Dale Smith Jr. is charged with murder in connection with the 2011 disappearance of Michelle Parker

NEED TO KNOW

• Michelle Parker’s ex-fiancé, Dale Smith Jr., has been arrested in connection with her disappearance and charged with murder
• Parker has not been seen since 2011
• Police reportedly said Smith had given conflicting statements over the years 

In the years before he was arrested in connection with Michelle Parker’s alleged murder, her ex-fiancé reportedly gave conflicting statements to investigators.

Dale Smith Jr. was arrested Wednesday, Oct. 14, and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the 2011 disappearance of Parker, the Orlando Police Department said.

Parker has not been seen since she vanished and her body has not been found, but police said “all evidence leads to Dale Smith Jr. as the person responsible for Michelle’s murder.”

Per CBS News and Click Orlando, Orlando police Chief Eric Smith said at a press conference that the department had taken a look at new evidence in the case, which led to the suspect’s arrest.

“We reexamined testimony and conflicting statements made by the suspect and used advanced digital forensics to uncover and analyze additional evidence,” the chief said, according to CBS.

Detective Phillip McMican said, per the outlet, that the ex-fiancé had given “different answers” to the “same questions” over the years.

The day Parker vanished, she appeared on an episode of The People’s Court with Smith, which had been previously filmed. In the episode, they argued over the loss of an engagement ring.

That same day, she had dropped off her twins at Smith’s home before she planned to run an errand.

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One day after Parker failed to show up for work, her vehicle was found abandoned in a parking lot. Three weeks later, divers discovered her iPhone in a lake.

WESH spoke to Smith’s attorney, Rajan Joshi, who has visited with his client since his arrest.

“[Smith] maintains his innocence, and we’re going to go forward with defending him,” Joshi told the outlet.

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