There are new details surrounding the North Carolina mother found ‘alive and well’ after she went missing 24 years ago while Christmas shopping.
WASHINGTON — New details have been released about a mother from North Carolina who was recently found “alive and well” 24 years after she disappeared while Christmas shopping.
The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Friday that Michelle Hundley Smith, who disappeared in December 2001 after leaving her Eden home to go Christmas shopping, has been found alive in North Carolina. Deputies said she is safe, but at her request, her location will not be released.
Sheriff Sam Page said detectives found Smith face-to-face, and she told authorities she had left due to an ongoing domestic dispute but would not provide further details.
The case will be referred to the district attorney’s office to determine whether any charges, including possible abandonment, should be filed, though no action has been taken so far.
Page said there are no allegations of foul play. Her location remains undisclosed, though her family knows she is alive. He added that he does not believe she has made any contact with her family.
Page told PEOPLE his office has no records related to domestic issues prior to her disappearance in 2001. She left behind her three children and husband.
Despite decades of investigation involving multiple agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and North Carolina SBI, Smith’s whereabouts remained unknown until this month.
Officials said on Feb. 19 they received a new lead in the case. On Friday, detectives made contact with Smith at an undisclosed location in North Carolina and informed her family that she had been located.
The sheriff’s office credited the persistence and collaboration of law enforcement agencies over more than two decades for the resolution of the case.
Smith’s daughter, Amanda Smith, issued a statement Monday afternoon to WFMY News 2.
“The events of this past weekend have certainly been emotionally draining and surprising to say the least,” Amanda Smith said. “I’m happy to know that my mother is alive and well.”
She also asked the public to respect the family’s privacy and said she plans to share more after she has had time to process her emotions. She said, “I know everyone has an opinion, but saying disparaging remarks isn’t going to change the situation.”
WFMY’s Taylor Ford and Lauren Tear contributed to this report.
