Dale Smith Jr. has been formally charged with second-degree murder in connection with Michelle Parker’s 2011 disappearance. Prosecutors filed the charge in Orange County Circuit Court on November 3, after Smith was arrested in Orlando on October 14. He pleaded not guilty the following day and remains in custody at the Orange County Jail, according to court filings described by Us Weekly.
Parker, 33, was a mother of three, including twins she shared with Smith. On November 17, 2011, she dropped the twins at Smith’s condo and planned to run errands before her bartending shift. She never arrived at work, and her sister reported her missing to Orlando police that day. Parker’s body has never been found.
A pretaped episode of The People’s Court featuring Parker and Smith aired on the day she disappeared. The former couple appeared in a dispute over an engagement ring Smith said Parker had thrown from a balcony. During the show, Parker accused him of infidelity and described him as malicious and vindictive.
Parker’s Hummer was found abandoned at an Orlando mall the next day. Weeks later, her iPhone was recovered underwater near the Nela Bridge in Belle Isle. Smith was named as a suspect early in the investigation. In a police interview on November 18, he said he did not know where Parker was after she dropped off the twins and denied involvement in her disappearance.
An affidavit unsealed in October outlines evidence investigators say helped advance the case. According to the filing, Smith told police Parker had been at his home for about 10 minutes, while a later analysis of cellphone location data indicated she was there for more than an hour. Investigators also believe someone sent a text from Parker’s phone to her brother saying she was at a shopping center, although the phone was more than 10 miles away at the time.
The affidavit describes allegations of abuse and includes a friend’s account that Parker was worried about seeing Smith on the day the television episode aired. It also says investigators suspect Smith strangled Parker and believe scratches and abrasions on him may have been caused as she fought back. Smith had allowed police to photograph the marks during the 2011 investigation.
Orlando police said the arrest followed years of investigative work and a renewed effort over the preceding year. The department said investigators reexamined evidence and used advances in digital forensics to analyze additional material. Police said the evidence points to Smith as responsible for Parker’s murder.
Smith’s attorney, Rajan Joshi, has said his client maintains his innocence and that the defense intends to review the evidence and question witnesses. In a motion filed November 3, Smith’s defense sought a specialized bond hearing and argued that he is entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence. The motion also disputed that prosecutors can connect him to Parker’s murder and requested his release on monetary bond.
Parker’s mother, Yvonne Stewart, said after the arrest that she wanted Smith to tell the family where Parker is. Her remains have not been located.
Sources: Us Weekly.