Missing North Carolina mom found alive after 24 years reveals why she left

A North Carolina ma who was reported missing much than 2 decades agone and precocious recovered live reportedly told authorities she near her household owed to "ongoing home issues."

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.

"Let maine conscionable accidental determination were nary allegations of immoderate foul play regarding her leaving," Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page told PEOPLE. "But according to Ms. Smith, she said she left... owed to ongoing home issues astatine the time."

She "did not elaborate connected that," helium added.

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)

Page did not springiness specifics astir the "domestic issues" but noted that the sheriff’s bureau had nary grounds of home incidents successful the household, the outlet reported.

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.

"She was successful bully health," Page said erstwhile they recovered the present 63-year-old woman.

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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)

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In a lengthy Facebook station connected Feb. 22, her girl Amanda Smith wrote that the past 48 hours were a "whirlwind of emotions" for her family.

"You are escaped to deliberation whatever, of course, conscionable delight don't enactment them retired determination for my household to see. Please respect my household bc [because] we are hurting and going done a lot," she wrote.

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"My dada has been done truthful galore accusations since each the mode backmost then... Even earlier societal media was big, wherever we liv[ing] successful a tiny town, determination were galore ppl [people] acting arsenic if they conscionable knew helium was involved... Well helium wasn't! Of course, I ne'er thought helium was... My begetter has been done truthful overmuch and I privation it made wide that portion their matrimony had issues (just arsenic galore marriages spell through) that my ma did not permission simply bc of a atrocious marriage. Everyone is entitled their opinions but delight retrieve that my begetter has been proven innocent."

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

Despite years of investigative work, her whereabouts remained chartless until recently, 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, according tot helium sheriff's office.

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"They went and recovered this young woman that [has] been missing for galore years, 20-plus years. And we don't spot a batch of the missing idiosyncratic cases similar that," Page told PEOPLE. "But present astatine slightest the household has closure, and they cognize she's okay."

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Fox News Digital has reached retired to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office for comment.

Fox News Digital's Julia Bonavita and Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.

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