Smith, who is now 62, was last seen leaving her Eden home back on December 9, 2001. She reportedly told her husband she was going to a Kmart in Martinsville, Virginia, to do Christmas shopping at the time, but never returned.
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A formal missing person’s report was filed for the then 38-year-old mom, and “an extensive investigation was immediately launched,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
“Over the years, the case drew the attention and collaboration of multiple agencies across North Carolina and Virginia, including the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),” reads the press statement. “Despite countless hours of investigative work and the pursuit of numerous leads, Michelle Hundley Smith’s whereabouts remained unknown.”
The sheriff’s office never gave up on their search, which ended on Friday, February 20.
The sheriff’s office’s Criminal Investigations Division “received new information regarding Michelle Hundley Smith and her disappearance” and “detectives immediately followed up on the lead and began further investigative efforts,” the statement explained.
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Two detectives spoke with her and confirmed her identity. It does not appear she is facing any criminal charges.
