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Florida man killed ex-fiancée hours after their 'People's Court' episode aired, police say
ABC7 Los Angeles • • nation
Key Points:
- Dale Smith Jr., 55, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the disappearance of his ex-fiancee, Michelle Parker, who went missing nearly 15 years ago in Orlando, Florida.
- Parker, 33, has not been found, but police say all evidence points to Smith as responsible for her death; her vehicle was found abandoned and her cellphone recovered from a lake.
- Orlando police reopened and intensified the investigation over the past year, using advances in digital forensics to analyze new and old evidence from electronic devices and vehicles.
- Smith was the last person to see Parker when she dropped off their children at his home on the day she disappeared, and the case remained a priority for police throughout the years.
- On the day Parker vanished, a "The People's Court" episode featuring a dispute between Smith and Parker over a lost engagement ring aired, with the judge ruling both were responsible for the ring's loss.
