Michelle Parker Case: What The Newly Released Affidavit Reveals

The arrest affidavit in the murder case of Orlando mother Michelle Parker is 46 pages long and the release is helping true crime followers to get a feel for why the prosecution believes they have a case against her former fiancé, Dale Smith Jr.

Smith was arrested on October 14 and charged with second-degree murder 15 years after Michelle disappeared.

Michelle Parker’s body was never found and in 2013, she was declared legally deceased. The released affidavit brings a lot of circumstantial evidence to the table, but plenty of text messages reveal issues between the couple.

Suspected Cause Of Death

ClickOrlando reported on the document and the prosecution argues that “Michelle Parker was choked to death by her former fiancé, Dale Smith.”

A possible motive came in the text messages and when Fox Orlando covered the report, some of them were very disturbing.

Some of the issues allegedly involved Smith offering Parker money for sex, and a fight over an engagement ring that played out on The People’s Court. Another thing that came to light is that allegedly, Michelle threatened to restrict his visitation rights to their twin children.

Defensive Wounds

Wesh.com reported that their relationship was described as “tumultuous,” with Smith often being violent and controlling toward Michelle Parker.

After Parker disappeared in 2011, Smith was interviewed and photos were taken of some scratched abrasions on his face and arms. The injuries are now thought to be defensive wounds caused by Parker, who allegedly was fighting back during the attack.

Digital Forensics

The affidavit showed that data from cell phone towers doesn’t match the original statements that Dale Smith made about how long he and Michelle were at his home. Per the location tracking, it’s now believed that Michelle Parker arrived at Smith’s residence to drop off their two children and then their phones traveled toward Lake Conway.

Parker’s phone was later recovered from the lake, and interestingly, before it was discarded, text messages had been deleted.

Historical Domestic Violence

Other details reported by WESH revealed a history of domestic violence and behavioral issues. The outlet reported that, “In 2001, Smith was found guilty of domestic violence against his first wife while serving in the military and court-martialed for distributing ecstasy.”

Other similar accusations came with another partner before he and Parker became a couple. These “included reports of strangling and death threats.”

Records also showed that Dale Smith received a dishonorable discharge from the military due to severe mood swings.

Smith maintains his innocence, has entered a not-guilty plea, and remains held without bond. His defense attorney, Rajan Joshi, called the state’s case purely circumstantial.

Joshi noted that back in 2011, initial investigators failed to question Smith about his physical injuries or conduct a comprehensive analysis of the cellular data.

Viewers React

True crime followers who watched Garrett Wymer break down the case on Fox 35 Orlando on YouTube were able to weigh in with their thoughts.

One of them commented, “It’s too easy to get rid of a body in FL, they never found Jennifer Kesse either.”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion:

• “With evidence like this I’m confused. Why it took like 15 years to arrest him.”
• “So why the hell did it take so long to arrest him?!?!?”
• “Whatever she may have done she didn’t deserve to die by strangulation. Her last moments on earth must have been terrifying.”

What are your thoughts on the newly released evidence and the alleged motive in the affidavit? Join the conversation and then come back for more true crime news and updates. You can also follow our TikTok crime channel for more coverage.