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Carlee Russell’s mom speaks up
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Alabama police are expected to hold a press conference about the mysterious disappearance of Carlee Russell today amid mounting questions over what actually happened to her.
Nursing student Ms Russell, 25, vanished from the side of Interstate 459 in Hoover just after 9.30pm on 13 July, moments after she called 911 to report seeing a toddler alone on the road.
A huge search operation was launched as her family begged the public to come forward with information. Two days later, Hoover Police said that they received a 911 call saying that Ms Russell had suddenly returned home on foot.
While authorities declined to give details on the circumstances of her disappearance and return, Ms Russell’s family alleged that she had been a victim of a kidnapping.
On Tuesday night, Hoover Police cast doubts on one of the key aspects of the case – saying that there is no evidence of a toddler walking along the highway. They also said investigators have obtained video of the moment Ms Russell returned home.
Officials are expected to provide additional details about the progress of the investigation at a 2.30pm press conference on Wednesday.
Recommended Alabama police find ‘no evidence’ Carlee Russell was trying to help toddler on highway when she disappeared Carlee Russell’s parents insist she was kidnapped as police refuse to confirm claims A roadside disappearance, mystery child and kidnapping claims: What happened to Carlee Russell? 911 call reveals Carlee Russell was ‘unresponsive but breathing’ when she returned home
Key Points Who is Carlee Russell? Alabama police find ‘no evidence’ Carlee Russell was trying to help toddler on highway when she disappeared Carlee Russell’s parents insist she was kidnapped What really happened to Carlee Russell? Timeline in the Carlee Russell case
Show latest update 1689777013 Carlee Russell was ‘unresponsive but breathing’ when she returned home
Carlee Russell vanished from Interstate 459 just after 9.30pm on Thursday 13 July, sparking a massive search operation as authorities and family held grave fears for her safety.
The Hoover Police Department said they received a 911 call from the home Ms Russell shares with her parents at 10.44pm on Saturday to say she had returned home on foot.
Ms Russell was “unresponsive but breathing”, according to police dispatch audio obtained by Mail Online.
Emergency services responded and took Ms Russell to UAB Hospital for treatment before she was released.
Detectives conducted a preliminary interview with Ms Russell at the hospital, but no further details have been released by authorities about where she was.
Her boyfriend Thomar Latrell Simmons has claimed she was kidnapped and had been “fighting for her life” for 48 hours.
Ariana Baio 19 July 2023 15:30
1689775213 Carlee Russell was supposedly helping a child, police say differently
Nursing student Carlee Russell, 25, vanished without a trace from the side of Interstate 459 in Hoover on the night of 13 July – just moments after she called 911 saying she had spotted a toddler alone on the road.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found Ms Russell’s car still running and her cell phone and wig close by, but no sign of the 25-year-old.
A huge search operation was launched to try to track down the missing woman, with her family begging the public to come forward with any information.
Investigators in Alabama have found “no evidence” that Ms Russell was trying to help a toddler walking along a highway at the time of her mysterious disappearance.
On the night she disappeared, Hoover police said that the 25-year-old left her workplace and ordered food from nearby restaurant The Colonnade.
After stopping by The Colonnade, she went to the Target on Highway 280 and bought some snacks, police said.
These items were not found inside her abandoned vehicle along the highway nor were they found with her cellphone and wig at the scene of her disappearance.
Police said that the investigation had uncovered no evidence of a toddler walking down the interstate and had not received any additional calls about a wandering child – despite surveillance footage capturing numerous other vehicles passing through the area around that time.
Ariana Baio 19 July 2023 15:00
1689774313 Press conference scheduled for 2:30pm cst today.
Hoover Police will provide an update about the Carlee Russell case at 2.30pm CST / 3.30pm ET in a press conference on Wednesday.
Ariana Baio 19 July 2023 14:45
1689773413 Timeline in the Carlee Russell case
13 July, 8.20pm – Carlee Russell leaves her workplace, Summitt in Birmingham.
Ms Russell then went to order food from The Colonnade, a local business.
9.34pm – Ms Russell calls Hoover Police Department to report a toddler walking alongside interstate
Ms Russell also called her brother’s girlfriend and told her she was pulling over to check on the toddler.
9.36pm – Police believe Ms Russell goes missing sometime after this.
14 July, 4.06pm – Alabama Law Enforcement Agency issues a missing persons advisory
15 July, 10.44pm – Ms Russell returned home to her parent’s house on foot
Ariana Baio 19 July 2023 14:30
1689771613 Carlee Russell’s boyfriend claims she was kidnapped
Thomar Latrell Simmons, the boyfriend of Carlee Russell, claimed in a Facebook post that she was kidnapped and was “fighting for her life for 48 hours” after going missing.
