Carlee Russell may find herself facing criminal charges after she confessed that her abduction by the side of a road in Alabama was all a lie.
The 25-year-old disappeared on the evening of 13 July after calling 911 and claiming she was stopping to help a toddler in diapers who was walking alone on Interstate 459.
She returned home two days later and claimed she had been kidnapped, before managing to escape.
However on Monday, Hoover Police Department Chief Nicholas Derzis said that Ms Russell’s attorney, Emory Anthony, had now provided a statement on Monday admitting the kidnapping was a lie.
The statement in part read: “There was no kidnapping on Thursday July 13. My client did not see a baby on the side on the road.”
Now, Hoover police are in talks with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office about possible criminal charges over the scam.
“We will announce those charges when, and if, they are filed,” said the police chief on Monday.
Ms Russell’s ex-boyfriend posted on social media that he was “blindsided” by his former partner’s lie and said he was “disgusted” after learning the truth.
Key Points
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Carlee Russell admits she was never kidnapped
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Carlee Russell’s ex-boyfriend says he’s ‘disgusted’ she faked own abduction
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Crime Stoppers backtrack on promise to return reward money
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Russell looked up the movie Taken before disappearing
Crime Stoppers backtrack on promise to return reward money
09:00 , Josh Marcus
Crime Stoppers, the organisation that offers anonymous tips about criminal activity, has backtracked on promises that it would return donors almost $63,000 after Carlee Russel returned home by herself following her claimed 13 July abduction, which she has since admitted was a hoax.
Ms Russell, 25, initially told police she was kidnapped after stopping to help a toddler in diapers who was walking alone on Interstate 459 on the evening of 13 July.
She came back home two days after the alleged abduction.
More than $63,000 were raised by Crime Stoppers during the two-day search for the Alabama woman. But the organisation has now said the money will not be returned after initially making the promise.
“This investigation is still ongoing, and accordingly, there is no basis to refund any contributions at this time,” Crime Stoppers said.
“Furthermore, the Hoover Police Department has not requested for any donor contributions to be released or refunded.”
ICYMI: Carlee Russell claimed she was kidnapped by a man with orange hair. Police say they can’t verify any of it
08:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell vanished on 13 July after calling 911 to report she had seen a toddler walking on the side of Interstate 459 in Alabama.
The 25-year-old told dispatch she stopped her car to check on the child, and called a family member before losing contact, according to the Hoover Police Department.
By the time officers arrived five minutes later, Ms Russell had disappeared with her car engine still running, and the toddler was nowhere to be found.
Law enforcement and family mounted a desperate search for the missing woman and pleaded with the public for help.
Then just over 48 hours later, police were notified that Ms Russell had returned home on foot.
What really happened to Carlee Russell?
Could Carlee Russell face consequences?
07:00 , Josh Marcus
Police in Hoover, Alabama have said they were unable to verify most of Carlee Russell’s claims that she was kidnapped after pulling off to the side of the road while reporting a toddler was walking alone, leading to questions about whether she may face charges.
Ms Russell, 25, falsely claimed she went missing on 13 July after calling 911 to report a young child was walking alone and barefoot on Interstate 459.
Hoover police chief Nick Derzis said no other drivers on the busy interstate reported a child walking alone and there were no missing children alerts. He said Ms Russell was the only person to make the 911 call and there were no signs of a toddler when authorities arrived.
He added that during Ms Russell’s brief phone call with a 911 operator, she claimed she pulled her car over to assist the child but phone tracking data shows she moved 600 yards – the length of six football fields.
Mr Derzis expressed doubt that a small child between the ages of two and four could move 600 yards in the time Ms Russell was on the phone.
While police have not made any official allegations against Ms Russell, should they find that she made a false report, law enforcement could choose to charge her.
Section 13A-10-9 of the Alabama criminal code states that making a false report to law enforcement, knowingly, is a Class A misdemeanour.
When asked last week if law enforcement was planning on charging Ms Russell, Mr Derzis replied: “To be perfectly honest with you, that hasn’t even entered our mind or been discussed.”
Mother of murder victim says Carlee Russell ‘disrespected’ parents who have lost a child
06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
A mother in Alabama whose daughter was murdered has spoken out against Carlee Russell, saying her fake kidnapping story was “disrespectful” to parents who have lost a child.
Shea Wardrup Pilkington-Wiley posted on Facebook last Wednesday describing how Ms Russell’s case brought back the same “sickening feelings” she felt when her daughter, Madison Pilkington, was murdered.
“The unanswered calls that kept going to voicemail. The unanswered texts. The sickening feelings we all felt. Remembering shattering like glass and our souls being ripped from our bodies. She dredged it all up to the surface,” Ms Pilkington-Wiley wrote.
“To find it was all a hoax well… I’m freaking angry!” she added. “I’m angry for every parent out there that has lost a child.”
When Ms Russell was first declared missing on 13 July, members of the community joined forces with the Russell family and law enforcement to search for the missing 25-year-old.
Mother of murder victim says Carlee Russell ‘disrespected’ parents with lost children
Carlee Russell admits she was never kidnapped, Alabama police say
06:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Authorities in Alabama have revealed that Carlee Russell’s story about being kidnapped on the side of a highway after stopping to check on a toddler was a hoax.
