Police in Alabama Cast Doubts on Woman’s Claims of Being Kidnapped

HOOVER, AL – Local authorities out of Hoover, Alabama, are beginning to question whether a 25-year-old nursing student’s tale of being kidnapped is genuine, noting the woman’s bizarre online search history prior to going missing and the scant evidence supporting her assertions.

The curious case reportedly arose on the evening of July 13th, with 25-year-old Carlee Russell having called 911 while driving alongside the I-495 and telling the operator that she spotted a lone toddler wearing a diaper walking alongside the interstate.

Russell allegedly pulled over, with Russell’s mother later telling media outlet AL.com that her daughter called her boyfriend after speaking with 911 while attempting to make physical contact with the toddler, when suddenly Russell screamed over the phone.

“My son’s girlfriend heard her asking the child, ‘Are you Ok?’ She never heard the child say anything but then she heard our daughter scream,’’ Talitha Russell stated, adding, “From there all you hear on her phone is background noise from the interstate.”

A Hoover Police officer arrived on the scene roughly three minutes after Russell’s call came in about the wandering toddler along the interstate. However, by the time the officer arrived, Russell was nowhere to be found. All that was left behind was Russell’s vehicle, which was still running, along with her purse, watch, hat & wig, and her cellphone.

Russell’s mother claims that police working the scene did notice some tire tracks near Russell’s abandoned vehicle, but the muddy nature of the terrain left little clues as to what kind of vehicle it could’ve been.

Furthermore, Russell’s mother told media outlets that a truck driver had called in a tip about her daughter’s vehicle being abandoned alongside the road, saying, “He saw her red car with the door open and he saw a grey car with a tall brown skinned man with khaki shorts on leaning over in the car.”

Based upon the preliminary information afforded to authorities at the time, the case was treated as a possible abduction, launching a statewide search for Russell.

Over the next two days after the initial call from Russell to 911, police fervently pursued any leads they could – eventually getting word from Russell’s family that the allegedly abducted woman had called them claiming she was at a local Red Roof Inn a few miles away from her home.

Yet, by the time police arrived at the motel in question, Russell was nowhere to be found on scene.

Come the evening of July 15th, an unexpected development transpired: Russell had reportedly arrived at her family’s home, having arrived there on foot. Russell was reportedly briefly interviewed by investigators upon her return home and was transported to an area hospital overnight for observation.

As of this writing, police have not made any arrests in connection with Russell’s alleged abduction.

According to Russell’s family and loved ones following her return home, the young woman was “fighting for her life for 48 hours,” with the family becoming agitated with swirling online rumors that something was awry with the alleged abduction.

Despite the family of Russell having made a handful of vague statements to various outlets and on social media platforms, Russell’s family has been steadfast in mentioning that Russell isn’t going to be speaking with the media directly at this time.

While the social media rumor mill can often jump the gun with high profile cases similar to Russell’s, there might be something to the collective skepticism her unusual case drew, with officials admitting that some things aren’t adding up in the investigation.

One of the first details that left local authorities stumped was the original call detailing a desolate toddler walking along the interstate. Officials say that the responding officer found no sign of a lone, diaper-clad toddler, nor did police receive any other calls from motorists passing by the area about a toddler walking along the interstate.

But Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis noted that the strangest aspects of this case were what Russell was engaged in before she was allegedly kidnapped.

According to the Hoover Police chief, Russell was engaged in some “strange” internet search activity, such as whether or not someone has to “pay for an Amber Alert,” and the oldest age one can be to be listed under an Amber Alert. Russell also reportedly looked up one-way bus tickets from Birmingham to Nashville, Tennessee, with the departure date being the day she was allegedly kidnapped.

Two other online searches conducted by Russell raised eyebrows with police, one being for the movie Taken and also searching for “how to take money from a register without being caught.”

Officials also claim that prior to Russell leaving work on the day she was allegedly kidnapped, she reportedly left work with some toilet paper and a bathrobe in tow, later stopping by a local Target to pick up some granola bars and cheese crackers – which the aforesaid items were not found at the scene where Russell was allegedly abducted.

Even though Chief Derzis has abstained from outright calling the abduction of Russell a complete hoax, he says there’s “no reason to believe there’s a threat to public safety,” in reference to Russell’s family repeatedly asserting that Russell’s alleged kidnapper is on the loose.

With the numerous oddities surrounding the case, local authorities would like to gain insight into these peculiarities, but Chief Derzis says Russell is “not ready to talk” with investigators any further at this time, which the chief acknowledged puts the investigation at a standstill as only Russell “can provide those answers” that investigators seek.