People’s Court Judge Marilyn Milian is addressing the arrest of Dale Smith Jr., who is accused of killing his former fiancée, Michelle Parker. Parker disappeared on the same day that the couple’s previously recorded appearance on the courtroom TV show aired.
“We were devastated at the show,” Milian told Inside Edition following Smith’s Oct. 14 arrest. “Devastated. Because you sit there and you say to yourself, ‘Is there anything I could have done differently? Is there anything we could have anticipated? Is there anything he said, or she said that might have given a glimpse into what the future would hold?’”
Milian said she was relieved to hear about the development in the long-running case. “I’m just so happy for her family that they may get some justice now,” she said.
Court documents obtained by Oxygen show that Smith submitted a written plea of not guilty. His lawyer, Rajan Joshi, told Inside Edition that his “client has maintained his innocence.”
What Happened to Missing Mom Michelle Parker?
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said at a press conference that Parker was last seen on the afternoon of Nov. 17, 2011, while dropping off her twins at her former fiancé’s home.
The 33-year-old woman was reported missing later that day after she failed to appear for her bartending shift in Sanford, Fla., according to Fox News.
Several days after her disappearance, Parker’s Hummer was discovered abandoned near an apartment complex. Investigators also found her cellphone in a lake roughly four miles from Smith’s home after a dive team searched the water.
Although Parker’s remains have never been found, police say a renewed investigation produced enough evidence to charge Smith with second-degree murder.
“Over the past year, we expanded our investigative team looking into this case and took a fresh, focused look at all the evidence,” the police chief said. “We re-examined testimony and conflicting statements made by the suspect, and used advanced and digital forensics to uncover and analyze additional evidence. This case never stopped being a priority.”
Why Did Michelle Parker and Dale Smith Jr. Appear on People’s Court?
Parker vanished on the very day the episode featuring her and Smith aired on People’s Court. During the segment, the former couple appeared before Milian to settle a dispute involving Parker’s $5,000 engagement ring.
Parker said she had thrown the ring from a balcony during an intense argument with Smith.
“He gets pretty malicious and vindictive,” Parker told Milian during the televised case. “He’s a mean person, especially when he’s been drinking.”
Smith brought the dispute to court after he was unable to retrieve the missing ring. Milian ruled that Parker should reimburse him $2,500, representing half of the jewelry’s value.
Parker’s relatives told Fox News that she had felt embarrassed about appearing on the program and did not intend to watch the episode on the day she disappeared.
Smith was regarded as a suspect throughout the investigation, but nearly 13 years passed before Orlando police arrested him in connection with Parker’s disappearance.
According to jail records reviewed by Oxygen, Smith remains in custody at the Orange County jail.