Oct. 15, 2026
The People’s Court Murder: Former Fiancé Arrested 15 Years After Woman’s Disappearance On Day Of TV Appearance
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RSS Feed Orlando police have arrested and charged 55-year-old Dale Smith Jr with second degree murder, 15 years after his ex-fiancé Michelle Parker disappeared. Parker was last seen on November 17th, 2011, the very day the couple was featured on ‘The People’s Court,' arguing over a $5,000 engagement ring. Parker dropped off their then three-year-old twins at Smith’s home, and has never been seen again; her body has never been found. While Smith maintains his innocence, police say advances in digital forensics led to additional evidence, paving the way for the arrest they’ve wanted to make for more than a decade.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Thursday, October 15th. The People's Court Killer has finally been caught. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ on a fascinating Robes crime story that an arrest has been made after the disappearance of a woman 15 years ago. And she disappeared just hours after she was on TV.
00:00:24
Speaker 2: Yes, and the dispute was over an engagement ring.
00:00:27
Speaker 1: This is a wild story.
00:00:29
Speaker 2: So, yes, we're talking about 33-year-old Michelle Parker. She's been missing, by the way, since November of 2011. So, yes, 15 years ago, and they still, to this day, have never found her body.
00:00:43
Speaker 1: And we'll see, Robes, now that an arrest has been made. There is a possibility, I guess, that her body could be found, which would, of course, be important to the family. But the details here, Robes, they arrested the guy who's been the prime suspect for 15 years. They arrested the guy who was the former fiance of this lady. They arrested the guy, Robes, who was also on TV fighting with her. Robes, it's... I know. It seems odd. He has been the only suspect for 15 years. Yes.
00:01:13
Speaker 2: Obviously, if a woman goes missing, the ex-fiancé, the ex-husband, current fiancé or husband, always first and probably most likely suspect. And then add to it, yes, that they were exes. They were fighting over an engagement ring, fighting over a $ 5, 000 engagement ring publicly, and, oh yeah, fighting over custody. Yes. because she was last seen dropping off their three-year-old twins to him.
00:01:44
Speaker 1: Well, after all of that, right, we've seen this movie before, kind of a thing, but they were not able to put this case together and charge them until now. We'll explain why they say they were able to do this. But is this, is People's Court, there were a few court shows. Is this the one, dun-dun-dun?
00:02:00
Speaker 2: It wasn't Judge Wapner at the beginning. Why did that just hit? It's funny. I haven't even looked it up, but that just popped into my head.
00:02:07
Speaker 1: That has that music.
00:02:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, the People's Court. Yeah.
00:02:13
Speaker 1: Is that the right one? Yeah, I believe so. There was a divorce court too.
00:02:17
Speaker 2: Harvey Levin was it.
00:02:19
Speaker 1: What?
00:02:20
Speaker 2: Harvey Levin. Oh, see, I was wrong. So it was, I'm looking at all the different people who have been the judges The judge.
00:02:27
Speaker 1: Harvey Levin was a judge.
00:02:28
Speaker 2: Well, he's a cast member in there, so.
00:02:30
Speaker 1: Oh my, who knows what that's about.
00:02:31
Speaker 2: That's hilarious.
00:02:32
Speaker 1: But no, that show, that very popular show where you have people come out and it's entertaining to see them argue over, these are usually, of course, civil matters of some kind, arguing over money or something, and oftentimes you do see couples on these shows. These two, Michelle Parker, 33, was in there with her ex-fiance, Dale Smith Jr. They had an episode that aired. in November of 2011. Robes, it aired. Hours later, she ain't been seen again. Wow. Robes, she has not been seen since that show aired 15 years ago.
00:03:07
Speaker 2: That is insane. Wow.
00:03:09
Speaker 1: It's wild to say. But yes, Michelle Parker is her name. She was 33 at the time, but now Dale Smith Jr., 55 years old, yes, ex-fiancee, has now been arrested on a charge of second-degree murder. He was arrested just yesterday. They expect more details. We expect more, but they did a, they did a perp walk that they seem very proud of robes that they got this guy because it's one of those things. Everybody, I know everybody's innocent until proven guilty, but this is one of those things where everybody's looking around and say, Hey, he's over there. What are we waiting on?
