Show full transcript 0:54 and Parker to pay $2,500 towards the ring. The couple had twins together, a three-year-old boy 1:01 and a girl. The day this episode aired back in 2011, Michelle dropped the kids off at Smith's home 1:07 before planning to head to work. He was the last person to see Michelle that day, 1:12 before she seemingly vanished. 15 years later now, Dale Smith Jr. has been arrested by the 1:24 money and conflicting statements made by the suspect and used advanced and digital forensics 1:30 to uncover and analyze additional evidence. This case never stopped being a priority. 1:36 Our detectives kept working. They kept asking questions. They kept examining the evidence. 1:42 Smith has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder, 1:46 and his attorney states that Smith maintains his innocence and said, 1:49 said, we're going to go forward with defending him. Smith is currently being held without 1:54 bond at the Orange County Jail. I'm CBS News correspondent Chanel Call, and this is Case 2:01 by Case. Joining us today to break down developments in this cold case is CBS News correspondent 2:07 Christiane Benavides. Christiane, thanks so much for being with us. There's so much 2:11 that's so fascinating about this case. 2:14 Absolutely. Chanel, thank you for having me. 2:16 So I want to start with the timing of this, right? 2:18 I know you've been covering this case since Smith was arrested last week. 2:22 You even sat down with Michelle's brother and mother. 2:25 And so how are they reacting to this huge new development 15 years later? 2:30 Right, you know, there are a lot of emotions. 2:32 The family has been waiting for this moment for 15 years. 2:37 Michelle's mom told me that she had essentially no advance notice 2:40 and found out just hours before the announcement. 2:43 She said that police called her in and there was a large group of detectives that told her the news 2:48 She knew something was going on when she saw the large group of detectives 2:52 I asked her if she felt that this was justice and she said it is the beginning of justice 2:58 And what they really want is to find her remains 3:01 They believe that Dale Smith, Jr. knows where Michelle's remains are and they're hopeful that he will tell authorities 3:07 So the People's Court episode that we were talking about right 3:10 that was centered on the couple's missing ring. 3:14 That seemed to have revealed some of the dynamics 3:16 in their relationship. 3:17 I wanna play a bit of that sound here. 3:19 I actually met Michelle probably 2006 3:22 and we were dating on and off about four years. 3:26 And we had our breakups here and there 3:29 and we had good times, we had bad times. 3:31 We had decided to finally get back together again 3:35 and I went out and purchased an engagement ring 3:37 and asked her to marry me at the beach 3:39 on the pier down in Cocoa, Florida. 3:42 And she said yes, and she moved back in with me. 3:47 He gets pretty malicious and vindictive, 3:50 and he's a mean person, especially when he's been drinking. 3:52 Any of the problems that we've ever had, 3:54 it's always been alcohol related. 3:56 So, Christiane, do we know anything about 3:58 what Michelle and Dale's relationship was actually like? 4:01 I mean, what led up to that moment? 4:03 Well, look, it had always been 4:05 this sort of explosive relationship. 4:08 that Michelle's mom has said in prior interviews 4:11 that Michelle didn't actually wanna watch the episode 4:13 because she felt that it was a humiliating day. 4:17 Remember, her relationship had been put on display 4:20 for the entire country to see. 4:22 The show at the time was popular 4:24 and it was something that Michelle 4:26 evidently was embarrassed about. 4:28 In the episode, there are also these ominous comments 4:31 made hinting at their tumultuous relationship. 4:34 So, looking back, it just sort of, you know, gives you chills almost listening to it. 4:40 Smith said that they had been together on and off since 2006. 4:44 There were also claims of infidelity on both sides. 4:47 Michelle spoke to Smith's alleged behavior when he was under the influence of alcohol. 4:52 It's quite extraordinary looking back and just wondering were there missed signs. 4:57 And Christiane, we were talking about just how massive this show was, right? 5:01 Like it went on for 26 seasons. 5:03 a lot of people watch. This was super popular. Do you think the actual episode might be used as evidence in this trial? 5:11 Yeah, certainly. I can see the episode being used to establish a timeline, 5:15 potentially uncover a motive, but investigators haven't publicly stated what the motive could be. 5:20 The judge from the People's Court, Marilyn Millian, actually spoke out shortly after Smith's arrest, saying that she was 5:27 devastated and wondered if there was anything more than she could have done. 5:31 The judge had expressed regret for joking and making light of the situation in that people's court episode 5:37 Something that didn't make it into the episode in 2003. Dale Smith, Jr. was discharged from the Marine Corps 5:44 Due to drug related and domestic battery charges. So there was a criminal history there 5:51 So do we know if those domestic battery charges involve Michelle? 5:56 That's unclear. Michelle did file a restraining order against Smith in 6:00 in 2009, but this was ultimately denied due to insufficient evidence. 6:14 So let's talk about the timeline and what we know about how this all played out, right? 