ORLANDO, Fla. – The iPhone of Michelle Parker, a mother of three who vanished three weeks ago, was found by police.
PHOTO: Michelle Parker's iPhone
Parker's family told Local 6 of the discovery Wednesday night, and Orlando police confirmed the finding Thursday morning. Police will not disclose when or where the 33-year-old's iPhone was found.
"The phone was found in remarkably good condition and is currently undergoing forensic testing in the hopes that it will yield physical evidence and/or data which will assist in this investigation," Orlando police said in a statement. "The phone has been identified by the family and the serial number confirmed that it is Michelle Parker's phone."
Family members said police called them late Wednesday to identify a photograph of the phone, which has a pink and black case.
"This literally makes my hope skyrocket," said Parker's sister, Lauren Erickson. "It's exciting, it's scary, it's sad. I don't even know what to think about it. I hope that it brings something. It has got to bring something."
Parker disappeared Nov. 17 after she appeared on an episode of "The People's Court" with her ex-fiance, Dale Smith Jr., who is the prime suspect in her disappearance. He has not been charged with any crime, however.
After weeks of searching and combing area lakes, Erickson said the search had flat-lined, but this discovery has renewed the family's efforts.
Erickson said the phone had "a little dirt on it, but it didn't look like it was in horrible condition."
"You're excited, but you're scared, because you don't know what it means. It was found, which means it wasn't found with her, so it wasn't where it was supposed to be," said Erickson.
Erickson said she does not think anyone else's fingerprints should be on the phone beside her sister's.
Smith has custody of the couple's 3-year-old twins, a boy and a girl. Parker also has an 11-year-old son from another relationship.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.