On Wednesday, new details emerged into the disappearance of Carlee Russel, the Alabama woman who mysteriously went missing last week. After she phoned 911 alleging that she saw an unattended toddler walking on the side of the highway, her whereabouts were unknown for 49 hours. While her story sent the nation into a frenzy, suspicions have been raised after she returned home on foot. Even more so, investigators have stated that they “have been unable to verify” a majority of the initial statement made by Russel.
Opinions have been making their way across social media, with many speculating that Russel was never abducted in the first place. At a press conference, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis informed the public that the investigation into her disappearance will continue, but authorities are not convinced that “there is a threat to the community.” Derzis also told news outlets that no reports have come in about a missing toddler.
Local Alabama authorities recently stated that they have not discovered any evidence to support Russel’s report that she had been kidnapped and held against her will for two days after she pulled over to check on a toddler that she claims she saw walking on the side of the highway. After speaking briefly to Russel, police have expressed interest in speaking with her again. Since then, Russel has declined to speak any further.
Nick Derzis said at a press conference Wednesday. “Only Carlee can provide those answers.”
Background Information
Carlee Russel was driving home from work when she called 911 to report a toddler walking alongside the interstate. She informed the dispatcher that she was going to pull over to check on the child. She then called a family member who eventually lost contact with her. Within minutes of her call, the police arrived at the scene only to find her vehicle, phone, purse, and other belongings, but no sign of Carlee Russel. This puzzling disappearance has sparked a nationwide search to find her.
After two days, Russell returned home on foot. She told police that a man picked her up and forced her into a vehicle and held in a house for two days. She then stated that she was forced into another car where she managed to escape and flee home on foot. When police spoke to her on Saturday, she had a tear in her shirt, a small injury on her lip, and a little over $100 in cash in her sock.
Information retrieved from Russel’s cell phone showed that during the time she was on the 911 call, she had driven 600 yards. Chief Derzis said “The idea of a toddler walking the distance of six football fields without straying into the roadway or crying was just very hard for me to understand.”
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