Current:Home > FinanceCarlee Russell's disappearance was 'hoax'; charges possible, police say-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Carlee Russell's disappearance was 'hoax'; charges possible, police say
View Date:2024-12-23 21:16:51
Carlee Russell, the Alabama woman who returned home on July 15 after she was reportedly missing for two days, was never missing, Hoover Police Department Chief Nicholas Derzis told reporters at a news conference Monday.
Derzis read a statement he said was provided to police by Russell’s attorney, Emory Anthony, acknowledging “there was no kidnapping.”
“My client has given me permission to make the following statement on her behalf. There was no kidnapping on Thursday, July 13th 2023. My client did not see a baby 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, as read by Derzis, said.
MORE: Alabama police locate missing woman who reported toddler walking on the highway
“We ask for your prayers for Carlee as she addresses her issues and attempts to move forward. Understanding that she made a mistake in this matter, Carlee again asks for your forgiveness and prayers,” the statement continued.
Derzis said police have a meeting with Anthony scheduled to discuss the case, and they are in discussions with the Jefferson County District Attorney's office over “possible criminal charges related to this case.” He said there is no meeting with Russell or her family at present.
Derzis added that police will announce potential charges “when and if they are filed.”
The press conference on Monday came after police told the public last Wednesday that Russell searched for Amber Alerts and the movie "Taken" on her phone before her disappearance.
Russell also made searches related to bus tickets in the hours before she went missing, Derzis said.
"There were other searches on Carlee's phone that appeared to shed some light on her mindset," Derzis said, adding he would not share them out of privacy.
"Taken," the 2008 movie starring Liam Neeson, centers around a young woman who is abducted and the quest to save her from her kidnappers.
ABC News has reached out to Anthony and Russell's family for comment.
MORE: US heat wave lingers in Southwest, intensifies in Midwest: Latest forecast
Russell told police that she was taken by a male and a female when she stopped to check on a toddler she saw on the highway, Derzis said last Wednesday.
"She stated when she got out of her vehicle to check on the child, a man came out of the trees and mumbled that he was checking on the baby. She claimed that the man then picked her up, and she screamed," he said at the time.
Asked if investigators saw a man abduct Russell in the surveillance video of the interstate, Derzis said that they did not.
Russell called 911 on July 12 at around 9:30 p.m. ET to report a toddler on Interstate 459 in Alabama before her disappearance, but the Hoover Police Department said in a press release last Tuesday that investigators did not find any evidence of a child walking on the side of the road.
"The Hoover Police Department has not located any evidence of a toddler walking down the interstate, nor did we receive any additional calls about a toddler walking down the interstate, despite numerous vehicles passing through that area as depicted by the traffic camera surveillance video," the press release said.
"People have to understand that when someone says something like this, we put every available resource -- everybody comes from a state, local, federal -- it's just a lot of work," he said last week.
Derzis was also asked last week if the next time a woman of color goes missing, the case may not be taken seriously. He replied: "We investigate every crime to the fullest just like we have this one."
ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab and Mariama Jalloh contributed to this report.
veryGood! (46721)
Related
- Kalen DeBoer, Jalen Milroe save Alabama football season, as LSU's Brian Kelly goes splat
- 'Young and the Restless' actress Jennifer Leak dies at 76, ex-husband Tim Matheson mourns loss
- EPA's new auto emissions rules boost electric vehicles and hybrids
- Family fears for U.S. hostage Ryan Corbett's health in Taliban prison after deeply disturbing phone call
- Charles Hanover: Caution, Bitcoin May Be Entering a Downward Trend!
- Former Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke wins Democratic primary in Chicago-area prosecutor’s race
- Tori Spelling Files for Divorce From Dean McDermott After Nearly 18 Years of Marriage
- RHOP's Candiace Dillard Bassett Confronted With NSFW Rumor About Her Husband in Explosive Preview
- Congress returns to unfinished business and a new Trump era
- What retail stores are open Easter 2024? Details on Walmart, Target, Macy's, Kohl's, more
Ranking
- Cruise ship rescues 4 from disabled catamaran hundreds of miles off Bermuda, officials say
- What is Holy Saturday? What the day before Easter means for Christians around the world
- Lizzo Seemingly Quits Hollywood Over “Lies” Told About Her
- A big airline is relaxing its pet policy to let owners bring the companion and a rolling carry-on
- Federal judge denies request to block measure revoking Arkansas casino license
- Gypsy Rose Blanchard says she and her husband have separated 3 months after she was released from prison
- How Travis Kelce Continues to Proves He’s Taylor Swift’s No. 1 Fan
- Trump asks appeals court to review ruling allowing Fani Willis to remain on Georgia election case
Recommendation
-
Disney x Lululemon Limited-Edition Collection: Shop Before It Sells Out
-
Kim Kardashian's Son Psalm Shocks Fans With Grown Up Appearance in New Video
-
Snow-covered bodies of 2 men from Senegal found in New York woods near Canadian border
-
Save 70% on These Hidden Deals From Free People and Elevate Your Wardrobe
-
US wholesale inflation picks up slightly in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
-
California woman says her bloody bedroom was not a crime scene
-
Minnesota Legislature will return from Easter break with plenty of bills still in the pipeline
-
David Beckham welcomes Neymar to Miami. Could Neymar attend Messi, Inter Miami game?