6:19 We're talking about something that happened November 17, 2011. And as we talked about 6:25 off the top, Christiane, Smith was the last person really to see her after she dropped 6:30 off the kids, the twins at his house that day. So how did Michelle's family actually 6:35 find out or discover that she was missing. 6:39 Right. 6:39 The family first became suspicious when Michelle didn't pick up her 11-year-old son from school. 6:45 This is the child that she had before meeting Dale Smith Jr. 6:50 The urgency only grew when Michelle failed to show up for work. 6:54 When Michelle's mom got a hold of Smith, he said that he thought she was going to 6:59 Waterfork. 7:00 This is an area east of Orlando. 7:02 out. So this was odd because when a family member had texted Michelle about where she was, 7:07 she had replied, Waterford, but didn't give any context as to why she would be in that area. 7:13 They had a lot of questions about who was actually sending that text message. 7:18 So we know some things about what happened right after, right? Like the day after she 7:22 went missing, investigators say that they found Michelle Parker's Hummer in a parking lot. 7:27 And apparently that Christian led to the family believing that she was carjacked after that 7:33 big appearance on the People's Court show. 7:36 And what's interesting here is they had actually put out money hoping that they would find 7:42 some information. 7:42 They put out like $63,000 of a reward for anyone that could help find Michelle. 7:48 They also had a nonprofit anonymous tip line that was offering an additional $5,000 reward. 7:54 And then now, weeks after Michelle's disappearance, we know CBS News had actually reported that 8:00 while the couple's relationship was rocky, and you'd mentioned that, police said that 8:05 Smith wasn't a suspect at that time. 8:09 But then by December 8th that year, Smith had eventually been identified as a suspect 8:14 by Orlando police. 8:16 So what changed here? 8:18 Right. 8:18 Look, yes, but he had no charges filed against him and had not been arrested 8:22 that's seemingly due to insufficient evidence. 8:25 Orlando police released red light camera footage 8:28 of Michelle's car. 8:30 And I mean, the investigator at that time said 8:32 that it did not appear that anyone was following 8:35 Michelle's vehicle or that she was following anyone. 8:39 So there was actually no arrest or charges 8:42 against Dale Smith Jr. until this year, right? 8:45 15 years later. 8:46 So what changed? 8:48 Chanel, I think what's so difficult in this case 8:49 is that they haven't been able 8:51 to find Michelle Parker's remains. It's essentially a nobody case, although investigators say that 8:57 they are continuing to search. Now, back in 2011, Michelle's phone was recovered from 9:02 an Orlando area lake. And since then, according to the Orlando police chief, Eric Smith, 9:08 they reexamined testimony from Smith. There have been advances in digital forensics 9:14 that allowed investigators to analyze additional evidence. They looked into vehicles, phones 9:20 and computers. And so really these advancements in technology have led to this 9:27 arrest. But I mean, for so many years without being able to find the body, it's 9:31 been difficult to bring up charges. Clearly, whatever this new evidence is, it's 9:37 something that got them and prosecutors comfortable enough to bring 9:42 forth these charges and make that arrest. So I guess the big question is 9:46 Why? Do investigators have any sense or idea of a possible motive here? 9:52 Right. I mean, that's the big question. They haven't publicly stated a motive. 9:56 It seems like prosecutors are really playing this close to the chest. 10:00 Detectives have confirmed that there has been new evidence, 10:02 but have given few details on what that might be. 10:06 The judge sealed a 46-page arrest affidavit, 10:09 which shows how police tied Dale Smith Jr. to Parker's killing. 10:13 On Friday, October 16th, prosecutors put forth an unopposed motion to modify the seal so that both sides would have access to the affidavit. 10:24 A protective order would stipulate that they safeguard their report. 10:28 Smith's defense attorney does not believe that the affidavit has enough proof of guilt. 10:32 And we should note that Smith, Jr. through this entire time has consistently denied any wrongdoing in this case. 10:39 So let's talk about the charges here, right? Because Smith was arrested, Christiane, on charges of 10:46 second degree murder. That of course means that it was intentional without premeditation. So talk 10:53 about the decision behind that charge. What does that tell us? Right. Police have said that they 10:57 could upgrade those charges to first degree murder if they're able to get more evidence. Now, 11:03 I spoke to a former prosecutor about this, a former Florida prosecutor, and he said that, 11:08 You know, he was wondering if this could potentially be a way of getting Smith to reveal more about where Michelle's remains could potentially be. 11:19 So again, during the press conference, officials made it clear that they felt that the charges could be upgraded. 11:26 And the question that this former prosecutor had, well, is this a way of getting him to tell detectives more about the case, perhaps bring closer to this family? 11:36 Yeah, and this is a family that hasn't had closure for what, 15 years now, right? 11:41 How have they been spending the last 15 years? 11:44 Well, look, so in 2013, Michelle's family had filed a wrongful death lawsuit against 11:48 Smith when he became the prime suspect in her disappearance. 