ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C. — A woman who went missing more than two decades ago has been found alive in North Carolina, the Rockingham County Sheriff’ Office announced.
Michelle Hundely Smith, who was 38 when she disappeared in December 2001, was located by investigators following a new lead, according to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies first began looking into Smith’s disappearance after her husband reported she had left their Eden home on December 9 to go Christmas shopping at the K Mart in Martinsville, Virginia.
Detectives pursued countless tips, but none led to Smith’s whereabouts.
On February 19, the sheriff’s office says it received new information that prompted investigators to reopen the case.
The next day, Smith was found at an undisclosed location somewhere in North Carolina alive and well.
Deputies said Smith requested that her current location remain private. Her family has been notified.
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