Ex-Fiancé Arrested for Murder in 2011 Disappearance of Michelle Parker

Dale Smith Jr. has been arrested and charged with murder in the 2011 disappearance of his ex-fiancée, Michelle Parker, according to unsealed documents. The arrest affidavit, spanning 46 pages, details a tumultuous relationship marked by alleged threats and propositions in the weeks before Parker vanished.

Parker, 33, was last seen on November 17, 2011, the same day an episode of "The People's Court" aired, featuring a dispute between her and Smith Jr. over an engagement ring. According to prosecutors, about two weeks prior to her disappearance, Smith Jr. allegedly told a friend, "I wish someone would kill this b–ch."

Further evidence from text messages included in the affidavit shows Smith Jr. propositioned Parker on November 10, 2011, offering her $2,000 for sexual intimacy. Parker declined the offer, stating she would "rather have a personal legal loan, than feel like a whore" and that it was against her morals.

Parker disappeared after dropping off her 3-year-old twins at Smith Jr.'s residence. Investigators believe Smith Jr. became enraged by the televised airing of their dispute and allegedly choked Parker to death before disposing of her body. Her remains have never been found.

Photos taken the day after Parker's disappearance showed scratches on Smith Jr.'s mouth and lips, as well as bruising and abrasions on his forearm and elbows, which investigators believe were defensive wounds inflicted by Parker. It remains unclear why these injuries were not more thoroughly investigated at the time.

Another former fiancé of Smith Jr. reportedly told detectives earlier this year that he habitually choked her during sexual encounters and arguments, and had threatened to make her disappear. These claims, combined with inconsistencies in Smith Jr.'s initial statements to police, fueled the investigation for years.

Advances in digital forensics technology played a crucial role in the renewed investigation. Re-analysis of cell phone data indicated that Parker was at Smith Jr.'s home for over an hour on November 17, 2011, and that both their phones traveled westward together shortly after. Dive teams later recovered Parker's phone from Lake Conway, where digital forensics revealed that all text messages up to 4:27 p.m. that day had been deleted. Smith Jr. has not contacted Parker since her disappearance.