11:52 The lawsuit stated that no other suspects have been identified in the criminal investigation 11:57 other than Smith. 11:59 However, Smith has not been charged with a crime related to the disappearance of 12:03 Michelle Parker. 12:04 In 2020, the family withdrew the lawsuit in what's called a voluntary dismissal. 12:10 After Michelle's disappearance, Smith gained full custody of the twins he and Michelle shared. 12:16 Now in 2015, Rick Scott, the Florida governor at the time, signed a bill into law that 12:21 expands grandparents' visitation rights for minor children under certain circumstances. 12:27 One of these circumstances is if a parent is dead and the other is a convicted felon. 12:33 But three years later, Michelle's parents were denied visitation to their twin grandchildren since Smith had not been convicted. 12:40 Wow, this must have been so painful. I mean, I just can't imagine, Christiane, what this would have been like for a family to be kept away from basically their last living reminder of their lost child, lost sister. 13:00 I know that you sat down with Michelle's mother Yvonne and brother Dustin. Let's listen to part of that conversation. 13:07 I have to commend Orlando Police Department and the team of people that really rallied 13:16 to help find justice for Michelle. 13:20 They're my heroes. 13:21 And we didn't know until early this morning that I needed to go down to headquarters 13:27 and they came and picked me up. 13:29 So when I got there, the chief was in the room and about, I would say, 15 other detectives. 13:35 And I was like, oh, this is going to be big. 13:38 Maybe they found Michelle. 13:39 Maybe maybe they arrested Dale. 13:43 You guys have a message for Dale? 13:47 No, absolutely not. 13:49 I'm glad he's worried that I got a message and it's 13:55 now that it's out in the open and time to do the right thing. 14:00 I want to bury my sister. 14:03 Oh, I just have goosebumps hearing that, you know, 14:07 Obviously this has been so incredibly difficult 14:10 for this family who's been waiting for answers. 14:12 You know, all of the answers are not there yet, 14:15 but we do have this arrest now. 14:18 Are they relieved about that? 14:20 And Chanel, I just wanna know that, I mean, 14:23 this is a family that's been fighting for this for so long. 14:27 This is a case that if 15 years ago 14:29 you turned on the news, national news or local news, 14:33 you could not escape it. 14:34 and they had released a voicemail at the time 14:38 and then there was video released 14:40 and throughout the years they continued 14:41 to do these TV interviews and your heart just broke 14:45 for them year after year after year. 14:48 And, you know, as we noted at the top, 14:49 Michelle's mother said, this was just the beginning 14:52 of justice, it's something that they've wanted 14:55 for a long time, but what they really want 14:57 is to find Michelle's body and they feel 15:00 that Smith may hold those answers. 15:02 So, again, they're grateful obviously for the police work that has been done to get them 15:09 to where they're at, but for them, there's also a long road ahead. 15:12 I mean, that includes potentially a trial. 15:15 Their focus is on potentially being able to find Michelle Parker's body, and if Smith 15:23 has that information, you know, that they're hopeful that he'll share that with authorities. 15:28 There were so many really powerful moments from that interview with Yvonne 15:33 and Dustin. I want to play one more. Michelle was mischievous. She was fun. 15:41 She was super motivated and responsible. She was an excellent mommy. She was a 15:48 great daughter. She was a great friend. And she is deeply missed every single 15:56 day. So, Christian, you know those twins are probably like 18 now. These are children that 16:03 have lived most of their lives without their mother Michelle. How are they doing? Do we know 16:07 anything about them? Well, what's interesting here is, yes, the twins are 18 now. And I mean, 16:11 they've been living with Smith. He's had custody of them. And so at this point, in essence, 16:16 they've lost both of their parents. It's not easy on the entire family for Michelle 16:22 Parker side to be clear this arrest has not brought closure but rather a step towards what they think 16:28 could be justice and I mean you can only imagine what the twins are feeling at this moment certainly 16:35 having been raised by their father and having him arrested now I mean they're 18 they're still so 16:41 young so it's just the family feels such a mix of emotions and but at the end of the day 16:50 There is an arrest. It's something that for so many years, they had asked for. And they, 16:57 for so many years, gave, as I said, you know, these sort of emotional interviews, just this 17:03 emotional testimony of trying to bring closure to this case. And this is one step towards 17:10 that. 17:11 Yeah, sounds like it's been a really, really painful 15 years for them. And they are 17:15 certainly looking for answers. Christian, thank you so much for joining us today 17:19 and for all of your reporting on this. 17:21 Thank you, Shana. 17:23 And we'll be back next week with another episode of Case by Case. 17:27 For our continuing coverage, 17:28 you can check the Case by Case feed wherever you find your podcasts. 17:32 You can also watch episodes of Case by Case 17:34 on the 48 Hours YouTube channel 17:36 or by searching Case by Case on Paramount+. 17:40 Be sure to rate and review 17:41 and let us know which cases you're following 17:43 and which cases you'd like us to follow. 17:46 On Paramount Plus, our hits hit harder.
Community discussion