00:03:39
Speaker 2: Yeah. And, and look, this had to be this and we'll get into the family's reaction later, but this was a moment where yes, a lot of people, and I'm sure, can you imagine being on law enforcement and, being an investigator in this crime and knowing who your guy is, knowing that he is literally getting away with murder and you can't do anything about it. Because yes, the evidence all pointed to him, but not in an overwhelming way where they felt like they could get a conviction and the prosecutor didn't feel comfortable going forward. But yes, her car is found abandoned at the mall. Her phone shows up in a lake, right? A body of water, it washes up the next day. But the fact that they haven't found her body is just... And to think that he... I don't know. Look, he probably thinks he can get away with it because he has for so long. But I would imagine if he gets to a point, if the evidence presented to him is so obvious that they're going to be able to convict, maybe he could be convinced in a plea deal to give up the location of her body. That's what her family wants.
00:04:39
Speaker 1: That kind of sucks that he has a bargaining chip. That sucks that I'm going to negotiate with the family. You want to see your daughter? Give me fewer years. I hate that, but I get what you're saying. That probably will be. That is his only bargaining chip. They have not said, though, Robes, they have not announced at this point what they think her manner of death might have been.
00:04:58
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:04:59
Speaker 1: I mean, it's hard to convict with no body.
00:05:01
Speaker 2: It's very difficult to convict with no body. And he, I'm sure, knows that. So he has every incentive to not to tell them where the body is. If in fact he is the killer, we don't know that. But the idea that he was raising these kids who are now 18, 18 year old twins. And she has an older child, I believe who's 26 now as well. But I, I was trying to imagine what it would be like to be in their position. Obviously they've known this is a, a town where I'm sure they know the suspicions. They know people think their father perhaps killed their mother, but you never want to believe that if your father is certainly the man who's raising you. So this arrest has got to be just rocking their world.
00:05:40
Speaker 1: Broke's the only parent they've really known. I mean, they were so young. Three. What were the memories of their mom possibly at three years old?
00:05:45
Speaker 2: I don't think they'd have any.
00:05:47
Speaker 1: He's it. He is their caretaker. He is the one that's been there for them through all of their football games and Parent-teacher conference. I mean, how do they feel about dad right now? And these are now boys, right? So these are young men. Yes. Hey, this is a tough one to take you back to. On November 17th of 2011, again, Michelle Parker, last seen. She was last seen when she was dropping the kids off to Smith. Yes, the twins. They share these twins. That was the last time she was seen. And police say they know Smith was the last person to see her. You mentioned the car being found. She had decals for her business that were on that car that had been removed, actually, when the car was found. Yes, so it wasn't so easily identifiable if you're just looking at it.
00:06:31
Speaker 2: So there was obviously a deliberate attempt to hide, obviously, her body that has been effective, but certainly even her vehicle and her phone being tossed in a body of water.
00:06:42
Speaker 1: And, Rose, they, at the time, at least, police thought this was a two-person job. They thought that someone helped her. out in this and not just one person. Haven't heard now if they're still looking for somebody else, but that at least was the thought back then. So this has been a complete mystery. But again, November 17th, 2011, Robes. Yes, that's when she was last seen. And that was hours after she made a TV appearance.
00:07:14
Speaker 2: Ooh, on the People's Court. Oh, yes, and I do have some information. So it is Judge Wapner. That's so funny that that just popped in my head. Ed Koch was on there as well. And then, yes, Harvey Levin. Remember, he was the reporter. I remember it now going back and forth. Judge Wapner's about to get back into the courtroom. So he would give like commentator commentary and he would kind of have a hushed voice and he would talk like this is Harvey Levin and he would talk to the people after they were coming out of the courtroom. So it was very sensational in that sense to think that they were there in front of, so I'm trying to think who would have been, this would have been in 2011. So she would have been in front of Mary Millian, Marilyn Millian. She's the court, I guess she's the judge now. But yes, it used to be Harvey Levin would interview the people when they walked out of the courtroom because it was contentious and that made for good television that was entertaining to see these two.
00:08:07
Speaker 1: And you can't get any more perfect of a fight or TV drama than two people who used to be in a relationship now fighting over money or in particular an engagement ring. So this was a pre-taped show. They had done this previously, obviously taped it, Robes, but the day it aired was November 17, 2011. It seems asinine to not.
