Carlee Russell – latest: Alabama woman sent odd tweets before alleged kidnapping as search history revealed

Alabama police have expressed doubt over Carlee Russell’s claim that she was abducted from the side of an interstate highway last week, saying she appears to have made internet searches relating to kidnappings prior to the incident.

Hoover police chief Nick Derzis said during a press conference that investigators were “unable to verify” most of the 25-year-old’s statements relating to the events.

Mr Derzis detailed Ms Russell’s peculiar search history on Wednesday, saying she had searched for the movie Taken and Amber Alerts, raising the possibility she may have faked her alleged ordeal.

Before she disappeared for a mysterious 49 hours, she posted a series of bizarre tweets.

On the day she went missing on 13 July, she tweeted at 8.55pm: “today was a GREAT day God be looking out im telling you!!”

One minute later, Ms Russell wrote: “someone to tell you ‘i love you’ and don’t got a reason.”

Finally, she tweeted, “yeah i want a family now” at 9.19pm. Just moments later, around 9.30pm, the Alabama woman called 911 and told detectives that she was following a lost toddler along the interstate.

Key Points

‘Until she’s physically & mentally stable again she is not able to give any updates’
Who is Carlee Russell?
VIDEO: New details of Carlee Russell's disappearance under scrutiny
Secret Service analysed her phone and computers, and found internet searches that are 'very relevant to this case’
Kidnapping claims

Mother of kidnapped and murdered Alabama teen speaks out

20:15 , Bevan Hurley

The mother of slain teen Aniah Blanchard has sent a dire message in the wake of an exhaustive investigation by Alabama authorities into the mysterious circumstances in which Carlee Russell allegedly went missing.

Angela Harris, who created a nonprofit organization to promote safety education after her 19-year-old daughter was murdered in 2019, helped in the search for Ms Russell and has now called for the public to remain patient — and cautious — as an investigation is underway.

“People want to know the truth, they need to know if there’s a predator out there ... Y’all, there are predators out there that you need to beware of. Were’ not [just] talking about the Carlee situation ... just in general, in life,” Ms Russell said in a TikTok video posted on Tuesday.

“There are predators out there, everywhere, it doesn’t matter. Please get that into your head. It can happen to anybody, anywhere, anytime.”

Andrea Blanco has the full story.

Aniah Blanchard’s mother speaks out after she helped in search for Carlee Russell

Four unanswered questions in the mysterious case of Carlee Russell

19:30 , Bevan Hurley

Law enforcement in Hoover, Alabama left the public with more questions than answers after a press conference on Wednesday in which they revealed Carlee Russell’s disappearance and kidnapping may have been fabricated.

Hoover police chief Nick Derzis told reporters that authorities were “unable to verify” most of the statements that Ms Russell gave police about her whereabouts during the 49 hours she was missing.

Ariana Baio examines four unanswered questions about the perplexing case.

Four unanswered questions in the mysterious case of Carlee Russell

Boyfriend of Carlee Russell deletes social media posts

18:45 , Bevan Hurley

The boyfriend of Carlee Russell has seemingly deleted social media posts containing photos or mentions of Ms Russell after police cast doubt over her allegations that she was kidnapped.

Ms Russell, 25, told police she was kidnapped on 13 July after pulling over on the side of the interstate to help a toddler who she claims was walking alone.

Two days later, on 15 July, she returned home.

Her boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons posted on Facebook announcing her return and attesting to her claim that she was kidnapped. He wrote that Ms Russell had been “fighting for her life for 48 hours” and not “physically or mentally stable” enough to speak about her kidnapping.

But after Hoover police revealed they were unable to verify most of Ms Russell’s story on Wednesday, Mr Simmons deleted his posts from Facebook and Instagram.

Full story below.

Boyfriend of Carlee Russell deletes social media posts after police cast doubt

Police doubt Carlee Russell’s kidnapping claims. Could she face consequences?