Ms Russell’s disappearance baffled police in Hoover after the 25-year-old’s car was found in the stretch of a highway following a 911 call she made reporting a stranded toddler. She inexplicably reappeared at her parents’ home 49 hours later, claiming she was kidnapped by “a man with orange hair” and was forced to undress and pose for photographs.
After much speculation about the veracity of her claims, Hoover Police Department Chief Nicholas Derzis confirmed on Monday that Ms Russell has admitted to lying about her supposed abduction in a statement she provided through her attorney.
“There was no kidnapping on Thursday, July 13. My client did not see a baby on the side of the road,” the statement read, according to Chief Derzis, who read it at a news conference. “My client apologizes for her actions to this community, the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies as well, as to her friends and family.”
Carlee Russell admits she was never kidnapped, Alabama police say
Carlee Russell’s boyfriend tells others to stop bullying her
05:30 , Josh Marcus
Prior to Carlee Russell revealing her story about being abducted was a lie, her boyfriend pleaded with the public to stop cyberbullying the Alabama nursing student amid mounting suspicion she faked her own abduction.
“I know what it seems like what she did. Just stop bullying on social media,” Thomar Latrell Simmons toldThe New York Post.
“Think about her mental health. She doesn’t deserve that. She doesn’t. Nobody deserves to be cyberbullied.”
Ms Russell, 25, told police she was kidnapped after stopping to help a toddler in diapers walking alone on Interstate 459 on the evening of 13 July.
Police arrived five minutes later to find her red Mercedes still running, and her cellphone, wallet and wig in the car.
While Ms Russell was missing, Mr Simmons appealed for information from the public to help find her.
He later deleted a social media post stating that his girlfriend had been abducted.
Boyfriend of Carlee Russell deletes social media posts
05:00 , Josh Marcus
The boyfriend of Carlee Russell has seemingly deleted social media posts containing photos or mentions of Ms Russell after police cast doubt over her allegations that she was kidnapped.
Her boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons posted on Facebook announcing her return and attesting to her claim that she was kidnapped. He wrote that Ms Russell had been “fighting for her life for 48 hours” and not “physically or mentally stable” enough to speak about her kidnapping.
“I don’t even know how to start off this post but to only say thank you to my lord & savior Jesus Christ for saving my girlfriend’s life!” he said on Sunday.
But after Hoover police revealed they were unable to verify most of Ms Russell’s story on Wednesday, Mr Simmons deleted his posts from Facebook and Instagram.
Mr Simmons did not make any follow-up posts indicating why he deleted his content of Ms Russell.
The Independent has reached out to Mr Simmons for comment.
What did Carlee Russell originally tell police?
04:30 , Josh Marcus
Carlee Nichole Russell gained national notoriety this month after she falsely claimed she was adbudcted on 13 July after calling 911 to report she had seen a toddler walking on the side of Interstate 459 in Alabama.
The 25-year-old stopped her car to check on the child and called a family member before losing contact, she initially told the Hoover Police Department. By the time officers arrived five minutes later, Ms Russell had faked a disappearance, with her car engine still running, and the toddler was nowhere to be found.
When Ms Russell returned on 15 July, she gave a statement to police where she outlined a tale of a horrific kidnapping, which her lawyer now says was false.
Ms Russell initially said after she came across a young boy walking along the side of the highway alone she pulled over and called 911. After that, she called her brother’s girlfriend. During the conversation, she claimed a man with “orange hair” emerged from the woods and picked her up and forced her into a vehicle.
She claims the toddler was used as bait.
Ms Russell said the man then put her into the trailer of a tractor-trailer and drove her to an unknown location where he forced her to undress and took photos of her. She said the man had a female accomplice who fed her cheese crackers.
Eventually, her story went, the kidnappers put Ms Russell in another vehicle, which Ms Russell escaped from and ran home.
Police have been unable to verify nearly all of Ms Russell’s claims.
Carlee Russell sent several bizarre tweets before fake ‘disappearance’
04:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Before 25-year-old Carlee Russell went missing for a mysterious 49 hours – a disappearance, she admitted on Monday, that was staged – she posted a series of bizarre tweets.
On the day she went “missing” on 13 July, she tweeted at 8.55pm: “today was a GREAT day God be looking out im telling you!!”
One minute later, Ms Russell wrote: “someone to tell you ‘i love you’ and don’t got a reason.”
Finally, she tweeted, “yeah i want a family now” at 9.19pm. Just moments later, around 9.30pm, the Alabama woman called 911 and told detectives that she was following a lost toddler along the interstate.
After she returned home, Ms Russell claimed was abducted by a man with “orange hair,” before escaping. She later turned up on foot at her parent’s home with $107 tucked in her right sock, and alleged she had barely survived the encounter.
Carlee Russell sent several bizarre tweets before fake ‘disappearance’
Carlee Russell sent several tweets before fake ‘disappearance’
03:00 , Josh Marcus
Before 25-year-old Carlee Russell falsely claimed to have disappeared for 49 hours, she posted a series of bizarre tweets.
On the day she went missing on 13 July, she tweeted at 8.55pm: “today was a GREAT day God be looking out im telling you!!”
One minute later, Ms Russell wrote: “someone to tell you ‘i love you’ and don’t got a reason.”
