Mom-of-three found alive and living secret life after vanishing 24 years ago reveals why she left

The reason a mother disappeared from her home 24 years ago, leaving behind her husband and three children, has been revealed by police.

Last week, it was announced that Michele Hundley Smith had been found after vanishing over two decades ago.

Smith left her home in Eden, North Carolina, on December 9, 2001, to go Christmas shopping and failed to return, sparking her family to report her missing.

An 'extensive investigation' was then carried out, but law enforcement were never able to track down Smith.

Her case got renewed attention in 2020 after being highlighted on the series Cold Case Spotlight, which featured Smith's daughter Amanda, who was only 14 when her mom disappeared.

Fast forward to last week and Amanda received the news that her mother had been found 'alive and well' in the same state she went missing in over 20 years ago.

Michele Hundley Smith disappeared 24 years ago (Facebook/Bring Michele Hundley Smith Home)

"At her request, her current whereabouts will remain undisclosed," the sheriff’s office said on February 20. "Her family has been notified that she has been located and informed of this request as well."

Police didn't reveal why Smith had taken off all those years ago, until now.

Speaking to People, Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page said of Smith: "She was in good health."

He continued: "Let me just say there were no allegations of any foul play regarding to her leaving. But according to Ms. Smith, she said she left due to ongoing domestic issues at the time."

Apparently Smith did 'not elaborate on that' any further but Page said that his office has no records related to domestic issues prior to Smith’s departure in 2001.

Amanda has spoken out in the wake of the news of her mother being found.

Amanda Smith, pictured in 2021, said she was both 'ecstatic' and 'heartbroken' (Fox8 WGHP)

Taking to the 'Bring Michele Hundley Smith Home' Facebook page, she penned: "I am ecstatic, I am p*ssed, I am heartbroken, I am all over the map!

"Will I have a relationship once more with my mom? Honestly I can’t answer that because I don’t even know... My initial reaction would be yes absolutely but then I think of all the hurt... But even then ... My mom is only human just as we all are."

Michele was 38 years old at the time of her disappearance (Rockingham County Sheriff's Office)

Elsewhere in her lengthy statement, Amanda shared: "I may completely forgive my mother at some point or it may be too much to forgive and I only try moving forward best I can, and I may choose to forget everything completely or I may never be able to forget... Well I mean nobody ever just forgets this kind of pain but I mean forget it enough to go on with life...

"My heart, soul and spirit says that I will forgive and I will never forget but I will be able to see it as a pain that no longer controls me.

"Right now, my head says that would be insane... But as I mentioned above, life is too short and we each are only human, we each make mistakes and have caused other souls pain in our time on this earth."

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