A North Carolina woman who mysteriously vanished more than two decades ago — only to be found alive earlier this month — has now been arrested on a decades-old charge that was still hanging over her head.
Michele Hundley Smith was taken into custody in Robeson County on an outstanding failure-to-appear warrant tied to a 2001 driving while impaired charge, according to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office.
Court records show Smith was cited for DWI on November 11, 2001. She failed to appear in court the following month, on December 27, 2001. That charge remained active for nearly 24 years.
Smith was arrested on February 25 and posted bond the same day. She is scheduled to appear in Rockingham County District Court on March 26.
Her arrest comes just days after authorities confirmed she had been located alive — a stunning development in a case that baffled investigators for decades.
Smith was 38 years old when she disappeared on December 9, 2001. She left her Rockingham County home, telling her family she was heading to Martinsville, Virginia, for Christmas shopping. She never returned. At the time, her husband reported her missing.
Earlier this month, detectives received new information in the cold case and made contact with Smith at an undisclosed location in North Carolina. Officials said they met with her face-to-face on February 20 and confirmed she was “alive and well.”
According to prior reports, Smith — a mother of three — told investigators she left voluntarily in 2001 due to ongoing domestic issues. Authorities have said there were no prior domestic violence reports on file and no evidence of foul play.
Rockingham County District Attorney Katie Gregg told WFMY that there was not enough evidence to pursue criminal charges related to her disappearance, such as abandonment. However, the original DWI charge from 2001 was still active, leading to her recent arrest.
Over the years, multiple agencies — including the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI — assisted in searching for Smith.
The emotional fallout has been complicated for her family. After learning her mother was alive, Smith’s daughter shared on social media that she felt “ecstatic,” “pissed,” “heartbroken” and “all over the map.”
Now, after more than two decades of mystery, the case has taken yet another unexpected turn.
Be sure your sins will find you out