ANN CURRY, co-host:
All right. But let's begin this half-hour with a major new development in the disappearance of
Florida
mom
Michelle Parker
. Her family says that a key piece of evidence in the case has now turned up.
NBC
's
Lilia Luciano
is in
Orlando
with details this morning.
Lilia
, good morning.
LILIA LUCIANO reporting:
Good morning to you,
Ann.
As police continue to interview the loved ones of the prime suspect, there is word this morning of a new break in the case.
Michelle
's family says her cellphone has been found which had been missing since the day she disappeared. From day one authorities have called it a top priority in their search for
Michelle Parker
, finding
Michelle
's cellphone. The phone, seen in this photo, is a black
iPhone
with a pink and black case. In this video
Michelle
carries the phone while amusing her toddlers. On Wednesday police asked
Michelle
's mother and sister to identify a picture of the phone.
Ms. LAUREN ERICKSON (Michelle Parker's Sister):
Just pulled a piece of paper out of the file and said, can you -- do you know what this is? And we're like, that's -- it's her phone.
LUCIANO:
What goes through your mind when you see that phone?
Ms. ERICKSON:
Any emotion possible. I'm sad that her phone was out somewhere where it wasn't supposed to be.
LAUREN:
Lauren
says police did not tell when, where, or how they found the phone but
Michelle
's family is hoping it will provide answers.
Ms. ERICKSON:
I'm hoping maybe there is a fingerprint that shouldn't be on there meaning like not my sister's or the twins. I hope that it's in a condition where they can retrieve something from it.
LUCIANO:
The last signal from the cellphone came three weeks ago on
November 17th
, the day
Michelle
went missing.
LUCIANO:
That same day she appeared on a taped episode of "
The People
's_Court," fighting with her ex-fiance,
Dale Smith
, over a lost engagement ring.
LUCIANO:
Police have since named Smith their only suspect. He has denied any involvement in
Michelle
's disappearance. One by one, Smith's relatives have been called into the state attorney's office to answer questions. First,
Dale
's mother. And then on Wednesday, his father,
Dale Smith
,
Sr.
What do you want
people to know about your son? You think they're being fair to him? Meanwhile, the search goes on.
Michelle
's family hoping every clue will bring them one step closer to
Michelle
.
Ms. ERICKSON:
She loved
Christmas
and I didn't even realize until I'm walking down the street right now that all these lights are up and everything and I just -- I -- there's only one
Christmas
present that I want this year and I hope I get it.
LUCIANO:
Orlando
police will not provide any information of the phone, but now the question remains, just how much can it tell us about
Michelle
's whereabouts?
Ann
:
CURRY:
All right.
Lilia Luciano
,
thank you so much
.
“ ”