A North Carolina woman who resurfaced 24 years after she was reported missing has now been arrested on an outstanding driving while impaired (DWI) charge dating back to 2001. Michele Hundley Smith was taken into custody in Robeson County on an outstanding failure-to-appear warrant tied to the November 2001 DWI charge, according to a Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office press release.
Details of the 2001 DWI Charge and Smith’s Arrest
Court records show Smith was cited for driving while impaired on Nov. 11, 2001, and failed to appear in court on Dec. 27, 2001. She was arrested on Wednesday, Feb. 25, and posted bond the same day. She is scheduled to appear in Rockingham County District Court on March 26.
Smith’s Disappearance and Recent Discovery
Smith, a mother of three, was 38 years old when she disappeared on Dec. 9, 2001, after leaving her Rockingham County, N.C., home to go Christmas shopping in Martinsville, Va., and never returned. Authorities located her on Feb. 20, 2026, after receiving new information about her whereabouts. Smith told investigators she had left due to ongoing domestic issues, although there were no prior domestic reports or evidence of foul play.
