It was all a ruse, police said Monday, in connection with the disappearance of Alabama woman, Carlee Russell.
On Monday, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis shared a statement from Russell’s lawyer, Emory Anthony, during a press conference, stating that 25-year-old Russell admitted to fabricating the story.
While police are still actively investigating the case, prosecutors are currently determining whether to press criminal charges against Russell after she initiated a nationwide search for her.
No motive was disclosed for staging her disappearance, and there is no information regarding her whereabouts during the 49 hours. According to the statement, however, she claimed to have been alone.
“My client has given me permission to make the following statement on her behalf: There was no kidnapping on July 13, 2023. My client did not see a baby on the side of the road. My client did not leave the Hoover area when she was identified as a missing person. My client did not have any help in this incident, but this was a single act done by herself,’’ Anthony wrote.
“My client was not with anyone or at any hotel during the time she was missing.”
“My client apologizes for her actions to the community, the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies, as well as to her friends and family,’’ the attorney said in the statement
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Russell called 911 earlier this month at around 9:30 p.m. to report seeing a toddler walking along Interstate 459 in Hoover. Minutes later, she reported the same information while on a call with her sister-in-law, adding that she would stop to see if she could help.
Traffic camera footage showed Russell’s car, hazard lights blinking, slow to a stop near mile marker 11. The family member reported hearing Russell ask, “Are you OK,” but heard no response, and then Russell screamed.
Days later, at around 10:45 p.m., Russell arrived at her parents’ house in Hoover.
Police have no evidence of a toddler walking along the highway. No other calls to 911 reported a toddler, “despite numerous vehicles passing through that area as depicted by the traffic camera surveillance video.”
Police said Russell claimed she was kidnapped and forced into an 18-wheeler by a man with orange hair, and a woman. She claimed she fled on foot, only to be captured again, blindfolded, and put into a car.
Birmingham police conducted a rigorous investigation, while volunteers helped search for days.
former criminal defense lawyer Eric Guster said the search for Russell consumed the time and money of both law enforcement and concerned community members.
He also listed the crimes she allegedly committed, including lying to police, theft, and filing a false report.
“We ask for your prayers for Carlee as she addresses her issues and intends to move understanding that she made a mistake,’’ Anthony added in the statement. “Carlee again asks for your forgiveness and prayers.”
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[Feature Photo via Hoover PD]
