Michelle Parker update: Dale Smith Jr. pleads not guilty, denied bond in ex-fiancé's presumed death
ORLANDO, Fla. - Dale Smith Jr., the ex-fiancé of Michelle Parker, who disappeared in November 2011, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder related to her disappearance and death.
The Orlando Police Department announced Smith's arrest on Wednesday, Oct. 14, which came nearly 15 years after Parker disappeared. She has not been heard from or seen since, and her body has not been found.
Dale Smith pleads not guilty, judge ordered him held on no bond
What we know:
On Thursday afternoon, Smith made his first court appearance in front of a judge regarding potential bond. A judge ordered him to be held without bond, pending a potential request for an Arthur hearing, which is a bond hearing for more serious alleged offenses.
Smith also pleaded not guilty to the charge of second-degree murder through his attorney, according to court records. Aside from stating his name to the judge, Smith did not talk during the hearing.
Judge orders Dale Smith's arrest affidavit sealed
On Wednesday, a judge ordered the affidavit for Smith's arrest warrant and the arrest warrant itself to be sealed, barring it from public release, citing a request from a detective with the Orlando Police Department. The motion did not cite the specific reasons.
Michelle Parker's disappearance
The backstory:
Michelle Parker, a mother of three, disappeared on Nov. 17, 2011 in Orlando after dropping her children off at Smith's house, the father of her children. It was the same day that Smith and Parker appeared in an episode of "The People's Court," which was recorded before her disappearance.
The day after she was reported missing, Parker's Hummer was found abandoned in a parking lot. Weeks later, her cell phone was found at the bottom of a pond.
Police have long said Smith was considered to be a suspect in her disappearance. However, he had not been arrested or charged in her disappearance or death, until last week.
'The People's Court' episode
Big picture view:
In "The People's Court" TV episode, Dale Smith Jr. sued Michelle Parker over a $5,000 engagement ring. According to the episode, the two got into a heated argument while on a trip. During that argument, Smith demanded the ring back. Parker threw it at him, and it apparently went over the balcony of their hotel room, and was lost.
The judge ultimately ordered both of them to split the cost of the ring: $2,500 each.
The Source: This story uses information gathered from the live court feed of Dale Smith Jr.'s bond hearing on Oct. 15, the Orlando Police Department, Orange County Clerk of Court, and previous reporting by FOX 35.