Mr Simmons said his girlfriend is not “physically or mentally stable” at the moment to speak about her ordeal or about the alleged kidnapper, sharing their photographs.
“I don’t even know how to start off this post but to only say thank you to my lord & savior Jesus Christ for saving my girlfriend’s life!” he said on Sunday.
Ariana Baio 19 July 2023 14:00
1689770413 Watch: Carlee Russell’s mom speaks out
Carlee Russell's mom speaks up
Ariana Baio 19 July 2023 13:40
1689769213 Carlee Russell’s parents insist she was kidnapped
The parents of Carlee Russell, the 25-year-old Alabama woman who disappeared for 48 hours after reporting that she spotted a child on the side of a highway, have spoken out for the first time since their daughter returned.
“We tried to hug as best we could, but I had to stand back because she was not in a good state,” Talitha Russell told The Daily Beast about seeing her daughter return home. “So we had to stand back and let medical professionals work with her.”
While Ms Russell has been reported safe, mystery still swirls around what happened in the two days in which she vanished. Her parents and the police haven’t shared what transpired in that period.
Her parents have maintained that she was “absolutely” abducted. “There were moments when she physically had to fight for her life, and there were moments when she had to mentally fight for her life,” the mother told the outlet.
“She’s having to deal with the trauma of people just making completely false allegations about her,” she added. “Carlee has given detectives her statement so that they can continue to pursue her abductor.”
Ariana Baio 19 July 2023 13:20
1689768970 Who is Carlee Russell?
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, 25, is at the center of a mysterious missing person case in Alabama.
Ms Russell, who lives with her parents in Hoover, disappeared last Thursday, 13 July, after calling the police to report a toddler walking alongside the interstate alone.
However, upon arrival, authorities found no sign of a toddler or Ms Russell.
For 48 hours, authorities and Ms Russell’s family spent hours frantically searching for her. Then, somehow, the 25-year-old appeared at her family’s home.
A 911 call revealed Carlee Russell was ‘unresponsive but breathing’ when she returned to her home in Hoover, Alabama
(Hoover Police Department)
While Ms Russell has been reported safe, mystery still swirls around what happened in the two days in which she vanished. Her parents and the police haven’t shared what transpired in that period.
So far, her parent shave maintained that she was “absolutely” abducted.
Ms Russell worked part time at The Woodhouse Spa and was also a student at Jefferson State Community College, where she was studying to be a nurse, according to AL.com.
Ariana Baio 19 July 2023 13:16
1689768613 Catch up with the Carlee Russell case
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell vanished on 13 July after calling 911 to report she had seen a toddler walking on the side of Interstate 459 in Alabama.
The 25-year-old stopped her car to check on the child, and called a family member before losing contact, according to the Hoover Police Department.
By the time officers arrived five minutes later, Ms Russell had disappeared with her car engine still running, and the toddler was nowhere to be found.
Law enforcement and family mounted a desperate search for the missing woman and pleaded with the public for help.
Then just over 48 hours later, police were notified that Ms Russell had returned home on foot.
Bevan Hurley reports:
What really happened to Carlee Russell? Carlee Russell vanished after calling 911 to report seeing a young boy in diapers on the side of a busy interstate. Two days later, she turned up at her home. Bevan Hurley questions why police haven’t confirmed what happened to her
Ariana Baio 19 July 2023 13:10
1689768464 Alabama police find ‘no evidence’ Carlee Russell was trying to help toddler on highway when she disappeared
Investigators in Alabama have found “no evidence” that Carlee Russell was trying to help a toddler walking along a highway at the time of her mysterious disappearance, it has been revealed.
Nursing student Ms Russell, 25, vanished without a trace from the side of Interstate 459 in Hoover on the night of 13 July – just moments after she called 911 saying she had spotted a toddler alone on the road.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found Ms Russell’s car still running and her cell phone and wig close by, but no sign of the 25-year-old.
Rachel Sharp reports:
Alabama police find ‘no evidence’ Carlee Russell was trying to help toddler Hoover Police also revealed that Ms Russell visited a Target store to buy snacks just before her disappearance and said that they have obtained surveillance footage of the moment she returned home
Ariana Baio 19 July 2023 13:07
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1/ 1Alabama police refute key claim in Carlee Russell case – updates
Alabama police refute key claim in Carlee Russell case – updates
Carlee Russell
Hoover Police Department/NewsNation (YouTube)
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