A North Carolina woman who vanished 24 years ago has been found alive and well, but has requested that her location not be disclosed to her family. Michele Hundley Smith, 62, disappeared from her home in Eden, North Carolina, on 9 December 2001, leaving behind her husband and daughter.
The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office announced on Friday that it had located Smith after receiving new information. Sheriff Sam Page said Smith left her family due to alleged 'ongoing domestic issues', though no records of such issues existed before her disappearance. The case has been referred to prosecutors to consider possible charges, including abandonment.
Smith's daughter, Amanda Smith, who was 14 at the time of her mother's disappearance, expressed mixed emotions in a statement on the Facebook page 'Bring Michele Hundley Smith Home'. She said she was 'ecstatic, pissed, and heartbroken' to learn her mother was safe but wanted no contact. Amanda also defended her father against suspicions he was involved in the disappearance, stating that while her parents had marital issues, her mother did not leave solely because of a bad marriage.
Amanda acknowledged the complexity of her feelings, saying she could understand someone leaving under certain circumstances but stressed that her mother still needed to take responsibility. The sheriff's office confirmed that Smith is alive and well at an undisclosed location in North Carolina, and her family has been notified of her request for privacy.