00:08:31
Speaker 2: Think that that wouldn't be something used against you or that that would not draw police straight to you. Like, hello, I'm your guy. Like, to do it on that day seems preposterous.
00:08:43
Speaker 1: Day of. What set who off? That just happens to be the day of a contentious confrontation or it had to do with this show airing. Something about that episode caused whatever new friction when she went over there. Robes. Hours later, she hasn't been seen since. And this was all over a $ 5, 000 engagement ring. I actually didn't see, babe. How did it end?
00:09:08
Speaker 2: I was actually going to ask you because I didn't see who won or who the judge ruled for or against.
00:09:16
Speaker 1: So that was the argument. And in that argument in court, she talked about, or Michelle Parker did, how controlling that this man was. It didn't go as far as accusing him physically of any type of abuse. in this show, but she did talk about how difficult it was to be in a relationship with him. So this thing airs hours later, she's gone, never to be seen again. So what has been happening the past 15 years, if they know who the last person to see her arose, and they know they have a motive, and they know there was a contentious relationship, so why now? Well, apparently, we talk about oftentimes DNA evidence and technology and forensics catching up. They said this was the case, but it had everything to do with digital forensics.
00:10:00
Speaker 2: And we have seen this now. I don't know how anyone commits a crime if they have a cell phone. Period. Because, yes, they were able to extract new data having to do with phones, computers, car movements, all of those things now where they can literally put you at the scene of a crime or trace back your movements. So it's almost impossible to defend where you were and why you were there.
00:10:23
Speaker 1: Even when you leave your phone at home now.
00:10:26
Speaker 2: If it's exactly during the time of the killing, that makes you look bad as well.
00:10:30
Speaker 1: It does. It's just impossible. Every car now has a GPS tracker of some kind on it. You just can't. It's just hard to do. That's why all the serial killers are from the 70s and 80s, when they couldn't track them down immediately.
00:10:46
Speaker 2: Exactly, because that is the way almost all crimes are solved now. With digital forensics, we've sat through enough murder trials And the digital forensic police officers, they're on the stand the longest, going through text messages and all the things that now completely end up being the, I guess, the final nail in the coffin of those defendants.
00:11:08
Speaker 1: But they say, Rosen, good on them. They said they did have a renewed effort to go after and try to solve this case. I guess it does help. I don't know. What do they call it when you get your blinders on? Tunnel vision. They have something they They say when police officers have a theory and they just, instead of follow the evidence, they are just trying to find things to prove their theory. We've heard this in Quack. I can't remember the exact name. But that thing, is it possible, Robes? It should be easier when you're trying to solve a crime when you know who your suspect is. They know. They have known for years. So in any way, they're going to argue, oh, they had their blinders on. They just see this guy and they're trying to prove the whole time. They didn't even look. at another suspect. They've just been focused on this guy.
00:11:56
Speaker 2: Of course, that's what's going to happen. So when we come back, we're going to tell you what Dale Smith Jr. 's folks are saying, what the family of Parker is saying, and we have the outcome of their people's court dispute. Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. Finally, an arrest 15 years after the disappearance of Michelle Parker. Her ex-fiance, Dale Smith Jr., is now arrested and facing, right now, second-degree murder charges. But police say it could be upgraded to first-degree, depending on the evidence they're able to get. But they have been working through with using new technology, new digital forensics, to try and find a way to finally... actually have Dale Smith Jr. face the charges that they believed he should have faced 15 years ago. Because yes, she went missing on the day their episode aired in the People's Court. I do have the outcome. This is so puzzling. Guess what the outcome was? Judge Marilyn Millian ruled both parties were at fault, and they ordered Michelle Parker to reimburse Dale Smith Jr., $ 2, 500, which is exactly half the value of that $ 5, 000 ring.
00:13:16
Speaker 1: That's usually the way most disputes should end up, Robes. It's partly your fault. It's partly your fault a little bit. And somebody came in and made the decision for them. That's That's funny. They never would have come to that conclusion on their own.
00:13:31
Speaker 2: Yes, exactly. But that's the most obvious one.