18:03 , Bevan Hurley

Police in Hoover, Alabama have said they were unable to verify most of Carlee Russell’s claims that she was kidnapped after pulling off to the side of the road while reporting a toddler was walking alone, leading to questions about whether she may face charges.

While police have not made any official allegations against Ms Russell, should they find that she made a false report, law enforcement could choose to charge her.

Section 13A-10-9 of the Alabama criminal code states that making a false report to law enforcement, knowingly, is a Class A misdemeanour.

When asked if law enforcement was planning on charging Ms Russell on Wednesday, Mr Derzis replied: “To be perfectly honest with you, that hasn’t even entered our mind or been discussed.”

Ariana Baio has the story.

Police doubt Carlee Russell’s kidnapping claims. Could she face consequences?

Carlee Russell sent several bizarre tweets before disappearing

17:27 , Bevan Hurley

Before 25-year-old Carlee Russell disappeared for a mysterious 49 hours, she posted a series of bizarre tweets.

On the day she went missing on 13 July, she tweeted at 8.55pm: “today was a GREAT day God be looking out im telling you!!”

One minute later, Ms Russell wrote: “someone to tell you ‘i love you’ and don’t got a reason.”

After she returned home, Ms Russell claimed was abducted by a man with “orange hair.” She turned up on foot at her parent’s home with $107 tucked in her right sock, and alleged she had barely survived the encounter.

Kelly Rissman has the full story.

Carlee Russell sent several bizarre tweets before disappearing

Carlee Russell’s parents insist she was kidnapped as police cast doubt on claims

17:03 , Bevan Hurley

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 earlier this week 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.

Police have since shared their doubt about her claims, suggesting that her internet search history indicates that she may have staged her own kidnapping.

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.

Carlee Russell’s parents insist she was kidnapped as police cast doubt on claims

Carlee Russell ‘fired’ from beauty spa job, according to report

16:15 , Bevan Hurley

Carlee Russell has been fired from the Alabama beauty spa where she was working on the night she claimed to have been kidnapped, according to a new report.

Owner Stuart Rome told the New York Post Ms Russell was no longer employed at the Woodhouse spa in Birmingham, and that staff were “pissed” about her abduction claims.

The 25-year-old told police she was kidnapped while stopping to help a toddler on Interstate 459 on 13 July. However, police say they have doubts about her account after finding suspicious internet searches on her phone.

Mr Rome said staff had been devastated by Ms Russell’s disappearance, and had passed out flyers in an effort to help find her.

“As the information came out that there were some questionable things, we’ve been a little pissed off, mainly because so many people took so much time out to search,” Mr Rome told the New York Post.

Carlee Russell returned to her home in Hoover, Alabama, 49 hours after she disappeared (Hoover Police Department)

Police are using ‘every other synonym for lie except saying she lied’

15:44 , Bevan Hurley

An Alabama lawyer has outlined the possible crimes Carlee Russell may have committed after police haven’t been able to verify her claims about her 49-hour disappearance.

The 25-year-old claims she was kidnapped, but police have shared her internet search history which suggests the ordeal may have been staged.

Birmingham lawyer Eric Guster, a longtime criminal defence attorney, told WVTM13 that he, like many others, grew interested in the case. He added that the message coming from the police was clear.

“She says she was kidnapped, and a kidnapping didn’t happen. (They say) our citizens are safe. There’s not a kidnapper out there. So, they use every other synonym for lie except saying she lied,” he told the local TV station.

The attorney added that the search for Ms Russell wasted time and funds for both the police and members of the community.

The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Police using ‘every synonym for lie’ in Carlee Russell case, lawyer says

Secret Service analysed her phone and computers, and found internet searches that are 'very relevant to this case’

14:00 , Bevan Hurley

Secret Service analysed her phone and computers, and found internet searches that are ‘very relevant to this case’

The Secret Service analysed her phone and computers, and found internet searches that are “very relevant to this case,” Mr Derzis said.

On July 11, Ms Russell searched: “Do you have to pay for amber alert or search.”

On the day of her alleged abduction, she searched “how to take money from a register without being caught”. She also searched for a one-way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville departing that day, Mr Derzis said.

