Michele Hundley Smith
4/23/202655 min
In February 2026, Michele Hundley Smith was found in Robeson County, North Carolina, after being missing for 24 years. She left home to go Christmas shopping in December 2001, and her family did not see or hear from her again until authorities located her alive and well.
Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss Michele Hundley Smith. She left her husband and kids behind and traveled the country with a long-haul trucker. But the reasons behind her leaving are at the heart of this mystery. Michele's daughter was fourteen when she went missign and her son was only eight. They have very different views on finding out that their mother was still alive, and Michele has legal ramifications ahead of her.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMike Ferguson· Host0:00
Hello, everyone, and welcome to episode 491 of the True Crime All the Time podcast. I'm Mike Ferguson, and with me, as always, is my partner in true crime, Mike Gibson. Gibby, how are you?
Mike Gibson· Host0:09
Hey, I'm doing good. And you?
Mike Ferguson· Host0:10
I'm doing great.
Mike Gibson· Host0:11
Awesome.
Mike Ferguson· Host0:12
We just had some, uh, Jersey Mike cheesesteaks.
Mike Gibson· Host0:15
We did.
Mike Ferguson· Host0:15
And now we're ready to, to get recording.
Mike Gibson· Host0:18
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson· Host0:19
So we're talking about Michelle Hunley Smith. In February 2026, Michelle Hunley Smith was found in Robeson County, North Carolina, after being missing for 24 years.
Mike Gibson· Host0:33
That's a long time to be missing.
Mike Ferguson· Host0:35
Yeah, she- To be found. Yeah, to be found later on.
Mike Gibson· Host0:38
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson· Host0:39
She left home to go Christmas shopping in December 2001, and her family didn't hear or see from her again until the authorities finally located her.
Mike Gibson· Host0:50
I mean, there's times I've been Christmas shopping that I've wanted to disappear, but not like this.
Mike Ferguson· Host0:54
Well, right before you had to take out your wallet and- Yes ... pay for whatever it was that, that you were gonna buy?
Mike Gibson· Host1:02
When I start- And you're like, "I'm getting out of here." I hear that ching-ching, ching-ching at the cash register.
Mike Ferguson· Host1:06
Yeah.
Mike Gibson· Host1:06
[laughs] You know? Even now, the, it, you know, a lot of them are quiet, but I can- I was gonna say, I don't think I hear that sound anymore. [laughs] In my head I still hear the cha-ching, cha-ching.
Mike Ferguson· Host1:15
[laughs] Yeah, I don't hear that. But, you know, you and I do have an unsolved podcast.
Mike Gibson· Host1:21
We do.
Mike Ferguson· Host1:22
Totally separate- Yeah ... right? From True Crime All the Time. And, you know, obviously we are talking about, in many instances,