SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION
Today July 19, 2023, at 3:39 p.m. EST Hoover, Alabama, police department held a press conference that shed some light on the disappearance and return of 25-year-old Carlee Russell.
On July 13, 2023, at approximately 9:34 p.m., Carlee Russell made a call to 911 stating that she saw a child wearing a white t-shirt and diaper roaming on the side of Interstate 459 South near Mile Marker 11 in Hoover, Alabama. She described the toddler to the operator, then hung up, awaiting police. She called a family member at approximately 9:36 p.m. The family member noted that she reported Carlee telling her about the situation, then suddenly heard her screaming, and the phone went dead.
An investigation swiftly underwent when approximately two days (49 hours) later, on July 15, rumors of Carlee surfaced being at a Red Roof Inn on police scanners. But in what some would say is a miracle, Carlee appeared at her family home unresponsive but breathing.
Pause for the cause! This is why we wanted to wait. Because this all sounded sketchy from the beginning. We wanted to give this young lady the benefit of the doubt. Many people go missing, never to be found. Trafficking is real, and who in their right mind would lie about something like this!! Police Chief Nick Derzis gave this detailed description during the press conference of the timeline and details while performing their investigation.
TIMELINE & CARLEE’S SEARCH HISTORY
July 11
- 7:30 a.m.: Search made – “Do you have to pay for an Amber Alert?”.
July 13
- 1:03 a.m.: Search Made – “How to take money from a register without being caught.”
- 2:13 a.m.: Search made – “Birmingham bus station.”
- 2:35 a.m.: Search Made – “One-way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville departing on July 13.
- 12:13 p.m.: Search Made – the movie “Taken.”
- two additional searches were made at her job regarding an Amber alert.
- 8:20 p.m.: Left work “taking” a bath rob, toilet paper, and other items from the business. Then traveled to Taziki’s Medereranian Grill to pick up her food. Went to Target to pick up granola bars and Cheez-Its, sat in the parking lot for a little then headed toward I-459.
- 9:36 p.m.: Makes a call to 911 about seeing toddler on I-459, called family member, then went missing thereafter.
July 14
Video surveillance of Carlee’s vehicle goes public, showing her driving the shoulder of I-459 South six hundred yards (the distance of six football fields) with her hazards on, getting out of the car, leaving her Apple watch, wig, and purse, then vanishing.
July 15
- 10:44 p.m.: 911 receives a call that she returned home on foot and was unresponsive but breathing. She went to the hospital and was later released.
This case was suspicious from the beginning! So she was the only person who saw the toddler on a busy interstate? If that were the case, she wouldn’t try to stop someone driving by to help her get the baby. Let us say someone used a baby to lure and kidnap her. The fact that she was so close to her home that she walked straight home instead of finding the first person she could and ask for help is unbelievable.
Her parents took every opportunity to do press runs advocating for their daughter to be released. Then when she miraculously returns home on foot, stating, “She fought for her life the entire time.”
In the police interview reported in the press conference, she said she was kidnapped by a red-headed white man with a bold spot on the back, fed cheez-its by an unidentified female who played with her hair, made to undress and had pictures taken of her but managed to keep over $100 hidden in her right sock. Stop it!!!
The community rallied together to do what they could to find her safely. Holding vigils, search parties, and donating their time and money.
This case is so infuriating! While the stigma over Black women not getting attention when in situations like this continues to loom in our communities, this will only make it more difficult for police and media to take those cases seriously.
Police Chief Nick Derzis refrained from saying that Carlee Russell would be criminally charged. What do you think? The curious case of Carlee Russell continues. Let’s see what else the Hoover Police Department uncovers!
