Carlee Russell appeared at home after vanishing while reporting lost child

July 16th, 2023

Hoover Police Department Chief Nicholas Derzis said Carlee Russell’s attorney, Emory Anthony, provided a statement on Monday saying there was no kidnapping. The Hoover Police Department announced the development five days after casting doubt on Russell’s story.

On Thursday night, 25-year-old Carlee Russell from Hoover, Ala., vanished after telling a 911 dispatcher that she found a toddler stranded on the side of an interstate, police said.

Her disappearance and the mysterious circumstances around it horrified her family, stumped the police and captured national attention. Then, around 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, Russell’s family heard a knock coming from the front door, Nicholas Derzis, Hoover’s police chief, told NPR.

To their surprise, it was Russell — alone.

Russell has since been taken to a hospital for evaluation. The details of Russell’s condition, how she returned home or what happened in the roughly 48 hours that she went missing remains unclear as of Sunday afternoon.

Russell’s mother did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment.

Police say they did not receive any other calls of a missing toddler

On Thursday, around 9:35 p.m., Russell was on her way home from picking up dinner when she called 911 claiming a child was lost on the side of I-459, Hoover police said.

Afterward, Russell phoned her brother’s girlfriend to share what she saw. During the call, it sounded like Russell approached the child and moments later, screamed, her mother Talitha Russell told AL.com. Then, the family member lost contact with Russell.

When police arrived on scene, officers discovered Russell’s car and some of her belongings but neither Russell nor the child were anywhere to be found. The department has received no other calls of a missing small child as of Sunday.

Russell attends Jefferson State Community College where she is studying to become a nurse. She also worked part-time at a spa, according to AL.com.