She searched for Taken, a 2008 thriller about an abduction starring Liam Neeson.

“There were other searches on Carlee’s phone that appear to shed some light on her mindset, but out of respect to her privacy we will not be releasing the content of those searches at this time,” the police chief said.

“We’ve asked to interview Carlee a second time, but we have not been granted that request. As you can see there are many questions left to be answered, but only Carlee can provide those answers.

“What we can say is that we’ve been unable to verify most of Carlee’s initial statement made to investigators, and we have no reason to believe that there is a threat to public safety.”

Carlee Russell returns home

13:00 , Bevan Hurley

Early on Saturday evening (15 July), police were dispatched to the Red Roof Inn in Vestavia Hills after receiving reports of a sighting, AL.com reported.

There was no sign of Ms Russell by the time they arrived.

Then at 10.44pm, police received a 911 call to say Ms Russell had showed up at her home on foot.

She was reportedly in a state of shock.

Police and fire responded, and Ms Russell was taken to UAB Hospital where she was treated for unspecified injuries before being discharged.

While she was in hospital, detectives from Hoover Police Department took an initial statement from her.

Police said they were working to build a timeline Ms Russell’s movements after she was reported missing.

They didn’t provide any further details about the missing person investigation, leaving unanswered questions about whether they were seeking suspects, or the fate of the toddler that Ms Russell reported seeing.

“We rejoice with the Russell family as they continue to rest and recover from this situation and ask for their wishes to be respected regarding their privacy,” the police department said in a statement.

Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies joined family and friends in frantic search

12:00 , Bevan Hurley

Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies joined family and friends in the frantic search.

Ms Russell was described as being 5’4” tall, and weighing 150-160 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants and white Nike shoes.

Mr Lowe said police had received a single, vague, tip about a gray vehicle and a man with light complexion having been seen near the missing woman’s car.

Talitha Russell, the missing woman’s mother, later told AL.com the tip had come from a trucker.

“He saw a gray car with a tall brown-skinned man with khaki shorts on leaning over in the car,’’ Ms Russell told AL.com.

An anonymous donor put forward a $20,000 reward for her safe return, and CrimeStoppers put in an additional $5,000.

What happened?

11:00 , Bevan Hurley

Ms Russell left work at The Woodhouse Spa in the Summit, a luxury shopping mall in Birmingham, at about 8.20pm on 13 July, according to the Hoover Police Department.

She stopped for food at Taziki’s in the nearby Colonnade mall to pick up food for herself and her mother, and then drove south onto Interstate 459, according to AL.com.

Soon afterwards, Ms Russell reportedly came across a young boy aged three or four in diapers walking along the side of the highway near mile marker 11.

At 9.34pm, she called 911 to report sighting the child. She then phoned her brother’s girlfriend to say she was stopping to check on the child. Ms Russell lost contact with the relative, although the line remained open.

The girlfriend then heard what they thought was someone scream, followed by traffic noise from the interstate, according to AL.com.

According to police, traffic cameras caught Ms Russell stopping at the side of the road.

The child was not sighted on the footage, and authorities haven’t received any other reports of a missing child, Hoover Police Department said in a statement on Friday morning.

When police officers arrived, they found her red Mercedes still running and belongings including a wig, phone, Apple Watch and purse, but no sign of her or the toddler, her mother Talitha Russell said.

Carlee Russell claimed she was kidnapped by a man with orange hair. Police say they can’t verify any of it

10:00 , Bevan Hurley

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 told dispatch she 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.

She told detectives that she had been kidnapped by a white man with “orange hair”, and held captive in a semi-truck trailer and house before escaping.

On Wednesday, Hoover Police Department Nicholas Derzis cast doubt on Ms Russell’s claims at a press conference and said she was refusing requests to be interviewed.

Here’s what we know about her disappearance so far – and the questions that remain unanswered:

What really happened to Carlee Russell?

Why did Carlee Russell return home?

09:00 , Ariana Baio

Ms Russell returned home, on foot, on 15 July.

