At 8:30 PM on December 9th, 2001, 38 year-old mother of three, Michele Lyn Hundley Smith, told her family that she was going Christmas shopping. She left the home in Stoneville, North Carolina in her green, 1995 Pontiac Trans Sport van with the North Carolina license plate “ROK-N-ON." She was headed for Martinsville, less than 20 miles away over the border into Virginia. Going shopping at night wasn’t unusual for her, and being right before Christmas and just days before her oldest daughter’s birthday, no one thought twice about it. But at midnight that night, Michele’s husband woke up their 14 year-old daughter, Amanda, worried that her mom had not come home.

Michele never returned, and neither her, nor her van have ever been seen since.

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Michele Hundley Smith, please contact the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office at 336-634-3232.

You can follow Michele’s case on Facebook at Bring Michele Hundley Smith Home.

The episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Anna Priestland.

This episode was sponsored by:

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Michele Lyn Hundley Smith

The Vanished is a true crime podcast that explores the stories of those who have gone missing. The Vanished goes beyond conventional news reports to take a deep dive into the story of a different missing person each week. Host Marissa Jones brings you exclusive interviews with family members, friends, law enforcement and experts. What will The Vanished uncover next? All episodes are available for free. Listen ad-free on Wondery+ or on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.

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It was a hot August evening in 1989 when 13-year-old Elisa Roberson left her Aransas Pass, Texas, home to walk a short distance to meet a friend. The girls planned to meet halfway near an elementary school. The phone rang shortly after, and Elisa's younger sister, Ruby, answered. On the other line was the friend that Elisa had left to meet. She told Ruby that Elisa never showed up. Elisa's mother, Marina, was nearby and overheard the conversation. Marina began to worry, Elisa was her oldest child, and she was always dependable. If she wasn't with her friend, then where had she gone?

Elisa's family is desperate for any information that could lead to finding Elisa. They are currently offering a $20,000 reward for any information that could help solve this mystery. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Elisa Roberson, please contact the Aransas Pass Police Department at 361-758-5224. The family and private investigator can also be reached via email at missingelisa1989@gmail.com. Stay updated on Elisa's case by following Missing Elisa Roberson on social media.

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Elisa Roberson Part 1: Goodnight Avenue

On December 7, 2023, 36-year-old Danielle Croft was at the home of a man she recently began seeing. He said Dani left his Bonham, Texas, home around 3 or 4 AM to walk around town and look at Christmas lights. No one ever saw or heard from Dani Croft after that time. Hours later, he said he left home to walk to a local store. Along the way, he said he found Dani's clothing on the road. He continued to Dani's grandmother's nearby home to alert her, which was just the beginning of this strange tale.

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Dani Croft, please contact the Bonham Police Department at (903) 583-2141.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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Danielle Croft

We first brought you Judith Brown's story on May 2, 2022. In April of 1977, 19-year-old Judith Brown vanished without a trace from New York City. But Judy wasn't the only person to disappear. She had recently begun dating a man named Richard, whom she met while briefly seeking treatment for depression. This man was much older and had a violent history. How much of that Judy knew, we can't be certain. She was still a teenager and likely groomed by him. Richard was housed at the Creedmoor facility after being found not guilty by reason of insanity for the 1971 murders of his wife and 17-month-old son, and that is where he and Judy crossed paths. Richard was given many freedoms at Creedmoor, even to wander the city alone. One day, he walked off the grounds and never returned. Judy's family was concerned that they hadn't heard from her, but then, the FBI came to their door as they were trying to track down Richard. Judy's family believed that law enforcement was looking for her since the FBI was on the case, but it doesn't appear that much was done to find Judy. Decades later, Judy's case began to heat up after a younger family member, Julian, took an interest in pursuing answers. Since we first spoke to Julian in 2022, he has kept digging. Julian joined us again to provide an update on Judy's case.

You can find Julian's page for Judith on Facebook at Judith Anne Brown Missing - "Vanished With a Killer." 

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Judith Brown, please contact the NYPD missing persons squad at 212-694-7781.

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Case Update: Judith Brown - Excavating the Past

19-year-old Judith Brown disappeared from New York City in April of 1977. Judith lived on her own, so her family wasn’t immediately aware that she was missing. Judith’s family learned she was missing when the FBI came knocking at their door. They were shocked to learn that Judith had disappeared along with someone else, a murderer who had escaped from a local mental health facility. More than 45 years later, both of them remain missing. For many years, Judith’s family kept quiet about this. It was too upsetting to reopen those wounds. As the years wore on, a younger generation of Judith’s family took an interest in finding answers. Today, they are left to sift through the remaining clues passed down through family members and old documents. 

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Judith Brown, please contact the NYPD Missing Persons Squad at 212-694-7781.

You can follow this case on social media at Judith Anne Brown Missing - “Vanished With a Killer.” 

Special thanks to Erika from The Apex & The Abyss, and Melissa from Just the Tip-sters for voicing letters in this episode.

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Replay: Judith Brown

On October 26, 2023, 23-year-old Michelle Arnold was picked up at her home in Maple Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, and dropped off at her girlfriend's apartment just a few miles away in Warrensville Heights. In the days that followed, those close to Michelle became concerned when they hadn't heard from her and couldn't reach her by phone. By November 3, they were concerned enough to go to the police station and report Michelle missing. The stories about Michelle's disappearance didn't add up from the beginning. People in Michelle's circle weren't being truthful, but it was difficult to understand why. As the months wore on with no sign of Michelle, her case took a frightening twist after an informant came forward with a terrifying story about what happened to her. But was that the truth? 

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Michelle Arnold, please contact the Warrensville Heights Police Department at (216) 581-1234.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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Michele Lyn Hundley Smith

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