UPDATE: Massive Search Underway for Missing Mom Michelle Parker
The last time anyone heard from Michelle Lee Parker was Thursday afternoon, when she sent a text message to her family member saying she was at Waterford Lakes — an area south of UCF very popular with students for shopping.
For UCF students like Jade Kilpatrick, this news comes as a complete surprise.
“No matter how many times you hear about a missing person, it always comes as a shock when it happens in your town,” Kilpatrick said. “Waterford shopping plaza has always seemed like a safe area.”
Police are releasing very few details, so it’s unclear what happened after the 33-year-old mom sent the text from Waterford. She didn’t show up to work at 7 p.m. Thursday and her Hummer was later found on the west side of Orlando, in an area her family says she usually doesn’t visit.
A search has since begun involving Texas EquuSearch, the already-famous search team that you may remember helped search for Casey Anthony’s little girl, Caylee and missing UCF grad Jennifer Kesse. Now this case — with ties to UCF’s back yard — is gaining national attention, with appearances on network morning news shows like Today and GMA.
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Adding to the national intrigue, is the fact that Parker appeared on national TV hours before she went missing in a pre-taped episode of The People’s Court. Parker was in a legal dispute with her ex-fiance, Dale Smith, over an engagement ring she threw off of a hotel balcony during a fight the couple had at a hotel.
Orlando police said that Parker has had a violent history with her ex-boyfriend, Dale Smith, but he has yet to be named as a suspect.
The situation has left more questions than answers in the mystery with a big connection to the UCF area. Count on Knightnews.com to keep you updated with this story throughout its entirety.
– KnightNews.com’s Jake Rakoci contributed to this report.