Surveillance footage obtained from the neighbourhood shows Ms Russell walking up to her family’s home, alone.

“As you can see there are many questions left to be answered, but only Carlee can provide those answers,” Mr Derzis said.

Mr Derzis said police have asked to interview Ms Russell again but their request has so far been denied.

What was Carlee Russell’s intention in disappearing?

08:00 , Ariana Baio

It is unclear why Ms Russell wanted to disappear but Mr Derzis pointed to Ms Russell’s actions beforehand to give some insight into her mental state.

Using tracking information, internet search history and surveillance camera footage, investigators saw Ms Russell leave her workplace carrying items that she allegedly was not supposed to have.

This included a roll of toilet paper and a bathrobe.

She then stopped by Target to get snacks and a local restaurant to get dinner before driving down the interstate.

But more than that, Ms Russell’s internet search history points to some interesting information.

Mr Derzis said Ms Russell searched things like “Do you have to pay for Amber Alert or search” and how old someone has to be for an Amber Alert to be issued in the days and hours leading up to her disappearance.

She also searched “How to take money from a register without being caught.”

Other searches included: one-way bus tickets out of Birmingham and the movie Taken which is about a young woman’s abduction.

Where did Carlee Russell go in the two days she was missing?

07:00 , Ariana Baio

Ms Russell told police that a man with “orange hair” emerged from the trees, picked her up and forced her into another vehicle where she was kidnapped for 49 hours.

In a horrific tale, Ms Russell recounted being transported to another truck and then to a house where she was stripped naked and photographed.

However, police were unable to verify Ms Russell was kidnapped at all. As of now, authorities don’t know where Ms Russell went in the two days she was missing.

Why did Carlee Russell tell police there was a toddler?

06:00 , Ariana Baio

Minutes before her supposed disappearance, Ms Russell told a 911 operator she pulled over her vehicle and turned on her hazard lights to assist a small toddler who was walking alone along the interstate.

She said the child was barefoot but wearing a diaper and t-shirt.

After that, she said she was kidnapped, insinuating that the toddler was used as bait.

However, police said there is no evidence that a child was walking alone alongside the interstate. Despite many drivers using the road, nobody else called police about a toddler, no traffic cameras picked up on a child and no missing children had been reported.

They also debunked Ms Russell’s claims that she pulled over to make sure the child was safe. Location tracking information from her cellphone showed that during the 911 call, she travelled 600 yards, about six football-field lengths.

Odd tweets and search history adds confusion to case

05:00 , Kelly Rissman

Carlee Russell’s tweets, in combination with her search history prior to her vanishing, contribute to the weirdness that swirls around the case. Police revealed that Ms Russell’s internet search history suggests she could have staged her own kidnapping, as she looked up Amber Alerts, the movie Taken, booking a bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville and “how to take money from a register without being caught.”

A tweet on 10 July adds colour to this complicated picture, and indicates potential problems in her relationship. Ms Russell wrote, “I always say one thing i WONT do is stay with someone who cheated on me like you went and had sex with someone else and think it’ll be sweet one day?? hellll no.” Days earlier, she also tweeted: “everyone wants to feel wanted.”

Her boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons, had posted on Facebook upon Ms Russell’s miraculous return, and supported her story that she had been abducted. She had been “fighting for her life for 48 hours,” he wrote, but has since taken down the post.

Two days earlier, her tweet revealed she may have been unhappy at work: “my job is really starting to get on my dang nerves.” She worked at Woodhouse Spa, the owner of which said on Thursday that he provided the police with “everything we uncovered.”

According to the New York Post, Ms Russell tweeted on 19 July, “I’m thankful I know how to identify when the enemy coming for me now, makes life a lot easier.” But the post has been taken down.

Police on Wednesday said they were “unable to verify” most of Ms Russell’s claims regarding the events leading up to and during her disappearance.

Alabama lawyer says police is using ‘every other synonym for lie except saying she lied’ in Carlee Russell case

04:30 , Gustaf Kilander

An Alabama lawyer has outlined the possible crimes Carlee Russell may have committed after police haven’t been able to verify her claims about her 49-hour disappearance.