Finally, she tweeted, “yeah i want a family now” at 9.19pm. Just moments later, around 9.30pm, the Alabama woman called 911 and told detectives that she was following a lost toddler along the interstate.
What did Carlee Russell originally tell police?
02:00 , Josh Marcus
Carlee Nichole Russell gained national notoriety this month after she falsely claimed she was adbudcted on 13 July after calling 911 to report she had seen a toddler walking on the side of Interstate 459 in Alabama.
The 25-year-old stopped her car to check on the child and called a family member before losing contact, she initially told the Hoover Police Department. By the time officers arrived five minutes later, Ms Russell had faked a disappearance, with her car engine still running, and the toddler was nowhere to be found.
When Ms Russell returned on 15 July, she gave a statement to police where she outlined a tale of a horrific kidnapping, which her lawyer now says was false.
Ms Russell initially said after she came across a young boy walking along the side of the highway alone she pulled over and called 911. After that, she called her brother’s girlfriend. During the conversation, she claimed a man with “orange hair” emerged from the woods and picked her up and forced her into a vehicle.
She claims the toddler was used as bait.
Ms Russell said the man then put her into the trailer of a tractor-trailer and drove her to an unknown location where he forced her to undress and took photos of her. She said the man had a female accomplice who fed her cheese crackers.
Eventually, her story went, the kidnappers put Ms Russell in another vehicle, which Ms Russell escaped from and ran home.
Police have been unable to verify nearly all of Ms Russell’s claims.
Carlee Russell searched for Amber Alerts and the movie ‘Taken’ before disappearing
01:30 , Josh Marcus
Carlee Russell searched for Amber Alerts and the movie Taken just days before falsely claiming she was abducted on 13 July, said police officials.
On 11 July, Ms Russell used her cell phone to search for information on whether payment is required for an Amber Alert, police said during a press conference on Wednesday.
Two days later, on 13 July, Ms Russell conducted two searches related to Amber Alerts using her work computer. One of the searches was about the maximum age for an Amber Alert.
Additionally, she searched for details about the movie Taken, which revolves around an abduction of a teenager, “how to take money from a register without being caught” and information about Birmingham bus tickets.
Police doubt Carlee Russell’s kidnapping claims. Could she face consequences?
01:00 , Josh Marcus
Police in Hoover, Alabama have said they were unable to verify most of Carlee Russell’s claims that she was kidnapped after pulling off to the side of the road while reporting a toddler was walking alone, leading to questions about whether she may face charges.
Police doubt Carlee Russell’s kidnapping claims. Could she face consequences?
Carlee Russell’s boyfriend tells others to stop bullying her
Tuesday 25 July 2023 00:30 , Josh Marcus
Prior to Carlee Russell revealing her story about being abducted was a lie, her boyfriend pleaded with the public to stop cyberbullying the Alabama nursing student amid mounting suspicion she faked her own abduction.
“I know what it seems like what she did. Just stop bullying on social media,” Thomar Latrell Simmons toldThe New York Post.
“Think about her mental health. She doesn’t deserve that. She doesn’t. Nobody deserves to be cyberbullied.”
Ms Russell, 25, told police she was kidnapped after stopping to help a toddler in diapers walking alone on Interstate 459 on the evening of 13 July.
Police arrived five minutes later to find her red Mercedes still running, and her cellphone, wallet and wig in the car.
While Ms Russell was missing, Mr Simmons appealed for information from the public to help find her.
He later deleted a social media post stating that his girlfriend had been abducted.
Mother of murder victim says Carlee Russell ‘disrespected’ parents who have lost a child
Monday 24 July 2023 23:00 , Ariana Baio
A mother in Alabama whose daughter was murdered has spoken out against Carlee Russell, saying her alleged fake kidnapping story was “disrespectful” to parents who have lost a child.
Shea Wardrup Pilkington-Wiley posted on Facebook last Wednesday describing how Ms Russell’s case brought back the same “sickening feelings” she felt when her daughter, Madison Pilkington, was murdered.
“The unanswered calls that kept going to voicemail. The unanswered texts. The sickening feelings we all felt. Remembering shattering like glass and our souls being ripped from our bodies. She dredged it all up to the surface,” Ms Pilkington-Wiley wrote.
“To find it was all a hoax well… I’m freaking angry!” she added. “I’m angry for every parent out there that has lost a child.”
Mother of murder victim says Carlee Russell ‘disrespected’ parents with lost children
Monday 24 July 2023 22:59 , Phil Thomas
Lawyer says Carlee Russell has admitted lying
Monday 24 July 2023 22:59 , Phil Thomas
Carlee Russell’s lawyer has told police that his client now admits her story about being abducted at the side of the road after stopping to help a distressed toddler was a lie.
On Monday Hoover Police Department Chief Nicholas Derzis said Carlee Russell’s attorney, Emory Anthony, had provided a statement saying there was no kidnapping.Chief Dervis read the statement at a news conference.
It read in part: “There was no kidnapping on Thursday July 13. My client did not see a baby on the side on the road.“My client apologizes for her actions to this community, the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies as well, as to her friends and family. We ask for your prayers for Carlee, as she addresses her issues and attempts to move forward, understanding that she made a mistake in this matter. Carlee again asks for your forgiveness and prayers.”Chief Derzis said it was possible that Ms Russell could now face criminal charges. He said that police are still trying to determine where she was in the two days she was gone.“This was an elaborate deal. When you talk about calling 911,” he said.
