A woman reported missing more than 20 years ago has been reunited with her daughter in an emotional meeting.
Michele Hundley Smith went missing from her home in North Carolina on December 9, 2001, when she was 38. She had reportedly set out for Christmas shopping in Martinsville, Virginia, but never came back.
For years, the disappearance remained unsolved and drew renewed attention after being highlighted in a December 2020 episode of Dateline’s “Cold Case Spotlight”.
Smith’s daughter, Amanda Smith, was 14 when her mother vanished. She previously spoke about how difficult it was to cope with the uncertainty. “I was just a teenager at the time and didn’t really know what to do,” she said.
Amanda also said that, even if her mother had left by choice, she still hoped for answers and a chance to reconnect. “If she contacted me right now, I would – well, I’d have a lot of questions,” she said. “But she’s still my mother. I would accept her back. I want her to know that. And I would just be happy that she’s alive.”
Investigators later said a new tip came in decades after Smith disappeared, ultimately leading authorities to locate her at an undisclosed place in North Carolina. Detectives made contact on February 20 and confirmed she was ‘alive and well’.
According to court records, Smith had been cited for driving while impaired on November 11, 2001, and did not appear in court on December 27, 2001, People reports.
Smith was arrested on February 25, 2026 in connection with the outstanding DWI-related charge and posted bond the same day.
She told investigators she left her home in 2001 due to ‘ongoing domestic issues’, People reports.
Rockingham Country Attorney Katie Gregg said there is not enough evidence to pursue additional charges, such as abandonment, in relation to her disappearance.
Amanda and her mother then came face-to-face outside the Rockingham County courthouse on Thursday, March 26, when Smith appeared in court in connection with the earlier DWI case. Amanda met her there, marking their first time seeing one another in 24 years.
“We only get one life, and I want my mom in it,” she said during the reunion, local outlet WXII reported.
After playing a central role in efforts to find her mother, Amanda later shared an update on social media describing the flood of emotions that followed the reunion.
“These last couple of days, well not even a full 48 hours have been a whirlwind of emotions,”“I am ecstatic, I am pissed, I am heartbroken, I am all over the map! Will I have a relationship once more with my mom? Honestly I can’t answer that bc I don’t even know… My initial reaction would be yes absolutely but then I think of all the hurt… But even then … My mom is only human just as we all are.”
She added: “Thank you again to all of you for your concern, your support, your love, your comforting words. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your kindness, your love, your empathy and sympathy.”