NC woman who disappeared in 2001 arrested in Robeson County

ROBESON COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A woman who was reported missing more than 24 years ago has now been arrested on an outstanding order for arrest tied to a 2001 driving while impaired charge.

According to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, Michele Hundley Smith was taken into custody Wednesday by the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office at the request of Rockingham County authorities.

Authorities identified an outstanding Order for Arrest for failure to appear. The order stems from a DWI charge issued by the Eden Police Department on Nov. 11, 2001. Authorities said Smith failed to appear in court on Dec. 27, 2001.

Smith had originally been reported missing Dec. 31, 2001. Investigators said she had been missing since Dec. 9, 2001, after reportedly leaving her home on Price Road in Eden to travel to K-Mart in Martinsville, Virginia, for Christmas shopping. She was 38 years old at the time.

An extensive investigation followed, involving multiple agencies in North Carolina and Virginia, including the State Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Despite years of investigative work and numerous leads, her whereabouts remained unknown.

On Feb. 19, 2026, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division received new information about her disappearance. Detectives followed up and on Feb. 20 made contact with Smith at an undisclosed location in North Carolina. Authorities said she was found alive and well. At her request, her current location was not released.

Court records show bond was set at $2,000. Smith posted bond and is scheduled to appear in Rockingham County District Court on March 26, 2026.