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Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

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Updated on: October 27, 2026 / 11:07 AM EDT / CBS News

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Court documents are revealing new details about Dale Smith Jr ., the man recently arrested in connection with the disappearance of his ex-fiancée Michelle Parker in 2011, including newly recovered text messages and a history of domestic violence and injuries that police never asked about during their initial investigation.

Smith was taken into custody on a charge of second-degree murder earlier this month. Police said that new evidence in the case, as well as advancements in forensic technology, led to the arrest, though some of the exact details were not provided.

Parker, then 33, disappeared on Nov.…