with her and confirmed her identity. She does not appear to be facing any criminal charges.
“The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office expresses its sincere gratitude to the many agencies and investigators who dedicated their time, resources and determination to this case over the years,” the police statement added.
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“Their persistence and commitment, which ultimately led to the location of Michelle Hundley Smith, is a testament to the dedication of the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office and Criminal Investigations Division, as well as the many other law enforcement agencies that have assisted over the years,” the statement concluded.
A Facebook page about Smith’s case, run by her daughter, Amanda Smiththanked “everyone for your support” but said they “will not be discussing personal details at this time.”
“All I’m saying is that my mother chose her new life and we know she’s alive and that’s enough for now. I can’t really think about making a heartfelt post right now but again,” Amanda wrote, adding that she plans to rename the Facebook page now that her mother has been found. Instead, Amanda will focus on other unsolved missing persons cases.
“He believed she left him and us that night,” Amanda told NBC News in 2020 about her father’s theory about her mother’s disappearance. “I think it’s possible. It’s hard to rule out the possibility that she just left all of us and started a new life. But there’s also something that bothers me that something happened to her on the way home.”