Missing Since December 2001, Left for Christmas Shopping
Michele Lyn Hundley Smith, a mother of three who went missing in 2001, has been found alive and is residing at an undisclosed location within the state, according to a February 22 announcement from the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office.
Smith, then 38, left her home in Eden in December 2001, reportedly to go Christmas shopping at a Kmart store in Virginia, and then disappeared. The missing person's report at the time classified her as "high risk" and emphasized that she did not willingly abandon her children.
FBI and Multiple Agencies Investigated for Over Two Decades
For over two decades, numerous law enforcement agencies in North Carolina and Virginia, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), conducted investigations and searches in various directions.
On February 21, authorities received a tip that led to the identification of Smith as alive. Police stated that the family has been informed but declined to disclose her current whereabouts.
Family Expresses Mixed Emotions
Relatives expressed mixed emotions. One child posted on social media that the past few days have been a whirlwind of feelings, from joy to hurt. The family is questioning why she left and what transpired that December.
Officials have not yet disclosed the motive or circumstances that led to Smith's departure from her family for 24 years. The case closes a missing person file that spanned over two decades but opens many new questions for her loved ones.