00:13:33
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:13:34
Speaker 2: But the interesting thing is it wasn't as if he didn't get the money and she got to keep the ring and that's why he was mad. I was thinking one party won and the other party lost.
00:13:43
Speaker 1: But they knew that from a long time ago.
00:13:45
Speaker 2: You're right. The judgment already happened. Yes.
00:13:48
Speaker 1: So what was about it? Was it renewed? Was somebody embarrassed? Was somebody getting phone calls about it and didn't like how they were coming across? Does it have nothing to do with the crime? Is it possible? It's just a coincidence that it was a contentious relationship and that's the day she went over and something happened unrelated to the episode.
00:14:08
Speaker 2: Well, that's possible too. It's a hell of a coincidence. NBC News has reported that her family said that she felt deeply humiliated By how her relationship was portrayed on television. So if she went over there to drop off the kids with hurt feelings and angry that they looked stupid or they looked petty or they looked whatever on television, it could have started an emotional fight that ended with her death.
00:14:37
Speaker 1: But if she was the one so pissed, right?
00:14:41
Speaker 2: But maybe she said something to him. Maybe she knew how to trigger him. She said, you look like a moron. Like, who knows? Like, she could have watched it, been so angry, said something cruel to him, which set him off, and boom. It just was a crime of passion in the sense that it happened in the moment.
00:14:58
Speaker 1: By the way, from what we remember, Robes, it doesn't matter who won the case in court. Both parties end up looking pretty silly.
00:15:07
Speaker 2: Almost always.
00:15:08
Speaker 1: I mean, they're editing this thing to make it look as contentious and sometimes make these folks look just as silly. They don't. Nobody looks good at pay.
00:15:17
Speaker 2: It's true.
00:15:18
Speaker 1: Nobody looks good at pay.
00:15:23
Speaker 2: His attorney, he is the same attorney he said he had 15 years ago because obviously he knew, he's known he's been a suspect all these years.
00:15:31
Speaker 1: Kept him on retainer for 15 years.
00:15:32
Speaker 2: Yeah, like, hey, I may need you. So the statement they put out, he maintains his innocence and we are going to go forward with defending him. That's what they're saying. I mean, just he didn't do it. He's innocent, still innocent.
00:15:48
Speaker 1: Do they use the word maintains?
00:15:49
Speaker 2: Maintains. He maintains his innocence.
00:15:52
Speaker 1: Didn't say he's innocent, but he maintains it.
00:15:54
Speaker 2: That's funny. I hadn't even thought about that.
00:15:56
Speaker 1: Words, man.
00:15:57
Speaker 2: And as for Michelle's family, yes, they have believed for quite some time that They also knew who their loved one's killer was. And so, yes, they are grateful. They are happy that he has finally, I think they said, we are pleased that Karma has finally captured Dale, was the actual quote.
00:16:18
Speaker 1: Karma. Who don't? But Robes is going to be held at trial if it gets to that. Will there be a plea deal? Because right now, Robes with the family, I think they love that he has been arrested. Sure. Now, you know, there hasn't been a day that's gone by in the past 15 years that they questioned Robes. Whether he was the killer.
00:16:35
Speaker 2: How tough must that have been knowing he was raising those kids?
00:16:38
Speaker 1: Walking around.
00:16:39
Speaker 2: He was raising their grandkids, raising their relatives. That had to be so hard.
00:16:44
Speaker 1: But the question now, I'm curious, what you would do, what I would do, what any of us would do, what are you willing to negotiate to get your loved one back, to find out where she is, to give her a proper burial? What would you give up, babe? Because this might be the centerpiece of it all.
00:16:58
Speaker 2: Right, but I just have such a hard time believing if Dale Smith Jr., has gotten away with this for 15 years. If police don't know where her body is, why would you ever admit it? Why would you ever cooperate? Because you would have to know your best shot of not going to prison, of staying free, is to not have them find her body.
00:17:17
Speaker 1: We're going to trial. You just said it. That's it. Gave it 15 years, been a good run. Might as well see if I can keep getting away with it. Why? Why now?
00:17:25
Speaker 2: He has no reason.
00:17:26
Speaker 1: You're right.
00:17:26
Speaker 2: And he has every reason to believe he can still get away with it.
