Alabama nursing student Carlee Russell, who was reportedly abducted after stopping by the side of a road to help a distressed toddler, sparking a massive two-day search, has admitted that the entire story was a lie, her lawyer said in a statement on Monday. Russell admitted to fabricating the entire story.
The 25-year-old from Alabama reported to the police that she had been kidnapped after pulling over to assist a toddler in diapers who was wandering alone on Interstate 459 on the evening of 13 July. She returned home two days after the alleged abduction. However, police failed to corroborate her claims. On Monday, Russell put an end to all the speculation.
Fake Kidnapping, Fake Story
Russell admitted to making up the entire story. "There was no kidnapping ... my client did not see a baby," Russell's lawyer Emory Anthony wrote in a statement that was read at a press conference on Monday.
Anthony's confirmation was read by Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis. Neither Anthony nor Russell was not present at the event.
Derzis said that the police are actively investigating the case, and prosecutors are currently deliberating on whether to press criminal charges.
However, there is no clear motive revealed for why Russell staged her disappearance, nor any details provided about her whereabouts during the 49-hour period. In her statement, she claimed to have acted alone.
"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," Anthony said in the statement.
"We ask for your prayers for Carlee as she addresses her issues and intends to move understanding that she made a mistake.
"Carlee again asks for your forgiveness and prayers."
Russell, 25, disappeared on the night of July 13 after making a 911 call to report a toddler wearing only a t-shirt and diaper walking barefoot on 459 in Hoover.
She initially assured the police that she would stay at the scene, but she vanished after a bizarre call to her sister-in-law, during which she was heard screaming.
Russell returned to her parents' home on July 15 following a two-day search. She was taken to a hospital, received treatment, and was later discharged. Although she initially agreed to be interviewed by the police, she eventually stopped cooperating with the investigation.
Motive Still Unclear
Although Russell has admitted to fabricating the entire story, police are still unclear about the motive behind her lies.
After Russell returned, investigators found that she had searched for the action film "Taken," which portrays a CIA agent's frantic pursuit to rescue his daughter from kidnappers, on the day she went missing.
Also, search records revealed that she had looked up one-way tickets from Birmingham to Nashville and information about whether victims are required to pay for AMBER Alerts.
Russell, however, stuck to her narrative and originally told authorities that she had been kidnapped off the side of the road by a white male with orange hair, WeSH reported.
The inconsistencies in the supposed victim's story became more apparent after she was dismissed from her job at the Woodhouse spa in Birmingham, and her boyfriend removed all traces of her from his social media accounts.
"We've been a little pissed off, mainly because so many people took so much time out to search," Woodhouse owner Stuart Rome told The Post last week of Russell's co-workers' reaction to her traumatic disappearance and reappearing act.
According to the police, before Russell disappeared, she stole a robe and toilet paper from the spa where she worked. Shortly afterward, she visited a Target store to purchase snacks, but those items were not found in her vehicle after she went missing.
"The only thing I can say is, I want everyone to stop bullying her. I know what it seems like what she did. Just stop bullying on social media," Russell's boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons, who initially had been defending her against detractors, told The New York Post over the weekend.
"Think about her mental health. She doesn't deserve that. She doesn't. Nobody deserves to be cyberbullied."
Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama announced on Monday that it will not issue refunds to anyone who gave money toward the $63,378 raised to help find Russell.
"This investigation is still ongoing, and accordingly, there is no basis to refund any contributions at this time. Furthermore, the Hoover Police Department has not requested for any donor contributions to be released or refunded," said the group.
According to Bob Copus, the executive director of the organization, some larger donations had already been returned. The Birmingham Board of Realtors' $25,000 contribution and the $20,000 offered by an anonymous donor were among the refunded amounts, as reported by AL.com last week.