The 25-year-old claims she was kidnapped, but police have shared her internet search history which suggests the ordeal may have been staged.

Birmingham lawyer Eric Guster, a longtime criminal defence attorney, told WVTM13 that he, like many others, grew interested in the case. He added that the message coming from the police was clear.

Police using ‘every synonym for lie’ in Carlee Russell case, lawyer says

Carlee Russell sent several bizarre tweets before disappearing

04:00 , Kelly Rissman

Before 25-year-old Carlee Russell disappeared for a mysterious 49 hours, she posted a series of bizarre tweets.

On the day she went missing on 13 July, she tweeted at 8.55pm: “today was a GREAT day God be looking out im telling you!!”

One minute later, Ms Russell wrote: “someone to tell you ‘i love you’ and don’t got a reason.”

Carlee Russell sent several bizarre tweets before disappearing

Mother of kidnapped and murdered Alabama teen speaks out after she helped in search for Carlee Russell

03:15 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Russell’s disappearance has stumped law enforcement and the public alike after the 25-year-old’s vehicle was found in the stretch of a highway following a 911 call she made reporting a stranded toddler. Ms Russell inexplicably reappeared at her parents’ home in Hoover 49 hours later, claiming she had been kidnapped and barely managed to escape her captors.

Hoover police and the FBI are leading the investigation, with detectives noting that no evidence of a toddler walking along the highway has been found. Ms Russell’s online searches prior to going missing — including the 2008 film Taken, Amber alerts, and “how to take money from a register without being caught” — have also cast doubt on her claims, police said during a press conference earlier this week.

The circumstances in which the alleged kidnapping unfolded initially prompted speculation that a new ruse involving children was being used by kidnappers to lure in victims, but authorities have emphasized there is currently no evidence of such a threat. Angela Harris, who created a nonprofit organization to promote safety education after her 19-year-old daughter Aniah was murdered in 2019, helped in the search for Ms Russell and has now called for the public to remain patient — and cautious — as an investigation is underway.

Aniah Blanchard’s mother speaks out after she helped in search for Carlee Russell

Carlee Russell’s boyfriend deletes social media posts

02:30 , Ariana Baio

The boyfriend of Carlee Russell has seemingly deleted social media posts containing photos or mentions of Ms Russell after police cast doubt over her allegations that she was kidnapped.

Ms Russell, 25, told police she was kidnapped on 13 July after pulling over on the side of the interstate to help a toddler who she claims was walking alone.

Two days later, on 15 July, she returned home.

“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.

But after Hoover police revealed they were unable to verify most of Ms Russell’s story on Wednesday, Mr Simmons deleted his posts from Facebook and Instagram.

Mr Simmons did not make any follow-up posts indicating why he deleted his content of Ms Russell.

Could Carlee Russell face consequences?

01:45 , Ariana Baio

While police have not made any official allegations against Ms Russell, should they find that she made a false report, law enforcement could choose to charge her.

Section 13A-10-9 of the Alabama criminal code states that making a false report to law enforcement, knowingly, is a Class A misdemeanour.

When asked if law enforcement was planning on charging Ms Russell on Wednesday, Hoover police chief Nick Derzis replied: “To be perfectly honest with you, that hasn’t even entered our mind or been discussed.”

Mr Derzis said the priority of their investigation was to return Ms Russell home safely and find out where she was in the two days she was missing.

Family goes silent

01:00 , Shweta Sharma, Ariana Baio

Ms Russell’s boyfriend is not the only person who publicly claimed she had been kidnapped. Her parent sat down with TODAY on Tuesday to attest that their daughter had gone through a great physical and mental ordeal in the 49 hours she was missing.

But after police contradicted those statements, neither Mr Simmons nor Ms Russell’s family have come out with any official statements.

Ms Russell told her family and police she was kidnapped by a man with orange hair after she pulled her car over on Interstate 459 to assist a toddler who was walking alone.

