Michelle Parker and her former fiancé, Dale Smith Jr., appeared on an episode of The People's Court on Nov. 17, 2011. Hours later, she vanished.
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Almost 15 years later, Smith was arrested by the Orlando Police Department (OPD) on the charge of second-degree murder.
What Happened to Michelle Parker?
As PEOPLE reports, Parker and Smith appeared on The People's Court to fight over the loss of an engagement ring. Afterward, the bartender dropped off her then 3-year-old twins at Smith's condo.
She planned to run some errands and head to work, but she never showed up for her shift. The next day, Smith's Hummer was found in an abandoned parking lot. Three weeks later, divers found her iPhone in a nearby lake.
Smith was always considered a suspect. In a news briefing on Wednesday, Oct. 14, the Chief of Police said he was "the last known person to see or hear from Michelle" before she disappeared.
Police Focused on the Case Over the Last Year
During the briefing, a detective said Smith was "surprised" that police arrived to arrest him.
The OPD posted a video on social media of Smith in handcuffs and being put into a police vehicle. It credited "years of investigative work" for his arrest, but noted that a "renewed, focused effort over the past year" helped break the case.
"An expanded investigative team reexamined evidence and used advances in digital forensics to uncover and analyze additional evidence that moved this case forward," police said.
The OPD Chief of Police said investigators "re-examined the testimony, conflicting statements made by the suspect, and used advanced digital forensics to uncover and analyze additional evidence." He did not discuss any specific details to "protect the integrity" of the investigation.
If there is enough evidence, State Attorney Monique H. Worrell of the Ninth Judicial District said the charge against Smith could be escalated to first-degree murder.
"It's like the happiest day because she deserves this," Parker's mother told reporters. "Honestly, I have a lot of prayers that go unanswered. And I just knew that one day, everything dark would come into the light, and not lean to my own understanding, and trust in Him in all my ways."
She added, "It's not easy to lose a child this way. Her children didn't deserve to lose a mother this way."
