Missing mom found alive after vanishing 24 years ago

A North Carolina pistillate who was reported missing much than 2 decades agone was recovered alive, bringing a 24-year probe to a close, authorities said.

The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office said Michelle Hundely Smith, who disappeared successful December 2001, was located connected Feb. 20 successful North Carolina aft detectives received caller accusation astir her case.

Smith was 38 years aged erstwhile her hubby reported that she had near their Eden location connected Dec. 9, 2001, to spell Christmas buying successful Martinsville, Virginia, and ne'er returned. Her conveyance was besides ne'er located. 

An extended probe followed, involving aggregate agencies crossed North Carolina and Virginia, including the State Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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Michelle Hundely Smith disappeared aft leaving her location successful North Carolina to spell Christmas buying successful Virginia successful December 2001. (Bring Michelle Hundely Smith Home/Facebook)

Despite years of investigative work, her whereabouts remained chartless until past week, erstwhile Sgt. A. Disher and Detective C. Worley made interaction with Smith astatine an "undisclosed determination wrong North Carolina live and well," aft receiving a tip. 

At her request, officials said her existent determination volition not beryllium disclosed. Her household has been notified that she has been located and informed of her wishes. 

The motive for her disappearance remains unknown. 

"The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office extends its sincere gratitude to the galore agencies and investigators who dedicated important time, resources, and unwavering determination to this lawsuit implicit the years," the bureau wrote connected Facebook.

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A missing persons flyer circulated astatine the clip of Michelle Hundely Smith’s disappearance successful December 2001. (Bring Michelle Hundely Smith Home/Facebook)

"Their persistence and committedness yet led to the locating of Michelle Hundely Smith and is simply a testament to the dedication of the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Criminal Investigations Division, and the galore different Law Enforcement agencies that person assisted passim the years."

For years, Smith’s relative Barbara Byrd searched for answers astir her whereabouts, with her household adjacent turning to existent transgression podcasts and tv shows to support her sanction successful the news. 

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"I benignant of privation to spell extracurricular and scream, ‘she’s alive, she’s alive,’" Byrd told WFMY. 

"For years, we didn’t cognize if we were grieving oregon waiting," she added.

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However, the world that Smith has been live and good for 24 years has reportedly near Byrd with conflicting feelings astir however to proceed.

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"My biggest question is to her… what happened each those years agone successful December? What made you leave? What happened?" Byrd said.

Michelle Hundely Smith was recovered surviving a caller beingness successful North Carolina aft disappearing 24 years ago, according to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office. (Bring Michelle Hundely Smith Home/Facebook)

While Byrd is relieved that her relative was found, the world that Smith does not privation her determination shared is adding a caller furniture of disorder wrong the family, though she insists she is choosing to beryllium grateful.

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"I recognize and respect that she doesn’t privation immoderate of america to interaction her," Byrd told WFMY. "I’m not angry."

"The biggest reply I had contiguous was [that] she was alive. Nothing other matters close astatine this moment," she said.

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Smith’s girl Amanda told the outlet she had lone been precocious informed of the improvement regarding her mother’s whereabouts and is inactive processing the news.

"As acold arsenic my opinions and feelings connected my mom, I americium ecstatic, I americium p—-ed, I americium heartbroken, I americium each implicit the map! Will I person a narration erstwhile much with my mom?" Smith’s girl said successful the connection posted to a Facebook relationship utilized to assistance find her missing mother.

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"Honestly, I can’t reply that due to the fact that I don’t adjacent know. My archetypal absorption would beryllium yes, absolutely, but past I deliberation of each the hurt," she added. "But adjacent then, my ma is lone human, conscionable arsenic we each are."