00:17:29
Speaker 1: You're right. Because they will never find her body. How are they going to prove it? You got a decent enough lawyer. Yeah. Yeah, you're right. You just said it, babe.
00:17:36
Speaker 2: This is not going to. He's going to trial. So we will continue to follow this case. Certainly a hopeful development for the family, but there is a long road ahead for justice. And with that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes. We'll talk soon.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Thursday, October 15th. The People's Court Killer has finally been caught. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ on a fascinating Robes crime story that an arrest has been made after the disappearance of a woman 15 years ago. And she disappeared just hours after she was on TV.
00:00:24
Speaker 2: Yes, and the dispute was over an engagement ring.
00:00:27
Speaker 1: This is a wild story.
00:00:29
Speaker 2: So, yes, we're talking about 33-year-old Michelle Parker. She's been missing, by the way, since November of 2011. So, yes, 15 years ago, and they still, to this day, have never found her body.
00:00:43
Speaker 1: And we'll see, Robes, now that an arrest has been made. There is a possibility, I guess, that her body could be found, which would, of course, be important to the family. But the details here, Robes, they arrested the guy who's been the prime suspect for 15 years. They arrested the guy who was the former fiance of this lady. They arrested the guy, Robes, who was also on TV fighting with her. Robes, it's... I know. It seems odd. He has been the only suspect for 15 years. Yes.
00:01:13
Speaker 2: Obviously, if a woman goes missing, the ex-fiancé, the ex-husband, current fiancé or husband, always first and probably most likely suspect. And then add to it, yes, that they were exes. They were fighting over an engagement ring, fighting over a $ 5, 000 engagement ring publicly, and, oh yeah, fighting over custody. Yes. because she was last seen dropping off their three-year-old twins to him.
00:01:44
Speaker 1: Well, after all of that, right, we've seen this movie before, kind of a thing, but they were not able to put this case together and charge them until now. We'll explain why they say they were able to do this. But is this, is People's Court, there were a few court shows. Is this the one, dun-dun-dun?
00:02:00
Speaker 2: It wasn't Judge Wapner at the beginning. Why did that just hit? It's funny. I haven't even looked it up, but that just popped into my head.
00:02:07
Speaker 1: That has that music.
00:02:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, the People's Court. Yeah.
00:02:13
Speaker 1: Is that the right one? Yeah, I believe so. There was a divorce court too.
00:02:17
Speaker 2: Harvey Levin was it.
00:02:19
Speaker 1: What?
00:02:20
Speaker 2: Harvey Levin. Oh, see, I was wrong. So it was, I'm looking at all the different people who have been the judges The judge.
00:02:27
Speaker 1: Harvey Levin was a judge.
00:02:28
Speaker 2: Well, he's a cast member in there, so.
00:02:30
Speaker 1: Oh my, who knows what that's about.
00:02:31
Speaker 2: That's hilarious.
00:02:32
Speaker 1: But no, that show, that very popular show where you have people come out and it's entertaining to see them argue over, these are usually, of course, civil matters of some kind, arguing over money or something, and oftentimes you do see couples on these shows. These two, Michelle Parker, 33, was in there with her ex-fiance, Dale Smith Jr. They had an episode that aired. in November of 2011. Robes, it aired. Hours later, she ain't been seen again. Wow. Robes, she has not been seen since that show aired 15 years ago.
00:03:07
Speaker 2: That is insane. Wow.
00:03:09
Speaker 1: It's wild to say. But yes, Michelle Parker is her name. She was 33 at the time, but now Dale Smith Jr., 55 years old, yes, ex-fiancee, has now been arrested on a charge of second-degree murder. He was arrested just yesterday. They expect more details. We expect more, but they did a, they did a perp walk that they seem very proud of robes that they got this guy because it's one of those things. Everybody, I know everybody's innocent until proven guilty, but this is one of those things where everybody's looking around and say, Hey, he's over there. What are we waiting on?