Carlee Russell admits she was never kidnapped, Alabama police say
Carlee Russell’s parents insist she was kidnapped as police cast doubt on claims
Monday 24 July 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio
Police have shared their doubt about Carlee Russell’s claims that she was kidnapped, suggesting that her internet search history indicates that she may have staged her own kidnapping.
Her parents have maintained that she was “absolutely” abducted. “There were moments when she physically had to fight for her life, and there were moments when she had to mentally fight for her life,” the mother told the outlet.
“We tried to hug as best we could, but I had to stand back because she was not in a good state,” Talitha Russell told The Daily Beast earlier this week about seeing her daughter return home. “So we had to stand back and let medical professionals work with her.”
“She’s having to deal with the trauma of people just making completely false allegations about her,” she added. “Carlee has given detectives her statement so that they can continue to pursue her abductor.”
Ms Russell’s boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons, wrote on Facebook following his girlfriend’s return. His statement echoed the parents’ theories: “She was literally fighting for her life for 48 hours, so until she’s physically & mentally stable again she is not able to give any updates or whereabouts on her kidnapper at this very moment.”
Carlee Russell: What happened to woman who went missing in Alabama?
Monday 24 July 2023 21:30 , Ariana Baio
What really happened to Carlee Russell?
Carlee Russell ‘fired’ from beauty spa job, according to report
Monday 24 July 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio
Carlee Russell has been fired from the Alabama beauty spa where she was working on the night she claimed to have been kidnapped, according to a new report.
Owner Stuart Rome told the New York Post Ms Russell was no longer employed at the Woodhouse spa in Birmingham, and that staff were “pi**ed” about her abduction claims.
The 25-year-old told police she was kidnapped while stopping to help a toddler on Interstate 459 on 13 July. However, police say they have doubts about her account after finding suspicious internet searches on her phone.
Mr Rome said staff had been devastated by Ms Russell’s disappearance, and had passed out flyers in an effort to help find her.
“As the information came out that there were some questionable things, we’ve been a little pissed off, mainly because so many people took so much time out to search,” Mr Rome told the New York Post.
Advocates implore people to not let Carlee Russell distract from missing people.
Monday 24 July 2023 20:30 , Ariana Baio
The story of Carlee Russell and her alleged kidnapping, or lack thereof, has taken national media by storm.
But advocates are urging others to not let Ms Russell’s case distract them from the real problem.
Derrica Wilson, the co-found of Black & Missing Foundation told CNN that Ms Russell’s case is an “anomaly.”
“We can’t lose sight of the bigger picture,” Ms Wilson said. “We are disappointed that there are inconsistencies with her story especially when there are a staggering number of people of color who are still missing and they need our help.”
Speaking with CNN, Ms Wilson said that it is often more difficult to get cases of missing Black people viral.
Black people make up 31 per cent of missing person reports but just 14 per cent of the US population, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Ms Wilson said they cannot allow Ms Russell’s case to diminish the efforts they put in to make other cases seen.
Four unanswered questions in the mysterious case of Carlee Russell
Monday 24 July 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio
Law enforcement in Hoover, Alabama left the public with more questions than answers after a press conference on Wednesday in which they revealed Carlee Russell’s disappearance and kidnapping may have been fabricated.
Hoover police chief Nick Derzis told reporters that authorities were “unable to verify” most of the statements that Ms Russell gave police about her whereabouts during the 49 hours she was missing.
Four unanswered questions in the mysterious case of Carlee Russell
Mother of murder victim says she’s angry at Carlee Russell
Monday 24 July 2023 19:30 , Ariana Baio
A mother in Hoover, Alabama whose daughter was murdered has spoken out against Carlee Russell for, allegedly, faking her kidnapping.
In a post on Facebook, Shea Wardup Pilkington-Wiley said she is angry at Ms Russell.
“Carlee Russell disrespected every parent that has lost a child,” Ms Pilkington-Wiley wrote.
“To find it was all a hoax well…I’m freakin angry! I’m angry for myself. I’m angry for every parent out there that has lost a child. Be present to who and how many your actions will effect. Remember that actions have consequences.”
Video footage shows Carlee Russell’s car pulling over
Monday 24 July 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio
Video shows the moment Carlee Russell’s car pulled over and she disappeared in Hoover, Alabama.
Alabama police find ‘no evidence’ Carlee Russell was trying to help toddler on highway
Monday 24 July 2023 18:30 , Ariana Baio
Investigators in Alabama found “no evidence” that Carlee Russell was trying to help a toddler walking along a highway at the time of her mysterious disappearance.
Nursing student Ms Russell, 25, vanished without a trace from the side of Interstate 459 in Hoover on the night of 13 July – just moments after she called 911 saying she had spotted a toddler alone on the road.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found Ms Russell’s car still running and her cellphone and wig close by, but no sign of the 25-year-old or a toddler.
Hoover Police have cast doubts, saying that there is no evidence that there was ever a toddler walking along the highway that night.
Despite Ms Russell claiming a toddler was walking alone, barefoot alongside a busy interstate no other drivers reported seeing a toddler.
Timeline in Carlee Russell case
Monday 24 July 2023 18:00 , Ariana Baio
11 July
7.30am: Ms Russell searches for “Do you have to pay for an Amber Alert”.