She said that the man, and a woman, held her captive for two days before she escaped.

However, Hoover police have no evidence that a toddler was walking unattended on the side of the road and cannot verify her claims of being kidnapped.

Police chief Nick Derzis said that Ms Russell’s internet search history gave investigators a peak into her mental state in the days and hours before her disappearance.

Ms Russell searched for things like information on Amber Alerts, one-way bus tickets out of Birmingham and the movie Taken.

VIDEO: New info in disappearance of Carlee Russell

Saturday 22 July 2023 00:15 , Gustaf.Kilander

Boyfriend deletes social media posts

Friday 21 July 2023 23:30 , Shweta Sharma, Ariana Baio

Ms Russell’s boyfriend Thomar Latrell Simmons posted on Facebook announcing her return and attesting to her claim that she was kidnapped.

“Thank you to everyone who shared a picture, came out to the Hoover Met to help us with the search parties, & who went & proceeded to tell other people about Carlee to bring more awareness to her story. I have been going nonstop since I received the call that she was missing on Thursday night. I know she would’ve done the same for me, so I wasn’t going to give up until I saw her face again!”

But after Hoover police revealed they were unable to verify most of Ms Russell’s story on Wednesday, Mr Simmons deleted his posts from Facebook and Instagram.

Mr Simmons did not make any follow-up posts indicating why he deleted his content of Ms Russell.

VIDEO: Police cast doubts on Carlee Russell's story

Friday 21 July 2023 22:45 , Gustaf Kilander

Alabama lawyer says police is using 'every other synonym for lie except saying she lied' in Carlee Russell case

Friday 21 July 2023 22:20 , Gustaf Kilander

An Alabama lawyer has outlined the possible crimes Carlee Russell may have committed after police haven’t been able to verify her claims about her 49-hour disappearance.

The 25-year-old claims she was kidnapped but police have shared her internet search history which suggests the ordeal may have been staged.

Birmingham lawyer Eric Guster, a longtime criminal defence attorney, told WVTM13 that he, like many others, grew interested in the case. He added that the message coming from the police was clear.

“She says she was kidnapped, and a kidnapping didn't happen. (They say) our citizens are safe. There's not a kidnapper out there. So, they use every other synonym for lie except saying she lied,” he told the local TV station.

The attorney added that the search for Ms Russell wasted time and funds for both the police and members of the community.

Elijah Blanchard, the father of murder victim Aniah Blanchard, wrote on Facebook that the case had torn his wounds back open and that it wasn't okay to involve his family in the search efforts.

“Imagine going and searching for someone, and they're off doing something else, and they're never in danger. And you're thinking about saving this person's daughter, and yours was not saved. Beyond angry, super livid. That would be me,” Mr Guster told WVTM13.

He added that this story could affect future cases where people actually go missing.

“It's going to be much more difficult for African American women to be believed, and it may actually decrease the number of actual reports of things because people are already afraid that they won't be believed," the attorney said, adding that Ms Russell needs a lawyer.

“If I was Carlee’s attorney, I would speak for her," he said. "I would not allow her to speak to the police because anything she says can and will be used against her. I would speak for her. I would go to the mayor – I would go to the police chief and figure out if there's something we could do. That's what I would do.”

Mr Guster added that the police have outlined three crimes that Ms Russell may be guilty of – theft, lying to authorities and filing a false police report.

The attorney noted his surprise that she's yet to be arrested.

Boyfriend of Carlee Russell deletes social media posts after police cast doubt over her kidnapping story

Friday 21 July 2023 22:00 , Shweta Sharma, Ariana Baio

The boyfriend of Carlee Russell has seemingly deleted social media posts containing photos or mentions of Ms Russell after police cast doubt over her allegations that she was kidnapped.

Ms Russell, 25, told police she was kidnapped on 13 July after pulling over on the side of the interstate to help a toddler who she claims was walking alone.

Two days later, on 15 July, she returned home.

“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.

