Shocking details about the investigation surrounding Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell have come out. The Hoover Police Department held a press conference on July 19 to answer questions about the 25-year-old woman whose story went viral.
Russell got off work in Birmingham and picked up food before returning home to the Hoover area. On the way home, Russell pulled over on the side of a highway, called 911 and told operators there was a toddler walking alongside the freeway. After her call with local authorities, she called a family member before disappearing. After the story made national headlines, Russell returned to her home two days later and was transported to UAB hospital, treated and released. The story’s timeline going viral to her reappearing back home after walking made some social media users skeptical of how the story was initially reported. Russell’s parents denied making too many details on the situation public due to the investigation still being active, which only led to more skepticism.
Insert the July 19 press conference to present more facts.
When Russell was taken to the hospital, she provided local authorities with a statement. In the statement, she said she got out of her car to pick up the toddler when a man came out of the trees to check on the toddler as well. She said the man grabbed her and threw her over the fence near the freeway. She eventually forced her way out of the hostage-like conditions after 48 hours and found her way back home.
Details from Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis, show there were no records of a missing child in the area or seen on surveillance traffic camera footage when Russell made her report. Officials also said Russell was on the 911 call for 600 yards, the size of six football fields, while she said she was keeping track of the “3 or 4 year old.” The Hoover official said he’s never heard or seen anything like a child so young walking so far in such a short time with no shoes on.
“It’s just very hard for me to understand,” Derzis said.
There were also some notable online searches Russell made in the days leading up to and on the day of her disappearance. The searches included the movie Taken, and terms like “Amber alert,” “how to take money from a cash register without being caught” and “Birmingham bus station.”
Searches Carlee Russell did on her phone in the days/hours leading up to her disappearance:
"Do you have to pay for amber alerts"
"How to take money from a register"
"Birmingham bus station"
"One way ticket Birmingham to Nashville"
"The movie Taken"
"maximum age for… pic.twitter.com/vsdsjP21tN
— IG: @themelaninshadesroom (@officialtmsr) July 19, 2023
