NC - Mom of 3 who vanished 24 years ago while Christmas shopping found ‘alive and well’.

[sds71]

“On February 20 (detectives) made contact with Michelle Hundely Smith at an undisclosed location within North Carolina – alive and well,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
“At her request, her current whereabouts will remain undisclosed. Her family has been notified that she has been located and informed of this request as well.” One of Smith’s children issued a statement Feb. 21, via a Facebook page created in 2018 to collect tips in the case. “There is too much going on to deal with everything,” the statement said. “The personal details are not going to be dived into right now, but I will say that my mother chose her new life, and we know she is alive, and for now that is enough. I can’t really think straight right now.”
A motive for 62-year-old Smith’s decision to vanish was not released. The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office says it never gave up searching for Smith, who was officially reported missing on New Year’s Eve of 2001 – nearly two weeks after she was last seen. She was 38 at the time, and living with her family at a rural home in Eden, N.C., about a 105-mile drive northwest from downtown Raleigh. “According to her husband, Michelle had left home to travel to K-Mart in Martinsville, Virginia, for Christmas shopping and never returned,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Over the years, the case drew the attention and collaboration of multiple agencies across North Carolina and Virginia, including the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Despite countless hours of investigative work and the pursuit of numerous leads, Michelle Hundely Smith’s whereabouts remained unknown.” The tip that resulted in her being found was received on Feb. 19, officials said. The source has not been revealed.

Read more at: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article314794103.html#storylink=cpy

https://people.com/mom-who-vanished-without-a-trace-24-years-ago-found-alive-leaving-family-with-unanswered-questions-11911606

 

[airportwoman]

I think there's another thread on here already about this. If there is, I'll see if they can be whooshed.

ETA: Maybe it was another website I was looking at. Is anyone else reminded of the story of Audrey, the teen mom who vanished from Wisconsin ca. 1960 and turned up a year or two ago, in Kentucky? She was being abused, yes, but she also just wanted to leave her old life behind, and did.

 

[musicaljoke]

She never though it important to notify the police or her family that she was safe and alive? Surely this years-long search would have cost a huge amount of time, money and mental energy.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

There isn't a thread here for Michele but I thought it worth noting that she turned up alive and well but not wanting to hear from her family.

Mom who went missing without a trace 24 years ago is found alive living double life in North Carolina​

A mother of three who went missing 24 years ago has finally been found after living a double life in North Carolina as her family wrestles with the gut-wrenching news.

Michele Hundley Smith vanished in December of 2001 at 38 years old after she left her home in Eden to go Christmas shopping, leaving behind her three children, aged 19, 14 and seven.

But after more than two decades of searching, Smith was found 'alive and well' on Friday by the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office, a release announced.

Mom who went missing 24 years ago is found ALIVE living double life

A missing mother of three was found after 24 years 'alive and well' living a double life in North Carolina.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Something must have been very wrong in her life for her to abandon three children just before Christmas. It's also interesting that she managed to disappear so completely for 24 years without leaving the state where she had been living at the time.

 

[SilentHill]

There was another thread about this that I was looking at yesterday but I'm unable to find it now. There's also this thread here

I'm wondering if the original thread was removed because she has been located but doesn't want to hear from family, I'm not sure what the rules on WS are regarding this. I've had a look but couldn't see anything?

 

[Rikissa]

She never though it important to notify the police or her family that she was safe and alive? Surely this years-long search would have cost a huge amount of time, money and mental energy.

Maybe because she realised what was going to happen when she was found alive. Even if the police didn't informwhere she was, the tabloid press begun their hunt of her, and reveal who, and where, she was, regardless that they were about to destroy the new life she had managed to get. People would judge her in a negative light, without bothering to question why she had left the way she did.

I'm glad that she has been found alive, and I don't judge her for her actions, as I have no knowledge whatled to her going missing. I hope she is strong, and have people who support her now during the media chase.

 

[Sarahlou]

Wow. What a shock that would be to find out she's alive.
I don't know how anyone can just walk out and leave their children like that. Letting them forever worry about what awful thing could have happened to you.
I'd like to know more about how she managed to not be found all this time.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

It is understandably a very emotional time for her family, as her daughter Amanda said she was 'ecstatic', 'p**sed' and 'heartbroken' all at once as she wondered whether she would have a relationship with her mother again.

Husband's theory as wife Michele Hundley Smith found living new life after disappearing 24 years ago

Michele Hundley Smith disappeared in 2001, her husband had a theory about her disappearance

www.ladbible.com

 

[sunspun]

I wonder if the husband was accused or if he'd been treated like he had anything to do with her disappearance. It might easily have ended up in a major miscarriage of justice for him, just because the husband seems to always be suspected, but especially when it's a troubled marriage, which I feel like there must have been here, or she wouldn't have left like that.

I guess they may have had no marital problems that he knew of though. Maybe she was having an affair and left for the other man, and couldn't bear to tell her family.

Seems so cruel though imo. If the husband had been charged with a crime over this, would she have come forward then??

I do wonder how tough it was for her to not contact the family over all this time. Even just by sending a note with no return address. That's staying very very committed to the plan.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Speaking to local broadcaster WFMYNews2, her cousin Barbara Byrd revealed: "I kind of want to go outside and scream 'she's alive, she's alive'. For years, we didn't know if we were grieving or waiting... My biggest question is to her 'What happened all those years ago in December? What made you leave? What happened?