Boyfriend of Carlee Russell deletes social media posts after police cast doubt

‘Until she’s physically & mentally stable again she is not able to give any updates’

Friday 21 July 2023 21:30 , Bevan Hurley

On Sunday, Ms Russell’s boyfriend Thomar Latrell Simmons claimed that she had barely survived her ordeal after being kidnapped.

“She was literally fighting for her life for 48 hours, so until she’s physically & mentally stable again she is not able to give any updates or whereabouts on her kidnapper at this very moment,” Mr Simmons wrote.

Mr Simmons added that he had been searching for Ms Russell “nonstop” since he was notified of her disappearance.

He said there had been “false allegations & assumptions” that he had something to do with her abduction, adding he hadn’t let the rumours distract him.

Mr Simmons thanked the family, friends and fellow churchgoers for their help.

“All I (ask) from everyone right now is to be respectful of Carlee’s situation.”

Who is Carlee Russell?

Friday 21 July 2023 21:00 , Bevan Hurley

Ms Russell lives with her parents in Hoover, a fast-growing suburb on the southern outskirts of Birmingham.

She 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.

Jefferson State issued a statement on Friday saying it was “extremely concerned” for Ms Russell’s safety.

On the day she went missing, Ms Russell had spent time with officers from Harpersville Police Department, according to a Facebook post on Friday asking for help finding her.

“We were honored to spend time with this smart, courteous and honoring young woman yesterday,” the department said on social media.

“She was handling some business in the Town of Harpersville yesterday and we were so impressed by her respect, poise, good attitude and her drive to become a nursing student and help others.”

The police department later issued an update after its initial post led to the spread of unfounded rumours.

“For clarification, Ms Russell was not at the Harpersville Police Department,” they later added. “Contrary to the stigma, we consistently encounter citizens while engaging the community and those occasions are primarily positive.”

VIDEO: New details of Carlee Russell's disappearance under scrutiny

Friday 21 July 2023 20:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Secret Service analysed her phone and computers, and found internet searches that are 'very relevant to this case’

Friday 21 July 2023 20:00 , Bevan Hurley

The Secret Service analysed her phone and computers, and found internet searches that are “very relevant to this case,” Mr Derzis said.

On July 11, Ms Russell searched: “Do you have to pay for amber alert or search.”

She searched for Taken, a 2008 thriller about an abduction starring Liam Neeson.

“We’ve asked to interview Carlee a second time, but we have not been granted that request. As you can see there are many questions left to be answered, but only Carlee can provide those answers.

“What we can say is that we’ve been unable to verify most of Carlee’s initial statement made to investigators, and we have no reason to believe that there is a threat to public safety.”

Kidnapping claims

Friday 21 July 2023 19:30 , Bevan Hurley

At a press conference on Wednesday 19 July, Mr Derzis said detectives conducted a brief interview with Ms Russell in hospital, where she claimed to have been abducted by a man with orange hair and a bald spot “who came out of the trees”.

She claimed the man picked her up and forced her into a car, and the next thing she remembered she was in the trailer of an 18-wheeler semi, Mr Derzis said.

Ms Russell told police that she heard a woman and a baby in the semi, but didn’t see them.

She claimed to have escaped from the trailer, before being recaptured and taken to a house, where her alleged captors forced her to undress and pose for photographs.

She told detectives she was placed in a car, and was able to escape and flee into woods and came out near her home.

Detectives noted she had a minor injury in her lip, and a torn shirt. They also found $107 in cash tucked in her right sock.

“Out of respect for Carlee and her family, detectives did not press for additional information in this interview, and made plans to speak with her in detail after giving her time to rest,” Mr Derzis said.

‘The first thing is to give Carlee and family a little time to get themselves back together'

Friday 21 July 2023 19:00 , Bevan Hurley

Hoover Police Department chief Nicholas Derzis told WBRC that the department was relieved she had come home.

“The first thing is to give Carlee and family a little time to get themselves back together,” he told the local news site.

“I know it’s been a tough experience for them. When we think it’s time to sit down and have a conversation with Carlee and try to get some facts, we’ll do that.”

