A 25-year-old nursing student named Carlee Russell made national news when she mysteriously vanished on July 13 and then showed up at her house two days later.
On July 13, when Carlee Russell was making her way home from work, she allegedly spotted a young child strolling alongside a roadway in Alabama and dialed 911. She left after a short while.
According to a police report, when authorities got at the scene, they discovered her red Mercedes still in motion as well as some of her personal things, including her wig, phone, and pocketbook, but there was no trace of the 25-year-old.
But her story has a happy ending, and it immediately attracted national attention. The nursing student abruptly came home two days after going missing.
Russell has been contacted by the authorities, but the Hoover Police Department is still aggressively looking into Russell's disappearance and the peculiar events that led up to it.
According to a department official, "The specifics of that statement are a part of the ongoing investigation, which is expected to continue over the next few days." Detectives "were able to retrace nearly all of Carlee's steps until she went missing during the initial portion of the investigation and are confident that will continue to be the case."
Carlee Russell vanished, but how?
According to a press release issued by law enforcement, Russell spotted a little child traveling alone on the interstate I-459 South about 9:34 p.m. on July 13 while on her way home from work. She immediately called 911 and a relative to report the sighting.
However, there was no sign of Russell or a child when police arrived. Only Russell's car and some of her things, such as her phone and Apple Watch, were present. Additionally, authorities affirmed that they have not received any additional reports about a missing youngster.
Russell was the subject of a $5,000 reward from Crimestoppers and a $20,000 reward from an unidentified donor for his safe return.
Lt. Daniel Lowe said in a press statement at the time that "one witness has reported possibly seeing a gray vehicle with a light-complected male standing outside of Carlee's vehicle." "However, at this time, we do not have any additional information on that person or the vehicle."
Talitha Robinson-Russell, Russell's mother, stated AL.COM that when she went to check on the infant, Russell had already contacted her brother's girlfriend.
"My son's girlfriend overheard her asking the child, 'Are you okay?'" stated Robinson-Russell. She claims that she never overheard the youngster speak, but she did hear our daughter scream. All you can hear on her phone from there is background traffic noise.
Carlee Russell went back home when?
Russell went back to his house on July 15, two days after she vanished, according to the Hoover Police Department. According to Hoover Police Capt. Keith Czeskleba, Russell was transferred to a hospital for additional testing. Additionally, Russell gave a statement to police after receiving treatment and being released.
What are the family members of Carlee Russell saying?
Talitha Robinson-Russell, Russell's mother, expressed the family's gratitude for their daughter's safe return in a statement on her Facebook page following Russell's discovery.
Wonderful morning! As we did last night, my husband and I wish to reiterate our remark," she added. Nothing else has to be said or taken away from how we are feeling at this moment. God is dependable and has heard our petitions. To be able to just love on our kid and each other with our close relatives and friends, we do want to ask for privacy right now.
Thomar Latrell Simmons, Russell's boyfriend, claims she was kidnapped.
Until she is physically and mentally stable once more, Simmons said, "She was literally fighting for her life for 48 hours."Wrote on Facebook "At this time, she is unable to provide any updates or information regarding the whereabouts of her kidnapper."
Police believe they are unable to confirm Carlee Russell's account of being kidnapped.
According to Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis, investigators have not been able to confirm the majority of Russell's claims that he was apprehended. Police reported that Russell conducted a number of "very strange" online searches before going missing, including whether or not Amber Alerts are free, how to steal money from a cash register covertly, and the movie "Taken."
Additionally, searches for the Birmingham bus terminal and Nashville to Birmingham bus tickets were conducted.
We requested a second interview with Carlee, but we were denied, according to Derzis. There are still a lot of unanswered questions, and only Carlee can give them.
The Hoover Police Department reported that no proof of a youngster on the road has been discovered by investigators. Despite the fact that numerous vehicles passed by the area on Thursday night, the agency never got any additional 911 calls regarding a toddler on Interstate 459.
Russell drove her car about 600 yards—roughly six football fields—while she spoke on the phone with a dispatcher about the youngster, according to Derzis. She informed the operator that a young child was on the road wearing only a white blouse and a diaper.
"It's very difficult for me to understand how a toddler, who could be 3 or 4 years old, could travel six football fields barefoot without getting in the road or sobbing," Derzis added.
On Wednesday, police released audio from Russell's 911 call, in which she claimed to be following the child in her car. Russell stated in the conversation that she would watch the boy until the police showed up.
After hanging up with the dispatcher, she dialed a family member. The family member "lost contact with" Russell during the call, "but the line remained open," Hoover Police Lt. Daniel Lowe said during a press conference on Friday.Russell's mother then dialed 911 and reported that while Russell and a family member were on the phone, the family member overheard Russell screaming.
Within five minutes of being dispatched, Hoover policemen showed up on the scene, according to the police. Although Russell had vanished, police discovered her car, cellphone, wig, and pocketbook. The bag contained her Apple Watch.
Police were able to speak with Russell after she got home on Saturday night, but they haven't had a chance to speak with her again since.
According to Derzis, Russell told authorities that a man had emerged from the woods and murmured that he was checking on the child. She claimed the man then pushed her into a car and over a fence.
The next thing Russell recalled was being in a truck trailer with the man, who she described as having orange hair, and a lady. She claimed to have heard a baby crying as well.
Russell claimed that after making her getaway, she was apprehended, put in a car, and given a blindfold. She claimed that she was not restrained and that her alleged captors had stated that they did not want to leave any physical traces on her wrists.
She was reportedly escorted to a home and undressed there, according to Russell. She claimed that she thinks she was photographed. She claimed that the woman served her cheese crackers and played with her hair the following day.
Russell claimed that she was eventually re-inserted into a car. While it was in the West Hoover neighborhood, she claimed she was able to flee and went through the woods to get home. She had a slight lip injury and a tear in her top when cops arrived. Her right sock contained more than $100 in cash.
Derzis claimed that he believes the parents accept what Russell has told them, and he met with them prior to Wednesday's press appearance to inform them of what he would be disclosing to the general public.
Derzis refused to answer the question of whether he would admit to committing a crime.
I wouldn't say that I'm frustrated, Derzis remarked. Carlee being home is the biggest component of this, and I'm really glad about that.
He asserted that there is no basis for concern about a community threat.
Police were trying to create a timeline of what happened before Russell vanished during the hunt.
Around 8:20 p.m. local time on Thursday, she left her job at a company in Birmingham, which is roughly 10 miles from Hoover, according to authorities. Her exit from the office is captured on surveillance footage along with a bathrobe, a roll of toilet paper, and other goods that the police claim she kept "concealed."
Then Russell picked up the dinner he had ordered from a local eatery at The Colonnade shopping center. She made a pit stop at a Target off of Highway 280 to grab some Cheez-Its and granola bars. She remained there until 9:21 o'clock at night.
She reported a youngster on the road to 911 at 9:34 p.m., indicating she had stopped to check on the boy, according to police. Russell hurriedly ended the call and then dialed a family member.
When police arrived at the site, Russell's car was missing the snacks and supplies she had brought with her when she left the office. Furthermore, they were nowhere to be discovered in the region.
Derzis declared that the probe was not finished. "We're still investigating this case, and we will continue to investigate this case until we find every piece of information that will allow us to account for the 49 hours that Carlee Russell was missing."
Source: Eonline