Man accused of fatally choking ex on same day they appeared on 'The People's Court': Arrest warrant
Michelle Parker has been missing since 2011.
asserted
Parker → accuse → 2011
Authorities allege a Florida man choked his former fiancée to death shortly after they appeared in an "embarrassing" episode of the reality show "The People's Court" that aired following days of heated messages and threats from the mother to restrict access to their twins, according to a newly unsealed affidavit.
uncertain
that → allege → affidavit
Michelle Parker, a 33-year-old mother of three, vanished in 2011 hours shortly after the pre-taped episode of "The People's Court" aired featuring a dispute about her engagement ring, according to police.
uncertain
episode → vanish → police
Her body has never been found and she is presumed dead, according to police.
uncertain
she → find → police
Her former fiancé, 55-year-old Dale Smith Jr., was arrested earlier this month and charged with second-degree murder in connection with her presumed death, Orlando police said.
asserted
police → arrest → death
He has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence, his lawyer said.
asserted
lawyer → plead → innocence
According to the 46-page arrest warrant affidavit for his arrest, which was released Tuesday after an Orange County judge ordered it unsealed, authorities believe Smith choked Parker to death when she came to his house on Nov. 17, 2011, to drop off their 3-year-old twins.
uncertain
she → accord → twins
Her sister reported her missing that night, after Parker never showed up for her shift at the bar where she worked or returned to the home she shared with her mother, according to the affidavit.
uncertain
she → report → affidavit
While being interviewed by detectives the following day, Smith was photographed with "recent scratches and abrasions that detectives now believe are defensive wounds from the victim," the affidavit stated.
asserted
affidavit → interview → victim
He had scratches near his mouth and on his lower lip and on his left wrist, as well as abrasions on the back of both of his elbows, according to the affidavit.
uncertain
He → have → affidavit
"There are no records of detectives asking what the above injuries were from," the affidavit stated.
asserted
affidavit → be → what
Smith was named the only suspect in Parker's disappearance during a news conference on Nov. 28, 2011, according to the affidavit.
uncertain
Smith → name → affidavit
Police allege in the affidavit that Smith has "a violent history" and "cannot handle stressful situations."
asserted
Smith → allege → situations
During the preliminary investigation, detectives "learned of a history of domestic violence between the victim and suspect, none of which was ever documented by law enforcement," with Parker's family and friends describing their relationship "as tumultuous, with the suspect oftentimes being violent and controlling toward the victim," the affidavit stated.
asserted
affidavit → learn → victim
Police also learned Smith was found guilty in 2001 of domestic violence against his wife at the time, according to the affidavit.
uncertain
Smith → learn → affidavit
Smith was arrested on Oct. 14, nearly 15 years after Parker disappeared, with Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith saying investigators "reexamined testimony and conflicting statements made by the suspect and used advanced digital forensics to uncover and analyze additional evidence."
According to the affidavit, this year, an Orlando Police Department homicide analyst reviewed the original cellular data records obtained in 2011 and "recognized there was additional data in the records that had not been analyzed."
"It is likely this data was not readable to detectives in 2011.
uncertain
data → arrest → 2011
The data revealed more precise location and user data, to include messages, for the suspect's and victims' phones," the affidavit stated.
asserted
affidavit → reveal → phones
In the weeks leading up to her disappearance, Parker sent what police described as "several offensive messages to the suspect."
asserted
police → lead → suspect
According to the affidavit, she texted that she hated him and threatened that his visitation rights would be taken away.
uncertain
rights → accord → him
"My kids are better off with out u n their life," she texted him in one instance on Nov. 3, 2011, according to the affidavit.
uncertain
she → texte → affidavit
Later, in text messages, Parker accused Smith of trying to bribe her for sex, according to the affidavit.
uncertain
Parker → accuse → affidavit
I'd rather have a personal legal loan, than feel like a whore," she allegedly texted him on Nov. 10, 2011, according to the affidavit.
uncertain
she → have → affidavit
Smith denied offering to have sex in exchange for money, saying he simply wanted to spend time with her, the texts included in the affidavit show.
asserted
texts → deny → affidavit
Two days before she disappeared, the two discussed custody of their twins during the upcoming weekends and holidays, during which Parker texted, "Ur so------- impossible!
asserted
Ur → disappear → which
Everything is about YOU your still so ------- selfish!" according to the affidavit.
uncertain
Everything → accord → affidavit
During his initial interview with police, Smith said he didn't know what happened to Parker but "thought she was 'laying low' after the People's Court show aired" and that he believed she was embarrassed by it, and that he wanted her to come home safe for the sake of their kids.
"[H]owever, according to his phone records, he never called or messaged her ever again after November 17, 2011," the affidavit stated, noting that in the nearly seven weeks prior to Parker's disappearance, the two exchanged 1,013 text messages and 21 voice calls, according to the affidavit.
uncertain
two → say → affidavit
"It is believed the suspect killed the victim in his house after days of offensive messages, declining sex for cash, the embarrassing People's Court episode airing, and threatening to restrict his access to his children," the affidavit stated.
asserted
affidavit → believe → children
Citing cellular data, investigators allege that Smith lied to police about how long Parker was at his home to drop off the twins.
asserted
Parker → cite → twins
According to the affidavit, he testified that she arrived at his house around 4 p.m. and was gone 10 minutes later.
uncertain
she → accord → house
Her phone usage "proves the victim arrived at the suspect's house at 15:18 hours, stayed there for over an hour, and the victim does not respond to anyone ever again," the affidavit stated.
asserted
affidavit → prove → anyone
According to the affidavit, investigators reviewed surveillance video against the new cellular data and, based on that evidence, they allege that Smith deleted messages off Parker's phone from until 4:27 p.m. on Nov. 17, 2011, then threw it into Lake Conway, where the phone was later recovered.
uncertain
phone → accord → Conway
They also allege that cellular records and video evidence show that Smith lied to police about when he said he left his home and the route he took to his parents' house after getting the twins on Nov. 17, 2011.
asserted
he → allege → Nov.
Smith remains held without bond following his initial court appearance on Oct. 15.
asserted
Smith → hold → Oct.
His attorney, Rajan Joshi, told ABC News that Smith has maintained his innocence since Parker's disappearance.
asserted
Smith → tell → disappearance
"When he was originally questioned, when this initially happened, he was very cooperative with law enforcement.
asserted
he → question → enforcement
He let them search his house.
asserted
them → let → house
He talked to them.
asserted
He → talk → them
He came in voluntarily without a lawyer, gave an interview," Joshi said following Smith's arrest.
asserted
Joshi → come → arrest
"It was clear that law enforcement was only looking at him as the sole suspect."
asserted
enforcement → look → suspect
The judge this week granted a motion limiting what the state and defense can say about the case.
asserted
state → grant → case
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