Up to 60 police officers had been working on the case, he added.

Carlee Russell returns home

Friday 21 July 2023 18:30 , Bevan Hurley

Early on Saturday evening (15 July), police were dispatched to the Red Roof Inn in Vestavia Hills after receiving reports of a sighting, AL.com reported.

There was no sign of Ms Russell by the time they arrived.

Then at 10.44pm, police received a 911 call to say Ms Russell had showed up at her home on foot.

She was reportedly in a state of shock.

Police and fire responded, and Ms Russell was taken to UAB Hospital where she was treated for unspecified injuries before being discharged.

While she was in hospital, detectives from Hoover Police Department took an initial statement from her.

Police said they were working to build a timeline Ms Russell’s movements after she was reported missing.

Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies joined family and friends in frantic search

Friday 21 July 2023 18:00 , Bevan Hurley

Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies joined family and friends in the frantic search.

Ms Russell was described as being 5’4” tall, and weighing 150-160 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants and white Nike shoes.

Mr Lowe said police had received a single, vague, tip about a gray vehicle and a man with light complexion having been seen near the missing woman’s car.

Talitha Russell, the missing woman’s mother, later told AL.com the tip had come from a trucker.

“He saw a gray car with a tall brown-skinned man with khaki shorts on leaning over in the car,’’ Ms Russell told AL.com.

An anonymous donor put forward a $20,000 reward for her safe return, and CrimeStoppers put in an additional $5,000.

Russell drove 600 yards along an Alabama interstate while on the phone to a 911 operator

Friday 21 July 2023 17:30 , Bevan Hurley

At a press conference on Wednesday, Hoover police revealed Ms Russell drove 600 yards (548m) along an Alabama interstate while on the phone to a 911 operator claiming that she was following a lost toddler.

Data from Ms Russell’s cellphone showed she had driven the length of six football fields while talking to police dispatch, Hoover Police Department chief Nicholas Derzis said during the press conference.

“To think that a toddler, barefoot, that could be three or four years old is going to travel six football fields without getting on the roadway, without crying ... it’s very hard for me to understand,” Mr Derzis said.

“Carlee’s 911 call remains the only report of a child on the interstate, despite numerous vehicles passing through the area at that time,” he said.

“We don’t see anyone on the interstate other than her car, and then someone getting out of her driver’s side.”

On Friday afternoon, authorities issued an urgent appeal for any information about her whereabouts.

“No piece of information is too small for this investigation,” public information officer Lt Daniel Lowe wrote in a statement.

Carlee Russell sent several bizarre tweets before disappearing

Friday 21 July 2023 17:09 , Kelly Rissman

Before 25-year-old Carlee Russell disappeared for a mysterious 49 hours, she posted a series of bizarre tweets.

On the day she went missing on 13 July, she tweeted at 8.55pm: “today was a GREAT day God be looking out im telling you!!”

One minute later, Ms Russell wrote: “someone to tell you ‘i love you’ and don’t got a reason.”

Carlee Russell sent several bizarre tweets before disappearing

What happened?

Friday 21 July 2023 17:00 , Bevan Hurley

Ms Russell left work at The Woodhouse Spa in the Summit, a luxury shopping mall in Birmingham, at about 8.20pm on 13 July, according to the Hoover Police Department.

She stopped for food at Taziki’s in the nearby Colonnade mall to pick up food for herself and her mother, and then drove south onto Interstate 459, according to AL.com.

Soon afterwards, Ms Russell reportedly came across a young boy aged three or four in diapers walking along the side of the highway near mile marker 11.

The girlfriend then heard what they thought was someone scream, followed by traffic noise from the interstate, according to AL.com.

According to police, traffic cameras caught Ms Russell stopping at the side of the road.

The child was not sighted on the footage, and authorities haven’t received any other reports of a missing child, Hoover Police Department said in statement on Friday morning.

Carlee Russell claimed she was kidnapped by a man with orange hair. Police say they can’t verify any of it

Friday 21 July 2023 16:30 , Bevan Hurley