A mother of three from North Carolina, who went missing more than twenty years ago, has been found alive and has started a new life — leaving her family in shock and filled with questions regarding her absence, as per authorities.
The report is released during a period when authorities are actively seeking Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie. Her 84-year-old mother has been missing since January 31, and officials have been unable to find her.
Michele Lyn Hundley Smith went missing in Dec 2021
Michele Lyn Hundley Smith, who was 38 at the time, vanished in December 2001 after she left her residence in Eden to shop for Christmas at a Kmart in Virginia, according to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office.
Smith’s concerning disappearance led to extensive searches by various agencies in North Carolina and Virginia, including the FBI, who dedicated countless hours to locating the mother of three and followed numerous investigative leads, according to law enforcement.
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Smith is ‘alive and well’
A missing person flyer that was circulated at the time of her disappearance stated that she should be regarded as “endangered” and that “would not leave her kids by choice.”
Approximately 24 years later, Smith was found “alive and well” at a location in North Carolina that has not been disclosed, following a tip received by officers, stated authorities.
Where is Michelle Hundley Smith?
While her exact location will remain confidential, police have confirmed that her family has been informed about her discovery.
Speaking to WFMYNews 2, Smith’s cousin Barbara Byrd said, “I kind of want to go outside and scream, ‘She’s alive, she’s alive.’”
“My biggest question is to her … what happened all those years ago in December? What made you leave? What happened?” Byrd stated.
“I never thought Michele was dead. I knew she was alive. It’s just a feeling that I had my whole life,” she said.
In an extensive statement shared on Facebook this past Sunday, one of Smith’s astonished children expressed that “these last couple of days … have been a whirlwind of emotions.”
In a Facebook page focused on finding her missing mother, a statement read: “As far as my opinions and feelings on my mom … I am ecstatic, I am p—ed, I am heartbroken, I am all over the map! Will I have a relationship once more with my mom?”
“Honestly I can’t answer that because I don’t even know. My initial reaction would be yes, absolutely, but then I think of all the hurt … But even then, my mom is only human, just as we all are,” she wrote.