00:03:39
Speaker 2: Yeah. And, and look, this had to be this and we'll get into the family's reaction later, but this was a moment where yes, a lot of people, and I'm sure, can you imagine being on law enforcement and, being an investigator in this crime and knowing who your guy is, knowing that he is literally getting away with murder and you can't do anything about it. Because yes, the evidence all pointed to him, but not in an overwhelming way where they felt like they could get a conviction and the prosecutor didn't feel comfortable going forward. But yes, her car is found abandoned at the mall. Her phone shows up in a lake, right? A body of water, it washes up the next day. But the fact that they haven't found her body is just... And to think that he... I don't know. Look, he probably thinks he can get away with it because he has for so long. But I would imagine if he gets to a point, if the evidence presented to him is so obvious that they're going to be able to convict, maybe he could be convinced in a plea deal to give up the location of her body. That's what her family wants.
00:04:39
Speaker 1: That kind of sucks that he has a bargaining chip. That sucks that I'm going to negotiate with the family. You want to see your daughter? Give me fewer years. I hate that, but I get what you're saying. That probably will be. That is his only bargaining chip. They have not said, though, Robes, they have not announced at this point what they think her manner of death might have been.
00:04:58
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:04:59
Speaker 1: I mean, it's hard to convict with no body.
00:05:01
Speaker 2: It's very difficult to convict with no body. And he, I'm sure, knows that. So he has every incentive to not to tell them where the body is. If in fact he is the killer, we don't know that. But the idea that he was raising these kids who are now 18, 18 year old twins. And she has an older child, I believe who's 26 now as well. But I, I was trying to imagine what it would be like to be in their position. Obviously they've known this is a, a town where I'm sure they know the suspicions. They know people think their father perhaps killed their mother, but you never want to believe that if your father is certainly the man who's raising you. So this arrest has got to be just rocking their world.
00:05:40
Speaker 1: Broke's the only parent they've really known. I mean, they were so young. Three. What were the memories of their mom possibly at three years old?
00:05:45
Speaker 2: I don't think they'd have any.
00:05:47
Speaker 1: He's it. He is their caretaker. He is the one that's been there for them through all of their football games and Parent-teacher conference. I mean, how do they feel about dad right now? And these are now boys, right? So these are young men. Yes. Hey, this is a tough one to take you back to. On November 17th of 2011, again, Michelle Parker, last seen. She was last seen when she was dropping the kids off to Smith. Yes, the twins. They share these twins. That was the last time she was seen. And police say they know Smith was the last person to see her. You mentioned the car being found. She had decals for her business that were on that car that had been removed, actually, when the car was found. Yes, so it wasn't so easily identifiable if you're just looking at it.
00:06:31
Speaker 2: So there was obviously a deliberate attempt to hide, obviously, her body that has been effective, but certainly even her vehicle and her phone being tossed in a body of water.
00:06:42
Speaker 1: And, Rose, they, at the time, at least, police thought this was a two-person job. They thought that someone helped her. out in this and not just one person. Haven't heard now if they're still looking for somebody else, but that at least was the thought back then. So this has been a complete mystery. But again, November 17th, 2011, Robes. Yes, that's when she was last seen. And that was hours after she made a TV appearance.
00:07:14
Speaker 2: Ooh, on the People's Court. Oh, yes, and I do have some information. So it is Judge Wapner. That's so funny that that just popped in my head. Ed Koch was on there as well. And then, yes, Harvey Levin. Remember, he was the reporter. I remember it now going back and forth. Judge Wapner's about to get back into the courtroom. So he would give like commentator commentary and he would kind of have a hushed voice and he would talk like this is Harvey Levin and he would talk to the people after they were coming out of the courtroom. So it was very sensational in that sense to think that they were there in front of, so I'm trying to think who would have been, this would have been in 2011. So she would have been in front of Mary Millian, Marilyn Millian. She's the court, I guess she's the judge now. But yes, it used to be Harvey Levin would interview the people when they walked out of the courtroom because it was contentious and that made for good television that was entertaining to see these two.
00:08:07
Speaker 1: And you can't get any more perfect of a fight or TV drama than two people who used to be in a relationship now fighting over money or in particular an engagement ring. So this was a pre-taped show. They had done this previously, obviously taped it, Robes, but the day it aired was November 17, 2011. It seems asinine to not.
00:08:31
Speaker 2: Think that that wouldn't be something used against you or that that would not draw police straight to you. Like, hello, I'm your guy. Like, to do it on that day seems preposterous.
