ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C. – After 24 years of uncertainty, the family of Michele Hundley Smith has received the news they had long hoped for – she has been found alive. The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on February 20, 2026, that Smith, who disappeared on December 9, 2001, after leaving home for a Christmas shopping trip, is “alive and well.”
Smith, 38 years old at the time of her disappearance, told her family she was heading to a K-Mart in Martinsville, Virginia, approximately 17 miles from her home in Eden, North Carolina. She was driving a green 1995 Pontiac Trans Sport van, which has never been located. She was reported missing on December 31, 2001, prompting an extensive investigation involving multiple agencies, including the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case remained cold for over two decades, despite continued efforts by law enforcement and the dedication of family members who refused to give up hope. In 2020 and 2021, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office actively sought information about Smith’s whereabouts, even offering a cash reward for leads.
The breakthrough came on February 19, 2026, when the Sheriff’s Office received new information regarding the case. The following day, Sergeant A. Disher and Detective C. Worley located Smith at an undisclosed location within North Carolina.
In a statement released on Facebook, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office emphasized that Smith has requested her current location remain confidential. “At her request, her current whereabouts will remain undisclosed,” the statement read. Authorities have not released any details regarding the circumstances of her disappearance or her life over the past 24 years.
The news has brought a complex mix of emotions to Smith’s daughter, Amanda Smith, who was just 14 years old when her mother vanished. Amanda shared her feelings on the “Bring Michele Hundley Smith Home” Facebook page on Sunday, describing the last few days as a “whirlwind of emotions.”
“I am ecstatic, I am pissed, I am heartbroken, I am all over the map!” Amanda wrote. She acknowledged the uncertainty about the future of their relationship, stating, “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.”
Amanda expressed gratitude for the unwavering support of the community and requested privacy for her family as they navigate this new chapter. She also indicated her intention to repurpose the Facebook group as a resource for other families of missing persons.
In a 2020 interview with Dateline, Amanda recalled her father’s belief that her mother had simply left, a possibility she struggled to reconcile with. “If she contacted me right now, I would –. Well, I’d have a lot of questions,” she said at the time. “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.”
The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding Smith’s disappearance, but for now, the focus remains on respecting her wishes for privacy and allowing her family time to process this extraordinary development.
