Mum who vanished 24 years ago found alive and living secret double lifeMichele Hundley Smith left her three children in December 2001 when she went out Christmas shoppingView 2 Images (Image: Facebook / Bring Michele Hundley Smith Home)A missing mum who had not been seen for 24 years has been found alive. ‌Michele Hundley Smith left her three children, who were seven, 14 and 19 at the time and her disappearance from North Carolina, in the USA, was investigated by the police and the FBI. ‌Speaking to local news station WFMYNews2, her cousin Barbara Byrd said: “I kind of want to go outside and scream 'she’s alive, she’s alive'. Nothing else matters right at this moment.”View 2 Images (Image: Facebook / Bring Michele Hundley Smith Home)‌Ms Smith’s daughter Amanda took to Facebook, writing an extensive statement after the news broke that her mother had been found. The Facebook page dedicated to her disappearance – “Bring Michele Hundley Smith Home” – said she had been driving a forest-green 1995 Pontiac Trans Sport van.

Source: Daily Mirror February 24, 2026 17:24 UTC