Michele Hundley Smith, the North Carolina mom of three who was found last month after she went missing in 2001, has shared an emotional reunion with her daughter.
Michele arrived at the Rockingham County district courthouse on Thursday for a hearing related to a charge she was issued before her disappearance more than 24 years ago. There, she reunited with her daughter Amanda Smith, who had come to support her during the hearing, according to local NBC affiliate WXII.
The pair walked toward each other and hugged tightly, video from the scene shows.
“I know everything is not black and white, there’s a whole gray area. I mean, life’s too short for me to hold a grudge against her, because she’s my mom,” Amanda said.
"We only get one life, and I want my mom in it," she added.
After the hearing, Michele left the courthouse and got into the same car as her daughter, according to the outlet.
Michele was 38 years old when she was reported missing to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office on December 31, 2001. Her husband told police she traveled to a K-Mart in Martinsville, Virginia, on December 9 to do some Christmas shopping, but never returned home.
The case remained unsolved for more than two decades. But thanks to a new lead, detectives found Michele “alive and well” in North Carolina late last month, according to the sheriff’s office. The agency said officials notified her family, but kept her whereabouts private at her request.
Days after she was found, Michele was taken into custody. Police had discovered an outstanding arrest order that stemmed from a DWI charge issued before her disappearance.
“The Order for Arrest stemmed from a DWI charge issued by the Eden Police Department on a November 11, 2001,” the sheriff’s office said. “Michele Hundley Smith failed to appear in court on December 27, 2001, for this charge.”
Attorney Jason Ross has been appointed to represent Michele, who is expected to appear in court again on April 23, according to The Charlotte Observer. The Independent has contacted Ross for comment.
It’s still unclear exactly why Michele left her home in 2001. When The Charlotte Observer asked about her disappearance after Thursday’s hearing, Michele said: “It was personal.”
“I had my own demons at the time and I was in my own head, and I had my reasons,” she added.
Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page told People Magazine that Michele attributed it to “domestic issues,” but didn’t elaborate.
"Let me just say there were no allegations of any foul play regarding to her leaving," he said. "But according to Ms. Smith, she said she left... due to ongoing domestic issues at the time."
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