The daughter of a woman who was found alive and well over two decades after her disappearance is speaking out.
On Friday, February 20, the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office shared that Michelle Hundley Smith, now 62, who was first reported missing on December 31, 2001, was located alive and well after detectives "received new information" about her disappearance.
At the time of her disappearance, Michelle was a 38-year-old mother-of-three from Eden, North Carolina, who disappeared on December 9, 2001, after claiming to have gone Christmas shopping at a K-Mart in Martinsville, Virginia, about 17 miles away from her home in Eden.
© FacebookAddressing the disappearance
Now, her daughter Amanda, who was 14 at the time of her mother's disappearance, writing on a Facebook page dedicated to finding Michele, said: "These last couple of days, well not even a full 48 hours have been a whirlwind of emotions. I am still not in the right state of mind to make a clear post but I will say that anyone who reads this please please leave your accusations and assumptions in your head."
"You are free to think whatever of course, just please don't put them out there for my family to see," she noted, emphasizing: "Please respect my family [because] we are hurting and going through a lot. My dad has been through so many accusations since all the way back then... Even before social media was big, where we live in a small town, there were many [people] acting as if they just knew he was involved... Well he wasn't! Of course I never thought he was…"
After further maintaining her father's innocence, noting many marriages have "issues" like those of her parents, and that he is a "super hero" in her eyes, Amanda spoke candidly about how she feels about her mother's decision to leave.
"As far as my opinions and feelings on my mom... I am ecstatic, I am pissed, I am heartbroken, I am all over the map!" she confessed. "Will I have a relationship once more with my mom? Honestly I can't answer that [because] 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."
"Everything I have been through in life, I can absolutely understand taking off and leaving," Amanda then acknowledged, adding: "I am not saying that she gets off scott free without accountability or responsibility [because] she absolutely needs to do that... What I am saying is that I am a runner as well and while this isn't something to be proud of at all, it's a part of being human."
She further shared: "Life is too short to throw so much hate towards another bc what is that hate going to accomplish? .... With that being said, anyone in my family, no matter what they choose... They can choose to forgive and forget, they can choose to forgive and not forget, they can choose to forget but not forgive or they can choose to neither forget nor forgive... It is their choice and I would appreciate it if everyone out there will respect their decision no matter whether they agree or disagree."
© FacebookThe very lengthy post concluded, in part, with: "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."
Why Michele left
Though police were asked to not disclose Michele's current location, County Sheriff Sam Page did say that "there were no allegations of any foul play" but that "according to Ms. Smith, she said she left due to ongoing domestic issues at the time, but did not elaborate on that," per People. HELLO! has reached out for comment.
They are now awaiting word from the district attorney to see if any possible charges "along the lines of abandonment" are viable and recommended.
