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Carlee Russell from Alabama, who had gone missing after calling 911 last week to report a child walking alone on an interstate highway, reappeared at her home two days later and narrated a detailed story to investigators about being abducted and held captive by a man. However, the police stated on Wednesday that they are still unable to verify her account.
“We have no reason to believe that there’s any threat to public safety from this particular case,” said Nick Derzis, Hoover’s police chief, in the city of Birmingham with over 90,000 residents, where Carlethia “Carli” Russell had gone missing.
Derzis discontinued the accusation of Russell lying about her account but mentioned that the investigators couldn’t corroborate many details she shared and several questions remain unanswered.
“We want to know the truth,” he emphasized.
On Wednesday afternoon, during a press conference, Derzis stated that apart from a brief initial interview with the police upon her return on Saturday night, Russell has not agreed to answer the police’s questions. However, he expressed hope that they would be able to speak with her further.
Derzis explained that Russell conducted multiple internet searches on her phone and computer related to her disappearance, which was “very pertinent,” including information about kidnapping and Amber Alerts.
The Disappearance of Carlee Russell
What happened to Carlee Russell?
Russell was on her way home from work in Hoover on Interstate on Thursday when she called 911 to report seeing a diaper-clad child walking near the highway’s edge.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, the police played the audio of the 911 call, where Russell told a dispatcher that the child was white, not wearing shoes, and appeared to be wearing a white T-shirt and a diaper. She said she stopped but remained in her car, keeping an eye on the child.
“There’s a baby walking by itself,” Russell said.
Derzis said that according to the analysis of her cellphone data, Russell had traveled about 600 yards in her car during the five minutes when she was on the phone with 911.
“I’m not saying it’s impossible,” Derzis said. “But the thought of a child, barefoot, 3 or 4 years old, walking down the street without crying, without anybody coming out, it’s tough for me to wrap my head around.”
The police said that after calling 911, Russell made a call to her brother’s girlfriend.
Russell’s mother, Talitha Russell, told AL.com, “My son’s girlfriend heard her talking to the baby, saying, ‘Are you okay?’ She never heard the baby say anything, but then she heard our daughter scream from there.” “From there, you hear her phone ping from an out-of-state location.”
The police stated that they arrived at the scene within five minutes of Russell’s call to 911 and found her car and some personal items on the roadside, but there was no sign of Russell or the child.
During a news release on Tuesday night, the police also mentioned that Russell had stopped at a target on her way and purchased some “snack food type items,” which were not found in her car or around the area. Derzis said on Wednesday that she also had items related to her work, including a deep blue bathing suit and a roll of toilet paper, which were also not found at the scene.
Where was Russell after she disappeared?
An investigation that captured national attention continued until Russell returned home nearly 48 hours after going missing.
According to the police, on Saturday night around 10:45 PM, Russell arrived at his house on foot and knocked on the door. On Tuesday evening, in their news release, Hoover Police revealed that surveillance footage showed Russell “walking alone on the sidewalk before reaching his residence.”
The police stated on Tuesday, “Several pieces of evidence are still being evaluated, and those things are crucial in determining what happened in the approximately 49 hours leading up to Carly’s disappearance, not just what happened after she went missing.”
Russell informed the authorities that she had been abducted.
When she returned, Russell informed the police that when she was getting out of her car, a man emerged from the woods and told her he was checking on a child. Darzis said the man picked her up, and she screamed, leading officers to be notified.
Russell stated that the man “forced her to cross a fence” and made her get into a car. She described the man as having orange hair and a bald spot on the back of his head.
Darzis said, “The next thing she remembers is being in an 18-wheeler trailer.”
Russell told investigators that she heard the voices of both male and female individuals, along with a baby crying. She said she managed to escape but was caught again, blindfolded, taken to a house, and given fireworks. At the house, Russell told the police she was told to undress, and she believed that the captors took pictures of her.
Ultimately, she said, “I don’t remember anything else until being put back in the vehicle and being able to escape.”
Darzis said Russell ran through the woods until she arrived near her home.
Initially, investigators refrained from pressuring Russell and planned to speak with her once she had time to rest, but they were unable to do so.
During this time, Russell’s family has stated that they believe she was kidnapped. Her mother told NBC‘s “Today” show that she believes her daughter “fought for her life.”
Talitha Russell said in an interview broadcast on Tuesday, “Carly has given her statement to the investigators, so they can continue to pursue the kidnapper.”
Darzis said that they believe Russell’s family has relied on her descriptions in their belief of what transpired.
“We’ve got answers still, as you can see, but only Carly can provide those answers. What we can say is that we’re unable to corroborate the majority of Carly’s initial statements to the investigators,” Darzis said.
Was Russell injured?
When the police arrived at Russell’s home on Saturday night, they found her alert and responsive, despite one small cut on her lip, and she complained of head pain. She was also carrying over $100 in cash in one of her socks, according to Darzis.
What did Russell search on the internet?
Darzis said that Russell conducted several searches on the internet, which they believe are relevant to the days leading up to her disappearance last Thursday. Some of the searches included “Amber Alert payment,” “How to withdraw money without getting caught,” “Birmingham bus station,” “One-way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville on July 13,” “Tekken movie,” and additional searches about Amber Alert’s maximum age.
Darzis stated that the police would not release information about additional searches “that shed light on her mental state.”
What happened to the child Carlee claimed to have seen on the interstate?
The police stated that they found no evidence of a child being on the highway. Carlee’s 911 call remains the only report of a child seen on the interstate.
“Hoover Police Department has found no evidence of a child being on the interstate, nor have we received any additional calls about a child on the interstate, despite multiple vehicles passing through that area, as captured on traffic camera surveillance videos,” the police said on Tuesday night.
The police chief is frustrated with the lack of responses.
Darzis said the police are now focused on determining what happened during Carlee’s disappearance. He expressed relief that Carly returned home safely and pledged that the police department will uncover the truth.
“There’s a lot of work involved in this,” Darzis said. “It’s a little frustrating to think that this has all occurred, and we have nothing.”
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