00:08:43
Speaker 1: Day of. What set who off? That just happens to be the day of a contentious confrontation or it had to do with this show airing. Something about that episode caused whatever new friction when she went over there. Robes. Hours later, she hasn't been seen since. And this was all over a $ 5, 000 engagement ring. I actually didn't see, babe. How did it end?
00:09:08
Speaker 2: I was actually going to ask you because I didn't see who won or who the judge ruled for or against.
00:09:16
Speaker 1: So that was the argument. And in that argument in court, she talked about, or Michelle Parker did, how controlling that this man was. It didn't go as far as accusing him physically of any type of abuse. in this show, but she did talk about how difficult it was to be in a relationship with him. So this thing airs hours later, she's gone, never to be seen again. So what has been happening the past 15 years, if they know who the last person to see her arose, and they know they have a motive, and they know there was a contentious relationship, so why now? Well, apparently, we talk about oftentimes DNA evidence and technology and forensics catching up. They said this was the case, but it had everything to do with digital forensics.
00:10:00
Speaker 2: And we have seen this now. I don't know how anyone commits a crime if they have a cell phone. Period. Because, yes, they were able to extract new data having to do with phones, computers, car movements, all of those things now where they can literally put you at the scene of a crime or trace back your movements. So it's almost impossible to defend where you were and why you were there.
00:10:23
Speaker 1: Even when you leave your phone at home now.
00:10:26
Speaker 2: If it's exactly during the time of the killing, that makes you look bad as well.
00:10:30
Speaker 1: It does. It's just impossible. Every car now has a GPS tracker of some kind on it. You just can't. It's just hard to do. That's why all the serial killers are from the 70s and 80s, when they couldn't track them down immediately.
00:10:46
Speaker 2: Exactly, because that is the way almost all crimes are solved now. With digital forensics, we've sat through enough murder trials And the digital forensic police officers, they're on the stand the longest, going through text messages and all the things that now completely end up being the, I guess, the final nail in the coffin of those defendants.
00:11:08
Speaker 1: But they say, Rosen, good on them. They said they did have a renewed effort to go after and try to solve this case. I guess it does help. I don't know. What do they call it when you get your blinders on? Tunnel vision. They have something they They say when police officers have a theory and they just, instead of follow the evidence, they are just trying to find things to prove their theory. We've heard this in Quack. I can't remember the exact name. But that thing, is it possible, Robes? It should be easier when you're trying to solve a crime when you know who your suspect is. They know. They have known for years. So in any way, they're going to argue, oh, they had their blinders on. They just see this guy and they're trying to prove the whole time. They didn't even look. at another suspect. They've just been focused on this guy.
00:11:56
Speaker 2: Of course, that's what's going to happen. So when we come back, we're going to tell you what Dale Smith Jr. 's folks are saying, what the family of Parker is saying, and we have the outcome of their people's court dispute. Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. Finally, an arrest 15 years after the disappearance of Michelle Parker. Her ex-fiance, Dale Smith Jr., is now arrested and facing, right now, second-degree murder charges. But police say it could be upgraded to first-degree, depending on the evidence they're able to get. But they have been working through with using new technology, new digital forensics, to try and find a way to finally... actually have Dale Smith Jr. face the charges that they believed he should have faced 15 years ago. Because yes, she went missing on the day their episode aired in the People's Court. I do have the outcome. This is so puzzling. Guess what the outcome was? Judge Marilyn Millian ruled both parties were at fault, and they ordered Michelle Parker to reimburse Dale Smith Jr., $ 2, 500, which is exactly half the value of that $ 5, 000 ring.
00:13:16
Speaker 1: That's usually the way most disputes should end up, Robes. It's partly your fault. It's partly your fault a little bit. And somebody came in and made the decision for them. That's That's funny. They never would have come to that conclusion on their own.
00:13:31
Speaker 2: Yes, exactly. But that's the most obvious one.
00:13:33
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:13:34
Speaker 2: But the interesting thing is it wasn't as if he didn't get the money and she got to keep the ring and that's why he was mad. I was thinking one party won and the other party lost.
00:13:43
Speaker 1: But they knew that from a long time ago.
00:13:45
Speaker 2: You're right. The judgment already happened. Yes.