13 July
1.03am: Ms Russell searches for, “How to take money from register without being caught Reddit”.
2.13am: Ms Russell searches for, “Birmingham bus station”.
2.35am: Ms Russell searches for, “One-way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville” departing 13 July.
12:10pm: Ms Russell searches for the film “Taken”.
Ms Russell also searched for more information about Amber Alerts while at her workplace including one about the maximum age for an Amber Alert to be issued.
8.20pm: Ms Russell leaves her workplace, Woodhouse Spa. She is seen concealing a dark bathrobe, toilet paper and other items.
She then picks up dinner from a local restaurant and drives to Target where she purchases snacks.
9.21pm: Ms Russel leaves the shopping center parking lot and begins driving down the interstate.
9.34pm: Ms Russell calls 911 and reports a toddler walking along Interstate 459 alone and without pant or shoes.
Data shows Ms Russell drove 600 yards while on the phone with police, claiming she pulled over to assist the child.
After the 911 call, Ms Russell called her brother’s girlfriend.
9.36pm: Ms Russell goes missing.
9.40pm: Police arrive on scene.
14 July
7am: Russell family begins searching for Ms Russell
Searches continue all day and night until the following evening.
15 July
10.45pm: Ms Russell returns home on foot. Surveillance footage shows her walking on the sidewalk alone.
Mother of kidnapped and murdered Alabama teen speaks out
Monday 24 July 2023 17:30 , Ariana Baio
The mother of slain teen Aniah Blanchard has sent a dire message in the wake of an exhaustive investigation by Alabama authorities into the mysterious circumstances in which Carlee Russell allegedly went missing.
Andrea Blanco reports:
Aniah Blanchard’s mother speaks out after she helped in search for Carlee Russell
Carlee Russell’s internet searches
Monday 24 July 2023 17:00 , Ariana Baio
Carlee Russell made a series of suspicious internet searches in the days before she claimed to have been abducted, Alabama authorities revealed at a press conference last Wednesday.
A forensic analysis of Ms Russell’s cell phone, work and home computers found she looked up information about the movie Taken, Amber Alerts, booking a bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville and “how to take money from a register without being caught”, Hoover Police Department Nicholas Derzis told reporters.
What Carlee Russell told police
Monday 24 July 2023 16:30 , Ariana Baio
Police in Hoover, Alabama have said they were unable to verify most of Carlee Russell’s claims that she was kidnapped after pulling off to the side of the road while reporting a toddler was walking alone, leading to questions about whether she may face charges.
Ms Russell, 25, went missing on 13 July after calling 911 to report a young child was walking alone and barefoot on Interstate 459.
For the 49 hours that Ms Russell was missing, local, state and federal authorities conducted an extensive search.
The search efforts ended on 15 July when Ms Russell returned home on foot. She claimed a man kidnapped her.
But on Wednesday, authorities in Alabama said they have no evidence that a toddler was walking along the interstate and could not verify that Ms Russell was kidnapped.
Hoover police chief Nick Derzis said no other drivers on the busy interstate reported a child walking alone and there were no missing children alerts. He said Ms Russell was the only person to make the 911 call and there were no signs of a toddler when authorities arrived.
He added that during Ms Russell’s brief phone call with a 911 operator, she claimed she pulled her car over to assist the child but phone tracking data shows she moved 600 yards – the length of six football fields.
Mr Derzis expressed doubt that a small child between the ages of two and four could move 600 yards in the time Ms Russell was on the phone.
Ms Russell told authorities that she was kidnapped and held captive by a man and a woman, but Mr Derzis said they were unable to verify this.
At this time, Hoover police do not know where Ms Russell was exactly in the two days she was missing.
Instead, Mr Derzis pointed to Ms Russell’s questionable internet search history that she conducted in the days and hours leading up to her disappearance.
Watch: Hoover police’s press conference from last week
Monday 24 July 2023 16:00 , Ariana Baio
Alabama lawyer says police is using ‘every other synonym for lie except saying she lied’ in Carlee Russell case
Monday 24 July 2023 15:30 , Ariana Baio
An Alabama lawyer has outlined the possible crimes Carlee Russell may have committed after police haven’t been able to verify her claims about her 49-hour disappearance.
Gustaf Kilander reports:
Police using ‘every synonym for lie’ in Carlee Russell case, lawyer says
Could Carlee Russell face consequences?
Monday 24 July 2023 15:00 , Ariana Baio
Police in Hoover, Alabama have said they were unable to verify most of Carlee Russell’s claims that she was kidnapped after pulling off to the side of the road while reporting a toddler was walking alone, leading to questions about whether she may face charges.
Section 13A-10-9 of the Alabama criminal code states that making a false report to law enforcement, knowingly, is a Class A misdemeanour.
When asked if law enforcement was planning on charging Ms Russell on Wednesday, Mr Derzis replied: “To be perfectly honest with you, that hasn’t even entered our mind or been discussed.”
Mr Derzis said the priority of their investigation was to return Ms Russell home safely and find out where she was in the two days she was missing.
Carlee Russell sent several tweets before disappearing
Monday 24 July 2023 14:30 , Ariana Baio
Before 25-year-old Carlee Russell disappeared for a mysterious 49 hours, she posted a series of bizarre tweets.
