Missing North Carolina woman found alive after 24 years

Michele Hundley Smith, who left her Eden, N.C., home in December 2001 and was reported missing, has been located in an undisclosed part of North Carolina and described by authorities as "alive and well"; she asked that her current whereabouts remain private and her family has been notified.

A North Carolina woman who vanished in 2001 has been located more than two decades later. Michele Hundley Smith left her home in Eden, N.C., on Dec. 9, 2001, reportedly to go Christmas shopping at a K‑Mart in Martinsville, Va., and was officially reported missing on Dec. 31, 2001. On Friday, officials said she was found in an undisclosed part of North Carolina and described her as "alive and well." The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office said Smith requested that her current whereabouts remain private and that her family has been notified. Known details: - Michele Hundley Smith was located in North Carolina after disappearing from Eden, N.C., in December 2001. - She left home Dec. 9, 2001 to go to a K‑Mart in Martinsville, Virginia, and was reported missing Dec. 31, 2001. - The sheriff's office said Smith asked that her current location remain undisclosed and that the family has been informed. - Sheriff Sam Page said Smith told investigators there were "domestic issues" before she left, that there were no allegations of foul play, and that she appeared to be in good health. - Katy Gregg, the district attorney for the Twenty-Second Prosecuting District, said no charges have been filed and the case remains ongoing. - Family members posted mixed reactions on social media, noting relief that she is alive while also saying she does not currently want contact. Summary: The case closes a long-running missing-person investigation for local authorities and lets the family know she is alive and in good health, according to officials. Undetermined at this time.