00:13:48
Speaker 1: So what was about it? Was it renewed? Was somebody embarrassed? Was somebody getting phone calls about it and didn't like how they were coming across? Does it have nothing to do with the crime? Is it possible? It's just a coincidence that it was a contentious relationship and that's the day she went over and something happened unrelated to the episode.
00:14:08
Speaker 2: Well, that's possible too. It's a hell of a coincidence. NBC News has reported that her family said that she felt deeply humiliated By how her relationship was portrayed on television. So if she went over there to drop off the kids with hurt feelings and angry that they looked stupid or they looked petty or they looked whatever on television, it could have started an emotional fight that ended with her death.
00:14:37
Speaker 1: But if she was the one so pissed, right?
00:14:41
Speaker 2: But maybe she said something to him. Maybe she knew how to trigger him. She said, you look like a moron. Like, who knows? Like, she could have watched it, been so angry, said something cruel to him, which set him off, and boom. It just was a crime of passion in the sense that it happened in the moment.
00:14:58
Speaker 1: By the way, from what we remember, Robes, it doesn't matter who won the case in court. Both parties end up looking pretty silly.
00:15:07
Speaker 2: Almost always.
00:15:08
Speaker 1: I mean, they're editing this thing to make it look as contentious and sometimes make these folks look just as silly. They don't. Nobody looks good at pay.
00:15:17
Speaker 2: It's true.
00:15:18
Speaker 1: Nobody looks good at pay.
00:15:23
Speaker 2: His attorney, he is the same attorney he said he had 15 years ago because obviously he knew, he's known he's been a suspect all these years.
00:15:31
Speaker 1: Kept him on retainer for 15 years.
00:15:32
Speaker 2: Yeah, like, hey, I may need you. So the statement they put out, he maintains his innocence and we are going to go forward with defending him. That's what they're saying. I mean, just he didn't do it. He's innocent, still innocent.
00:15:48
Speaker 1: Do they use the word maintains?
00:15:49
Speaker 2: Maintains. He maintains his innocence.
00:15:52
Speaker 1: Didn't say he's innocent, but he maintains it.
00:15:54
Speaker 2: That's funny. I hadn't even thought about that.
00:15:56
Speaker 1: Words, man.
00:15:57
Speaker 2: And as for Michelle's family, yes, they have believed for quite some time that They also knew who their loved one's killer was. And so, yes, they are grateful. They are happy that he has finally, I think they said, we are pleased that Karma has finally captured Dale, was the actual quote.
00:16:18
Speaker 1: Karma. Who don't? But Robes is going to be held at trial if it gets to that. Will there be a plea deal? Because right now, Robes with the family, I think they love that he has been arrested. Sure. Now, you know, there hasn't been a day that's gone by in the past 15 years that they questioned Robes. Whether he was the killer.
00:16:35
Speaker 2: How tough must that have been knowing he was raising those kids?
00:16:38
Speaker 1: Walking around.
00:16:39
Speaker 2: He was raising their grandkids, raising their relatives. That had to be so hard.
00:16:44
Speaker 1: But the question now, I'm curious, what you would do, what I would do, what any of us would do, what are you willing to negotiate to get your loved one back, to find out where she is, to give her a proper burial? What would you give up, babe? Because this might be the centerpiece of it all.
00:16:58
Speaker 2: Right, but I just have such a hard time believing if Dale Smith Jr., has gotten away with this for 15 years. If police don't know where her body is, why would you ever admit it? Why would you ever cooperate? Because you would have to know your best shot of not going to prison, of staying free, is to not have them find her body.
00:17:17
Speaker 1: We're going to trial. You just said it. That's it. Gave it 15 years, been a good run. Might as well see if I can keep getting away with it. Why? Why now?
00:17:25
Speaker 2: He has no reason.
00:17:26
Speaker 1: You're right.
00:17:26
Speaker 2: And he has every reason to believe he can still get away with it.
00:17:29
Speaker 1: You're right. Because they will never find her body. How are they going to prove it? You got a decent enough lawyer. Yeah. Yeah, you're right. You just said it, babe.
00:17:36
Speaker 2: This is not going to. He's going to trial. So we will continue to follow this case. Certainly a hopeful development for the family, but there is a long road ahead for justice. And with that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes. We'll talk soon.