On the day she went missing on 13 July, she tweeted at 8.55pm: “today was a GREAT day God be looking out im telling you!!”
One minute later, Ms Russell wrote: “someone to tell you ‘i love you’ and don’t got a reason.”
Finally, she tweeted, “yeah i want a family now” at 9.19pm. Just moments later, around 9.30pm, the Alabama woman called 911 and told detectives that she was following a lost toddler along the interstate.
Four unanswered questions in the mysterious case of Carlee Russell
Monday 24 July 2023 08:01 , Bevan Hurley
Law enforcement in Hoover, Alabama left the public with more questions than answers after a press conference on Wednesday in which they revealed Carlee Russell’s disappearance and kidnapping may have been fabricated.
Hoover police chief Nick Derzis told reporters that authorities were “unable to verify” most of the statements that Ms Russell gave police about her whereabouts during the 49 hours she was missing.
Ariana Baio examines four unanswered questions about the perplexing case.
Four unanswered questions in the mysterious case of Carlee Russell
Crime Stoppers backtrack on promise to return reward money
Monday 24 July 2023 06:44 , Shweta Sharma
Crime Stoppers, the organisation that offers anonymous tips about criminal activity, has backtracked on promises that it would return donors almost $63,000 after Carlee Russel returned home by herself following her claimed 13 July abduction.
Ms Russell, 25, told police she was kidnapped after stopping to help a toddler in diapers who was walking alone on Interstate 459 on the evening of 13 July.
She came back home two days after the alleged abduction.
More than $63,000 were raised by Crime Stoppers during the two-day search for the Alabama woman. But the organisation has now said the money will not be returned after initially making the promise.
“This investigation is still ongoing, and accordingly, there is no basis to refund any contributions at this time,” Crime Stoppers said.
“Furthermore, the Hoover Police Department has not requested for any donor contributions to be released or refunded.”
‘Think about her mental health’
Monday 24 July 2023 06:30 , Bevan Hurley
Carlee Russell’s boyfriend has pleaded with the public to stop cyberbullying the Alabama nursing student amid mounting suspicion she faked her own abduction.
“I know what it seems like what she did. Just stop bullying on social media,” Thomar Latrell Simmons told the New York Post.
“Think about her mental health. She doesn’t deserve that. She doesn’t. Nobody deserves to be cyberbullied.”
Ms Russell, 25, told police she was kidnapped after stopping to help a toddler in diapers walking alone on Interstate 459 on the evening of 13 July.
Police arrived five minutes later to find her red Mercedes still running, and her cellphone, wallet and wig in the car.
While Ms Russell was missing, Mr Simmons appealed for information from the public to help find her.
He later deleted a social media post stating that his girlfriend had been abducted.
Police are using ‘every other synonym for lie except saying she lied’
Monday 24 July 2023 05:04 , Bevan Hurley
An Alabama lawyer has outlined the possible crimes Carlee Russell may have committed after police haven’t been able to verify her claims about her 49-hour disappearance.
The 25-year-old claims she was kidnapped, but police have shared her internet search history which suggests the ordeal may have been staged.
Birmingham lawyer Eric Guster, a longtime criminal defence attorney, told WVTM13 that he, like many others, grew interested in the case. He added that the message coming from the police was clear.
“She says she was kidnapped, and a kidnapping didn’t happen. (They say) our citizens are safe. There’s not a kidnapper out there. So, they use every other synonym for lie except saying she lied,” he told the local TV station.
The attorney added that the search for Ms Russell wasted time and funds for both the police and members of the community.
The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Police using ‘every synonym for lie’ in Carlee Russell case, lawyer says
Carlee Russell ‘fired’ from beauty spa job, according to report
Monday 24 July 2023 03:30 , Bevan Hurley
Carlee Russell has been fired from the Alabama beauty spa where she was working on the night she claimed to have been kidnapped, according to a new report.
Owner Stuart Rome told the New York Post Ms Russell was no longer employed at the Woodhouse spa in Birmingham, and that staff were “pissed” about her abduction claims.
The 25-year-old told police she was kidnapped while stopping to help a toddler on Interstate 459 on 13 July. However, police say they have doubts about her account after finding suspicious internet searches on her phone.
Mr Rome said staff had been devastated by Ms Russell’s disappearance, and had passed out flyers in an effort to help find her.
“As the information came out that there were some questionable things, we’ve been a little pissed off, mainly because so many people took so much time out to search,” Mr Rome toldthe New York Post.
Carlee Russell claimed she was kidnapped by a man with orange hair. Police say they can’t verify any of it
Monday 24 July 2023 01:04 , Bevan Hurley
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell vanished on 13 July after calling 911 to report she had seen a toddler walking on the side of Interstate 459 in Alabama.
The 25-year-old told dispatch she stopped her car to check on the child, and called a family member before losing contact, according to the Hoover Police Department.
By the time officers arrived five minutes later, Ms Russell had disappeared with her car engine still running, and the toddler was nowhere to be found.
Law enforcement and family mounted a desperate search for the missing woman and pleaded with the public for help.
Then just over 48 hours later, police were notified that Ms Russell had returned home on foot.
She told detectives that she had been kidnapped by a white man with “orange hair”, and held captive in a semi-truck trailer and house before escaping.
