Alleged crime catches up to missing mom found after 24 years as she makes bold claim

A North Carolina woman who disappeared in 2001, triggering a 24-year search, now faces criminal charges dating back to the year she disappeared.

The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office said Michelle Hundley Smith, now 63, was found at an undisclosed location in North Carolina on Feb. 20 after detectives received new information about her case.

Smith was 38 when her husband reported leaving their Eden home to go Christmas shopping in Martinsville, Virginia, on December 9, 2001, and never returned. His vehicle was never found.

An extensive investigation followed, but despite years of investigative work his whereabouts remained unknown until last week.

Authorities said Smith told investigators he left voluntarily and cited “internal matters.”

Sheriff Sam Page told Fox News Digital the sheriff’s office had no prior record of domestic incidents at the home. No criminal charges are expected in connection with his disappearance. However, after the woman was identified, investigators discovered an outstanding Arrest Warrant from 2001.

A missing persons flyer was circulating at the time of the disappearance of Michelle Hundely Smith in December 2001. (Bring Michelle Hundely Smith Home/Facebook)

YOUR MISSING MOTHER FOUND ALIVE AFTER 24 YEARS IN NORTH CAROLINA

The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that after consulting with the District Attorney’s Office and further investigation, authorities issued an outstanding Arrest Warrant for Smith due to his failure to appear for a hearing.

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The decision stemmed from a DWI charge issued by the Eden Police Department on November 11, 2001. The statement stated that Smith did not appear in court on December 27, 2001 due to this accusation.

Smith was taken into custody by the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office on February 25, 2026, at the request of Rockingham County authorities. He later posted $2,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Rockingham County District Court on March 26, 2026.

It was revealed that the missing mother, who was found alive after 23 years, left due to domestic problems. The North Carolina woman disappeared in 2001, leaving her family with questions. (Bring Michelle Hundely Smith Home/Facebook)

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In the New York Post on Thursday reported They said they found Smith in a trailer in a rural community near the South Carolina state line.

Speaking to television, the woman said, “My daughter forgives me. We are in contact, so leave me alone.”

Smith’s neighbors said he had “been here for years” and mostly stayed on his own.

The neighbor said, “We asked why she didn’t go out of the house much, and she said that her husband had passed away. He passed away last year… She was really sad. She said she was depressed and stayed at home.”

Michelle Hundely Smith disappeared in December 2001 after leaving her home in North Carolina to go Christmas shopping in Virginia. (Bring Michelle Hundely Smith Home/Facebook)

In a 2018 interview on “The Vanished Podcast,” her daughter Amanda Hundley said her mother’s marriage was unraveling under the weight of alcohol addiction, infidelity and escalating marital arguments.

Smith had recently lost his job at his veterinary practice after being fired. drinking at worksaid Hundley.

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“My dad didn’t like that my mom hid her drinking. I knew it, and I was the only one. And I felt like I was young, and I felt like I shouldn’t say anything that would betray my mom,” Hundley said on the podcast.

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According to Hundley, his father suspected he had been drinking but did not fully realize the extent of it until after Smith disappeared.

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“‘Do you know where you keep the bottles?’ he said. “I showed them we had a little red building outside and it was full of rum bottles, empty bottles, people who had already drank it,” recalled Hundley, who was 14 at the time.

The couple’s relationship also deteriorated. Both of his parents had affairs during the marriage, Hundley said. He described frequent arguments that “became physical several times.”

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