What the woman who went shopping in 2001 and disappeared for 24 years told investigators. She could be charged with abandonment
The woman in the United States who was found after disappearing for almost a quarter of a century told investigators that she voluntarily left home because of “ongoing domestic problems”Independent notes.
Michele Hundley Smith has been missing for 24 years. PHOTO: namus.gov
It's about Michele Lyn Hundley Smith, a mother of three from the town of Eden, who in December 2001, at the age of 38, went Christmas shopping and never returned. His disappearance sparked, at the time, a wide-ranging investigation involving multiple agencies, including the FBI.
Authorities in Rockingham County announced Friday that the woman, now 62, has been found alive.
“He was in good shape,” Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page told People magazine. He emphasized that there are no indications of any criminal act in connection with her disappearance.
“I can say there were no criminal charges related to her departure. According to Ms. Smith, she said she left because of ongoing domestic issues at the time.” the sheriff said, noting that the woman did not provide additional details and that there was no formal complaint filed prior to the disappearance.
Found after almost 25 years
The Rockingham Sheriff's Office said the woman was located after investigators received “new information” regarding the circumstances of her disappearance, almost 25 years after she was reported missing. Detectives were able to make contact with her at an undisclosed location in the state of North Carolina.
Authorities have not released details of his current whereabouts, but said the family has been told he is safe.
At the time of her disappearance, investigators described her as fair “vulnerable adult” and they claimed that “she would not have left her children on her own initiative.” His three children then remained in the father's care.
Possible legal consequences
After the woman was found, the case was turned over to the district attorney's office to consider whether charges, including abandonment, should be filed.
“She had three children when she left and they stayed with the father. Our detectives have discussed with the DA's office if there is any possibility of charges, along the lines of abandonment or otherwise,” Sheriff Page stated. To date, no charges have been filed.
Children's reaction: “I'm happy, angry and heartbroken”
The discovery caused a wave of emotions in the family. The woman's daughter wrote on a Facebook page dedicated to the search for her mother that the news brought “a carousel of emotions”.
“I'm ecstatic, I'm angry, I'm heartbroken, I'm a roller coaster of emotions!”she said, adding that she does not know if she will be able to resume her relationship with her mother.
“My initial reaction would be yes, absolutely, but then I think about all the pain… However, my mother is only human, as we all are,” her daughter also wrote.
He also dismissed online speculation that the father had any involvement in the mother's disappearance: “My dad has been through so much and I want it to be clear that even though their marriage was in trouble, my mom didn't just leave because of an unhappy marriage. My father was proven innocent.”
Although the woman chose, according to the family, to start a new life, the children say they have fond memories of the time when she was part of their daily lives.
