Katharina Buczek
Michelle Parker, a 33-year-old mother of three from Orlando, Florida, appeared on an episode of a reality TV show, The People’s Court, with her ex-fiancé, Dale Smith, on November 17, 2011. Then, she mysteriously vanished later that same day.
“Thirteen years ago, she was alive and well. She had hopes, dreams, and plans. In one flash of a moment, she was gone, and it’s unbelievable how that kind of thing can happen,” said Michelle’s stepmother, Gayle Parker.
That day, Michelle and Dale were featured on a recorded episode of the TV show, in which they argued about the loss of an engagement ring.
Hours later, Michelle was last seen dropping off her twins, who were 3 years old at the time, at Dale’s condo in Orlando.
She was driving her Hummer and reportedly intended to run some errands. Afterward, she was supposed to go to work as a bartender.
Yet, Michelle never showed up for her shift and has remained missing ever since. The following day, November 18, 2011, her Hummer was discovered abandoned in a parking lot. Three weeks later, her iPhone was also located in a nearby lake by divers.
It didn’t take long for investigators to hone in on Dale as their sole suspect. However, despite Dale reportedly still being considered a suspect in 2023, there have never been any arrests in connection with Michelle’s case.
Two years after Michelle vanished, authorities with the Orlando Police Department released red-light camera footage.
It showed a vehicle believed to be Michelle’s Hummer at 8:55 p.m. on the day she disappeared. The footage was captured less than one mile away from where her abandoned car was later located.
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