On Wednesday, Hoover Police Department Nicholas Derzis cast doubt on Ms Russell’s claims at a press conference and said she was refusing requests to be interviewed.
What really happened to Carlee Russell?
Carlee Russell ‘fired’ from beauty spa job, according to report
Sunday 23 July 2023 21:30 , Bevan Hurley
Carlee Russell has been fired from the Alabama beauty spa where she was working on the night she claimed to have been kidnapped, according to a new report.
Owner Stuart Rome told the New York Post Ms Russell was no longer employed at the Woodhouse spa in Birmingham, and that staff were “pissed” about her abduction claims.
The 25-year-old told police she was kidnapped while stopping to help a toddler on Interstate 459 on 13 July. However, police say they have doubts about her account after finding suspicious internet searches on her phone.
Mr Rome said staff had been devastated by Ms Russell’s disappearance, and had passed out flyers in an effort to help find her.
“As the information came out that there were some questionable things, we’ve been a little pissed off, mainly because so many people took so much time out to search,” Mr Rome toldthe New York Post.
Advocates say Carlee Russell case ‘damages’ other missing person investigations
Sunday 23 July 2023 17:45 , Bevan Hurley
The father of Daniel Robinson, who has been missing since 2021, says he is concerned that Carlee Russell’s case will make it harder for Black families to get attention for their loved ones.
“It damages the problems we already have with law enforcement with taking our stories serious,” David Robinson told CNN.
Daniel Robinson vanished in Buckeye, Arizona, in June 2021, and authorities were initially reluctant to take the missing person report seriously, his father said.
Black people are over-represented in missing person cases according to FBI data, making up 31 per cent of reports despite having just 14 per cent of the US population.
Black & Missing Foundation co-founder Derrica Wilson told CNN she had 6,000 missing person cases on her database, most of them unsolved.
She said it was often difficult to attract attention to the cases of missing persons cases involving Black people.
“We are disappointed that there are inconsistencies with (Ms Russell’s) story especially when there are a staggering number of people of colour who are still missing and they need our help,” Ms Wilson said.
Missing white woman syndrome was a term coined by social scientists to describe how cases involving attractive, young white women receive far greater media attention than those of missing indigenous or Black women and men.
Police doubt Carlee Russell’s kidnapping claims. Could she face consequences?
Sunday 23 July 2023 16:15 , Bevan Hurley
Police in Hoover, Alabama have said they were unable to verify most of Carlee Russell’s claims that she was kidnapped after pulling off to the side of the road while reporting a toddler was walking alone, leading to questions about whether she may face charges.
While police have not made any official allegations against Ms Russell, should they find that she made a false report, law enforcement could choose to charge her.
Section 13A-10-9 of the Alabama criminal code states that making a false report to law enforcement, knowingly, is a Class A misdemeanour.
When asked if law enforcement was planning on charging Ms Russell on Wednesday, Mr Derzis replied: “To be perfectly honest with you, that hasn’t even entered our mind or been discussed.”
Ariana Baio has the story.
Police doubt Carlee Russell’s kidnapping claims. Could she face consequences?
Carlee Russell claimed she was kidnapped by a man with orange hair. Police say they can’t verify any of it
Sunday 23 July 2023 15:45 , Bevan Hurley
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell vanished on 13 July after calling 911 to report she had seen a toddler walking on the side of Interstate 459 in Alabama.
The 25-year-old told dispatch she stopped her car to check on the child, and called a family member before losing contact, according to the Hoover Police Department.
By the time officers arrived five minutes later, Ms Russell had disappeared with her car engine still running, and the toddler was nowhere to be found.
Law enforcement and family mounted a desperate search for the missing woman and pleaded with the public for help.
Then just over 48 hours later, police were notified that Ms Russell had returned home on foot.
She told detectives that she had been kidnapped by a white man with “orange hair”, and held captive in a semi-truck trailer and house before escaping.
On Wednesday, Hoover Police Department Nicholas Derzis cast doubt on Ms Russell’s claims at a press conference and said she was refusing requests to be interviewed.
What really happened to Carlee Russell?
Boyfriend of Carlee Russell deletes social media posts
Sunday 23 July 2023 08:30 , Bevan Hurley
The boyfriend of Carlee Russell has seemingly deleted social media posts containing photos or mentions of Ms Russell after police cast doubt over her allegations that she was kidnapped.
Ms Russell, 25, told police she was kidnapped on 13 July after pulling over on the side of the interstate to help a toddler who she claims was walking alone.
Two days later, on 15 July, she returned home.
Her boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons posted on Facebook announcing her return and attesting to her claim that she was kidnapped. He wrote that Ms Russell had been “fighting for her life for 48 hours” and not “physically or mentally stable” enough to speak about her kidnapping.
But after Hoover police revealed they were unable to verify most of Ms Russell’s story on Wednesday, Mr Simmons deleted his posts from Facebook and Instagram.
Full story below.
Boyfriend of Carlee Russell deletes social media posts after police cast doubt
Carlee Russell ‘fired’ from beauty spa job, according to report
Saturday 22 July 2023 21:00 , Bevan Hurley
Carlee Russell has been fired from the Alabama beauty spa where she was working on the night she claimed to have been kidnapped, according to a new report.
Owner Stuart Rome told the New York Post Ms Russell was no longer employed at the Woodhouse spa in Birmingham, and that staff were “pissed” about her abduction claims.
