Overview
- Orlando police arrested Dale Smith Jr. on Oct. 14, 2026, at his workplace and booked him into the Orange County jail on a single count of second‑degree murder in the nearly 15‑year cold case.
- Investigators say a yearlong push expanded the team, reexamined testimony and used modern digital forensics to uncover additional evidence that moved the case toward charges.
- Michelle Parker disappeared on Nov. 17, 2011, after dropping her twins at Smith’s home; her Hummer was found the next day and her cellphone was recovered from a lake, but her body has never been located.
- Smith was the last known person to see or hear from Parker on the day she vanished, was long identified as the primary suspect, and has given differing statements to investigators over multiple interviews and depositions.
- Prosecutors said the second‑degree charge could be upgraded if further evidence supports it; police are withholding investigative specifics to protect the case while Parker’s family and children await further developments.