Ex-fiance of missing mom named prime suspect, hires high-profile attorney

ORLANDO, Fla.,None — The prime suspect in the disappearance of missing mother Michelle Parker has hired a prominent local attorney.

Dale Smith Jr. hasn't been charged with a crime, but Orlando police believe he knows something about Parker's disappearance.

WFTV found out Smith hired high-profile attorney Mark NeJame just hours after detectives named him as the primary suspect in Parker’s disappearance on Monday.

The 33-year-old mother of three went missing on Nov. 17 after she appeared on a taped episode of "The People's Court" with Smith in a dispute over her lost engagement ring. Smith is Parker’s ex-fiance.

During the episode Parker also accused Smith of being so physical she once tried to get a restraining order against him.

A few hours after the episode aired, Parker dropped off her twins at Smith's condo.  Parker's SUV was found the day after she went missing.

Police said Smith is the only suspect at this point.  Detectives said Smith refused to take a polygraph.

Over the weekend, SWAT teams obtained a search warrant and raided the home of Smith’s father on Rose Boulevard, where Smith has been staying. The home is just two miles from the search command center on Oak Ridge Road, where Parker's cellphone stopped transmitting.

Parker's brother told WFTV that detectives did not find what they were looking for during the raid.

Parker’s mother Yvonne Stewart pleaded for the safe return of her daughter during a news conference on Monday.

"Our family needs to have Michelle home,” said Stewart. “We need to heal."

Parker's family has been confident for nearly two weeks that Smith was not involved. Now they believe he is, but they still have faith she's alive.

“You loved her at one point.  Try to love her again and love those children enough to have their mother,” said Parker’s sister, Lauren Erickson.

Smith had been taking care of the twins since Parker disappeared, but the Department of Children and Families won’t say if he still is.

The Parker family will start another search at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

“Unfortunately you brought this on yourself,” said Stewart. “We're not going to stop until we find out who did this. We love our Michelle so much.”

Police urge anyone with information about Parker's whereabouts to call 1-800-423-8477.

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