The 25-year-old told police she was kidnapped while stopping to help a toddler on Interstate 459 on 13 July. However, police say they have doubts about her account after finding suspicious internet searches on her phone.
Mr Rome said staff had been devastated by Ms Russell’s disappearance, and had passed out flyers in an effort to help find her.
“As the information came out that there were some questionable things, we’ve been a little pissed off, mainly because so many people took so much time out to search,” Mr Rome toldthe New York Post.
Mother of kidnapped and murdered Alabama teen speaks out
Saturday 22 July 2023 20:15 , Bevan Hurley
The mother of slain teen Aniah Blanchard has sent a dire message in the wake of an exhaustive investigation by Alabama authorities into the mysterious circumstances in which Carlee Russell allegedly went missing.
Angela Harris, who created a nonprofit organization to promote safety education after her 19-year-old daughter was murdered in 2019, helped in the search for Ms Russell and has now called for the public to remain patient — and cautious — as an investigation is underway.
“People want to know the truth, they need to know if there’s a predator out there … Y’all, there are predators out there that you need to beware of. Were’ not [just] talking about the Carlee situation … just in general, in life,” Ms Russell said in a TikTok video posted on Tuesday.
“There are predators out there, everywhere, it doesn’t matter. Please get that into your head. It can happen to anybody, anywhere, anytime.”
Andrea Blanco has the full story.
Aniah Blanchard’s mother speaks out after she helped in search for Carlee Russell
Police doubt Carlee Russell’s kidnapping claims. Could she face consequences?
Saturday 22 July 2023 18:03 , Bevan Hurley
Police in Hoover, Alabama have said they were unable to verify most of Carlee Russell’s claims that she was kidnapped after pulling off to the side of the road while reporting a toddler was walking alone, leading to questions about whether she may face charges.
While police have not made any official allegations against Ms Russell, should they find that she made a false report, law enforcement could choose to charge her.
Section 13A-10-9 of the Alabama criminal code states that making a false report to law enforcement, knowingly, is a Class A misdemeanour.
When asked if law enforcement was planning on charging Ms Russell on Wednesday, Mr Derzis replied: “To be perfectly honest with you, that hasn’t even entered our mind or been discussed.”
Ariana Baio has the story.
Police doubt Carlee Russell’s kidnapping claims. Could she face consequences?
Carlee Russell sent several bizarre tweets before disappearing
Saturday 22 July 2023 17:27 , Bevan Hurley
Before 25-year-old Carlee Russell disappeared for a mysterious 49 hours, she posted a series of bizarre tweets.
On the day she went missing on 13 July, she tweeted at 8.55pm: “today was a GREAT day God be looking out im telling you!!”
One minute later, Ms Russell wrote: “someone to tell you ‘i love you’ and don’t got a reason.”
Finally, she tweeted, “yeah i want a family now” at 9.19pm. Just moments later, around 9.30pm, the Alabama woman called 911 and told detectives that she was following a lost toddler along the interstate.
After she returned home, Ms Russell claimed was abducted by a man with “orange hair.” She turned up on foot at her parent’s home with $107 tucked in her right sock, and alleged she had barely survived the encounter.
Kelly Rissman has the full story.
Carlee Russell sent several bizarre tweets before disappearing
Carlee Russell’s parents insist she was kidnapped as police cast doubt on claims
Saturday 22 July 2023 17:03 , Bevan Hurley
The parents of Carlee Russell, the 25-year-old Alabama woman who disappeared for 48 hours after reporting that she spotted a child on the side of a highway, have spoken out for the first time since their daughter returned.
“We tried to hug as best we could, but I had to stand back because she was not in a good state,” Talitha Russell told The Daily Beast earlier this week about seeing her daughter return home. “So we had to stand back and let medical professionals work with her.”
While Ms Russell has been reported safe, mystery still swirls around what happened in the two days in which she vanished.
Police have since shared their doubt about her claims, suggesting that her internet search history indicates that she may have staged her own kidnapping.
Her parents have maintained that she was “absolutely” abducted. “There were moments when she physically had to fight for her life, and there were moments when she had to mentally fight for her life,” the mother told the outlet.
Carlee Russell’s parents insist she was kidnapped as police cast doubt on claims
Russell drove 600 yards along an Alabama interstate while on the phone to a 911 operator
Saturday 22 July 2023 12:00 , Bevan Hurley
At a press conference on Wednesday, Hoover police revealed Ms Russell drove 600 yards (548m) along an Alabama interstate while on the phone to a 911 operator claiming that she was following a lost toddler.
Data from Ms Russell’s cellphone showed she had driven the length of six football fields while talking to police dispatch, Hoover Police Department chief Nicholas Derzis said during the press conference.
“To think that a toddler, barefoot, that could be three or four years old is going to travel six football fields without getting on the roadway, without crying … it’s very hard for me to understand,” Mr Derzis said.
“Carlee’s 911 call remains the only report of a child on the interstate, despite numerous vehicles passing through the area at that time,” he said.
“We don’t see anyone on the interstate other than her car, and then someone getting out of her driver’s side.”
On Friday afternoon, authorities issued an urgent appeal for any information about her whereabouts.
“No piece of information is too small for this investigation,” public information officer Lt Daniel Lowe wrote in a statement.