Michelle Parker’s father reacts with relief after Dale Smith Jr.'s arrest

Father reacts. The ex-fiancee of Michelle Parker sits in jail, now facing a murder charge in her death. Thank God. I pray every day for 15 years. And it came. And that is our top story tonight of father's relief that the person police say killed his daughter now sits behind bars. Dale Smith Jr. now awaiting his day in court. Good evening, everyone. I'm Jack Royer. Thanks for joining us. I'm Luann Sorrell. We have been following this story from the very beginning. Michelle Parker disappeared 15 years ago. Her body has never been found. Fox 35's Manny Martinez is live tonight outside the Orange County Jail. So, Manny, this is the day her parents have been waiting for for a very long time. And, Luann, it's a day that had her mother shedding tears of joy and her father. It's a day that he says he was wondering if he'd lived long enough to see it. Dale Smith, without any expression, stepped into the back of a waiting Orlando police car, arrested on a charge of second-degree murder nearly 15 years since his ex-fiancee, Michelle Parker, vanished. Parker's father and stepmother say it's about time. Thank God. I pray every day for 15 years. And it came. It's been hard, let me tell you. It's not easy to lose a child this way. And her children didn't deserve to lose a mother this way. Parker's mother teared up as well. Oh, this is a happy, these are happy tears. Even with the arrest, the father's fight is not over. There's no weight off my shoulder yet because I ain't found Michelle. Investigators have yet to find Michelle Parker's body. She was 33 when she disappeared after dropping off the twins she shared with Smith at his house. She says the plaintiff demanded she return the ring during a heated argument. It was the same day she and Smith appeared on a pre-taped episode of the People's Court in a dispute over an engagement ring. And I'm like sitting there looking at him like, really, you're really doing this in front of all these people? Smith has been the only named suspect in this case. And after all these years, police say advancements in technology pointed them to the man they suspected all along. Some of that information revealed more detailed location data and communications between devices that were used back then. Smith's attorney says he wants to put eyes on the evidence. We want to see exactly what the police are alleging against our client because they made allegations 15 years and we want to see what that was changed to make the decision to arrest him. So again, Smith faces second degree murder, but prosecutors say that a first degree murder charge is still possible if the evidence is there. And Smith is likely to face a judge for the first time since his arrest tomorrow and it would be right here at the Orange County Jail we're live in Orange County Manny Martinez Fox 35 News Manny thank you and you can follow our coverage of this case from the very beginning and stay on top of any new details with our free Fox Local app you can scan the QR code right here on your screen to download it now