Michelle Parker case: Judge to unseal arrest affidavit against Dale Smith Jr.
Dale Smith Jr. appears in court on Oct. 15, 2026, a day after he was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder in the disappearance and presumed death of Michelle Parker.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - An Orange County judge will unseal court records in the Michelle Parker case following the arrest of Parker's ex-fiancé, Dale Smith Jr., in her disappearance.
What we know:
During a Monday morning hearing, the judge agreed to grant a motion to unseal the affidavit related to Smith's arrest.
The hearing came after prosecutors charged Smith with second-degree murder in the disappearance of Parker.
The Orlando Police Department had requested that Smith's arrest affidavit be sealed until at least Oct. 26, while it was conducting its investigation.
But Rajan Joshi, Smith's attorney, told FOX 35 last week that he wanted the arrest affidavit to be released.
What we don't know:
It's unclear when the records will be unsealed and available to the public.
Michelle Parker has been missing since 2011
The backstory:
Parker has been missing since Nov. 17, 2011.
The 33-year-old disappeared after dropping off her kids at the home of their father and her ex-fiancé, Dale Smith Jr.
Parker was reportedly supposed to go to work that evening but never showed up.
She went missing the same day an episode of The People's Court featuring her and Smith in a dispute aired on TV.
Dale Smith, Parker's ex-fiancé, arrested in her disappearance
Smith was arrested Oct. 14 on a charge of second-degree murder.
Prior to his arrest, Smith had been considered a suspect in Parker's disappearance. Investigators said he was the "last known person" to hear from or see Parker before she went missing.
Smith has maintained his innocence and denied any involvement in Parker's disappearance.
Orlando police said advancements in digital forensics helped investigators reexamine data and old evidence in the case, leading to Smith's arrest.
The Source: This story was written based on information from Orange County court records, the Orlando Police Department and previous FOX 35 reporting.