Yahoo News Carlee Russell Charged With Making False Report After Admitting She Wasn't Kidnapped
The Alabama woman who mysteriously disappeared for 48 hours, then later admitted she had not been kidnapped, is facing misdemeanor criminal charges, police announced Friday.
Carlee Russell, 25, has been charged with false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident, after she called 911 on July 13 to report a toddler walking alone on the highway. When police arrived, she had disappeared, her car still running and belongings nearby, prompting search efforts and national headlines. After she returned home on foot two days later, she allegedly told police that she had been abducted and held captive by a man and woman before she was able to escape. But questions arose about the circumstances of her disappearance and her story, and she admitted through an attorney that there had been no kidnapping.
Carlee Russell, via Hoover Police Department.
Speaking at a press conference, the chief of police in Hoover, Alabama, said that Russell turned herself in Friday afternoon and was released shortly after on bail.
The chief, Nick Derzis, added that he shared the public’s “frustration” over what happened and called for Russell to face more severe charges.
“The story opened wounds for families whose loved ones really were victims of kidnappings, some of which even helped organize searches,” Derzis said.
Initially, in spite of speculation online, Russell’s loved ones rushed to her defense. In a July 18 interview with NBC’s “Today,” Russell’s parents said their daughter had to “fight for her life” during the time she was missing.
“She’s having to deal with the trauma of people just making completely false allegations about her,” Russell’s mother said at the time.
Her now ex-boyfriend told the New York Post in an interview he wanted everyone to stop bullying her online.
Days later, Hoover police said they were “unable to verify” her account of what happened based on surveillance footage and other evidence. They also said her internet search history included questions about Amber Alerts and the movie “Taken,” which is about an abduction.
In a statement read by Derzis on Monday, Russell’s attorney said she was not kidnapped and did not see a toddler on the side of the road.
“My client did not leave the Hoover area when she was identified as a missing person. My client did not have any help in this incident. This was a single act done by herself,” the statement said.
Russell’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from HuffPost.
According to Derzis, Russell faces a fine of up to $6,000 and a year in jail if convicted.
“Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for the citizens of our city and even across the nation, as concern grew that a kidnapper was on the loose using a small child as bait,” Derzis said.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall told reporters on Friday that his office intends to fully prosecute Russell’s case and monitor the investigation for the possibility of more charges.
“We don’t see this as a victimless crime,” Marshall said. “There are significant [law enforcement] hours spent, resources expended as a result of this investigation. And not only that, but the many men and women who are civilians have worn those yellow vests on a hot afternoon and evening, looking for someone they thought was abducted, trying to be of assistance.”
