The son of a woman discovered alive after vanishing for nearly a quarter-century has publicly declared he has no intention of reaching out to her. Randal Smith was only nine years old when his mother, Michele Hundley Smith, left their Stoneville, North Carolina home to go Christmas shopping in Martinsville, Virginia, on December 9, 2001, and never returned.
A Life Moved On
Now 33 years old, Randal Smith told the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview that his mother is 'nothing more than a stranger' to him. 'I'm not angry with her because that's a wasted emotion, but I really don't have any emotions,' he explained. 'But I don't wish her any ill.' The mechanic credits his father, Randy Smith, with raising him well after his mother's disappearance, stating that he learned self-sufficiency early and is content with how his life turned out.
The Discovery
Sheriffs recently located Michele Hundley Smith, now 62, living in a trailer park in St. Pauls, North Carolina, approximately a two-and-a-half-hour drive from where she went missing. This discovery ended a mystery that had persisted for 24 years. During her absence, she missed significant milestones in her son's life, including him becoming a father in 2015 and his wedding in 2024.
Randal, a happily married father of two, emphasized that while the disappearance was difficult for him and his siblings, he wouldn't alter the past if it risked his current family. When asked about contacting his mother, he responded firmly: 'No, not really. She's been gone this long, and for someone to meet my children is a privilege in my eyes. That's not one she deserves.'
Mother's Perspective
From her home in St. Pauls, about 80 miles south of Raleigh, Michele Hundley Smith told the Daily Mail she hadn't realized how long her family had searched for her. She claimed she believed her husband and three children were better off without her at the time she left, citing she wasn't in the proper 'mental state' to care for them. She insists she did not abandon her children but left them with their father.
Smith revealed she has already spoken to her daughter Amanda, 39, who she says has forgiven her and wants to rebuild their relationship. However, Randal remains distant, having moved on from the pain caused by his mother's disappearance.
Revelation and Aftermath
The family first learned of Michele's discovery through a fluke connection: Randal's nephew, an officer in the local sheriff's department, was contacted by detectives. A family meeting was quickly arranged at Randal's house, where detectives disclosed they had found Smith living off-grid in a truck for over a decade. They detailed that after disappearing in 2001, she met a truck driver named Randy Johnson in Texarkana, lived with him in his 18-wheeler while traveling the West Coast, and returned to North Carolina in 2013. Johnson passed away in November 2024.
Once found, Smith's life was upended. She was arrested on a decades-old DWI charge, spent a night in jail, and was bonded out the next morning, returning to her mobile home where she lives with her pets.
Family Dynamics and Disputes
Randal dismissed previous claims by his sister Amanda that their parents had physical fights and cheated on each other. 'They might not have been happy, but he didn't abuse her,' he stated. 'He was a great father, and other than her drinking, we had a normal childhood until she left.' He acknowledged arguments about his mother's drinking and his father's efforts to get her help, noting that the threat of losing her driver's license due to the 2001 DWI charge likely contributed to her departure.
Randal believes his mother's leaving was premeditated, as she had packed jewelry and clothes weeks beforehand. 'I can't say it was a shock at first because she had done it before. It was just something in her nature to run,' he said. After her final departure, the family discovered she had allegedly not paid bills, including for her husband's truck, which was essential to his livelihood, forcing him to return it and disrupting their finances.
In summary, while Michele Hundley Smith has been found alive after 24 years, her son Randal Smith has firmly closed the door on reconciliation, focusing instead on the family he has built and the life he has forged without her.
