On Wednesday, an Alabama judge convicted Carlee Russell of faking her own abduction and disappearance in July.
AL.com reported that the judge recommended Russell, 26, spend a year in jail and pay $17,874 in restitution. Russell is expected to appeal her case so it will go before a jury trial.
Russell was found guilty of false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident for calling 911 claiming she saw a toddler walking on the side of Interstate-459, as CrimeOnline reported. Responding police officers found Russell’s car running on the side of the road with her phone, wig, and purse inside — sparking a frantic search that ended two days later when she walked home.
WBRC reported that authorities are still unsure where Russell was during that 48-hour window. However, Russell claimed she was abducted by a man in an 18-wheeler before she escaped and returned home.
“She said that they took her into a house and made her get undressed. She believes they took pictures of her, but she does not remember them having any physical or sexual contact with her. She stated that the next day, she woke up and was fed cheese crackers by the female,” Hoover police chief Nick Derzis previously said, according to AL.com.
While Russell’s attorney issued a statement admitting to fabricating the kidnapping, they denied she had any help.
Following Wednesday’s verdict, Russell’s attorney, Emory Anthony, told AL.com that they are appealing because they do not want Russell to face jail time for a Class A misdemeanor.
“If you can find where someone was put in jail for that, bring the file to me and I’ll look at it,’’ he said. “Generally, they’re not put in jail.”
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode:
[Featured image: Carlee Russell/Hoover Police Department]