In a public statement, the Sheriff's Office confirmed Smith had requested her whereabouts remain confidential. Ms Byrd continued: "I understand and respect that she doesn't want any of us to contact her. I'm not angry. The biggest answer I had today was she was alive. Nothing else matters right at this moment."

Missing mum who vanished 24 years ago found alive and leading secret double life

Michele Hundley Smith disappeared without a trace 24 years ago after telling her family and children that she was going out to do the Christmas shopping - but she was really leading a secret life

www.dailystar.co.uk

 

[tlcya]

selfish. Only word I've got for this one. She let her children think she may be dead, she let her own family members think that.

 

[lisette]

It is understandably a very emotional time for her family, as her daughter Amanda said she was 'ecstatic', 'p**sed' and 'heartbroken' all at once as she wondered whether she would have a relationship with her mother again.

Husband's theory as wife Michele Hundley Smith found living new life after disappearing 24 years ago

Michele Hundley Smith disappeared in 2001, her husband had a theory about her disappearance

www.ladbible.com

Poor children… It breaks my heart to read about Amanda‘s interview with Dateline in 2020. She tells about how horrible that Christmas was and how everything changed in her life. I wonder if Michelle’s mother is still living? Amanda tells us about living with her for several years, and hearing her crying at night. I assume it was Michelle‘s mother… She just says grandma so… I would be so hurt. JMO.: She met and.” fell in love.” with someone else. From personal experience with family members, they are often so enthralled, that they are willing to give up everything else.

 

[tricia]

Hey everyone
I understand the anger, but let's not turn this thread into a hateful bashing thread, OK?
Maybe more will come out in the future which is why I am leaving this open.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

Maybe because she realised what was going to happen when she was found alive. Even if the police didn't informwhere she was, the tabloid press begun their hunt of her, and reveal who, and where, she was, regardless that they were about to destroy the new life she had managed to get. People would judge her in a negative light, without bothering to question why she had left the way she did.

I'm glad that she has been found alive, and I don't judge her for her actions, as I have no knowledge whatled to her going missing. I hope she is strong, and have people who support her now during the media chase.

If there weren't children involved, I might agree. But there's just no reason I can think of to traumatize three kids.

MOO.

 

[rob525]

Every time that law enforcement refuses to take a missing person's report or follow up on a family's concerns because the person is an adult etc. This is why. How many missing could have been recovered if not for delays in starting a search? There is just no way that I can't feel anger toward MHS. There are ways that could have let the family know she was alive. Without wasting all of the resources both professional and volunteer over the years.

Another thing. 24 for years of providing zero support for her children. I hope the state comes after her for retroactive child support.

 

[WrappedInSky]

My opinion won't be popular.

I don't know why Michelle left her old life behind. But she had every right to do so, and to find her own peace. She was able to do so for 24 years. That says something.

It's easy to use terms like "selfish" when others don't act as most people would. The truth is that most people have no idea what drives others in desperate or life changing moments. She committed no crime. Leave her alone.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

"...she said she left... due to ongoing domestic issues at the time."
She "did not elaborate on that," the [Rockingham County Sheriff] added.

https://people.com/missing-mom-found-after-24-years-said-she-left-due-to-domestic-issues-11912535

My speculation is that she felt completely trapped by whatever those issues were and by leaving, took herself out of the situation. It's possible it was a very bad situation for her and the children weren't aware of the details.

I wonder which other options she thought she had and why she chose what she chose.

That said, she probably should write up everything she can remember and get an attorney, because she is going to be judged for leaving her children behind. More than a man would be judged. JMO.

 

[Jayevee]

All of this is MOO and just thoughts I'm having...

1) If there were "domestic issues" why would you leave your children in that setting? (obvi not knowing what they were specifically, but still, as a mom I can't imagine just leaving my kids, especially under a potentially bad domestic situation)

2) There's no way she was unaware of all the resources and search efforts put out for her...why not just reach out to LE at the time and say the same thing she just did when they found her? "I am alive and well but I don't want to be contacted", simple as that. And if there WERE potential domestic problems affecting the children she could have informed LE and had them look into it

We don't know what people are going through, and never know their reasoning, I understand that, but I can't help but find this extremely selfish when one simple phone call could have spared 24 years of wasted resources and at the very least lessened the heartache and mental anguish of her family/friends

 

[muddlehead]

Aside from all the obvious reactions to this story

She seems to not have ventured very far

Super creepy

 

[Curious_in_NC]

There was another thread about this that I was looking at yesterday but I'm unable to find it now. There's also this thread here

I'm wondering if the original thread was removed because she has been located but doesn't want to hear from family, I'm not sure what the rules on WS are regarding this. I've had a look but couldn't see anything?

I'm guessing that because no laws appear to have been broken, she is no longer missing and the missing person case is considered resolved. But I'm not sure exactly what the WS rules are for this either. By comparison, Ryan Borgwardt faked his death, attempted to commit life insurance fraud, and possibly obtained a second passport illegally, so his trial case is still active on here. He was convicted of obstruction and served a short sentence. They each wasted state and FBI resources in searching for them but no charges over this have been announced for MHS. I think some volunteer groups also searched nearby waterways for her and her van.