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Carlee Russell searched for information about Amber Alerts, bus stations and taking money before she went missing.The U.S. Secret Service found these searches on her phone, which was left in her car after she went missing Thursday night following her report of a toddler walking along I-459.Search terms included:“you have to pay for an amber alert or search”“how to take money from a register without being caught”“Birmingham bus station”“one-way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville”(the movie) “taken”information about Amber alerts on her work computerOther searches that police say reveal her mindset that won’t be releasedSurveillance footage from her work at the spa shows that she concealed a bathrobe and toilet paper when she left, and neither were in the car after she went missing.Video below: Full news conference from policeWhen she called 911, data tracked her driving 600 yards while she said she was allegedly following the toddler along the interstate, according to Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis. That is the distance of six football fields.No child has been reported missing at this time in Hoover, Derzis said.Traffic camera footage has been sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for enhancement and has not yet been returned.Video below: Carlee Russell's statement to policeDuring her initial statement to police, Russell said that when she got out of her car, a man came out of the trees and mumbled that he was checking on the baby. He then picked her up, took her over a fence, and the next thing she remembered was that she was in a tractor-trailer.In the truck, there was also a man and a woman, according to the statement. She also heard a baby. She was able to escape the truck but then found herself in a car again and was taken to a house, where she was undressed and was possibly photographed.A woman fed her cheese and crackers and played with her hair, she told police. She was able to escape and ran through the woods, finding herself near her residence and able to get home.Police said she had a minor injury to her lip and $107 in cash in her sock. No drugs or alcohol were in her system.Another interview request from police to speak with Russell hasn't been granted, but police said they're ready to talk when she is.The disappearanceOn Thursday night, around 9:34 p.m., Hoover 911 received a call from Russell stating she saw a male toddler in a diaper on the interstate near the John Hawkins Parkway exit. Despite the steady stream of traffic at the time of the incident, police say they never received any additional calls regarding a toddler walking down the interstate and, at this time, have obtained no evidence of a toddler near the scene.She was on her way home from her job at the Woodhouse Day Spa in the Summit, stopped to get food at The Colonnade and was about 10 minutes from her house, according to her parents, Talitha and Carlos Russell. Officials said that after leaving the Colonnade, Carlee stopped at the Target on Highway 280 and purchased some "snack food type items" before arriving at the scene of her disappearance. Those items were not found anywhere in or around Carlee's car.Video below: Timeline of the disappearance of Carlee RussellCarlee Russell then stopped to check on the child and called a family member, according to police. The family told investigators that they lost contact with her, but the phone line remained open. When police arrived, they found Carlee Russell's car and belongings, but there was no sign of her or a toddler. Police have not been able to locate anyone with Carlee Russell from the time she left where she picked up food to the time she made the 911 phone call. Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeFamily gathered to search for Carlee Russell Friday morning at the Hoover Met and asked for help."We're just gonna scour the earth," said Carlee Russell's dad, Carlos Russell. "There's no stopping us."Her parents noted that there is a report from a trucker who said they saw her car with the door open and a grey vehicle had pulled in front of it.The Russells also said they believe that the child was used as 'bait' in order to lure Russell out of her car.Video below: Carlee Russell's family describes her At 10:44 p.m. Saturday, police said they received a call that Russell had returned home on foot. Police revealed that surveillance footage taken from her neighborhood shows Russell "walking down the sidewalk alone" before arriving at her home Saturday night.The initial report that Russell was "unresponsive" was proven to be information relayed to dispatchers by a 911 caller; she was "conscious and speaking" at the time of her transport to UAB.Police responded to the scene to investigate, and Hoover fire medics responded to the scene to assess and transported Russell to UAB hospital for evaluation.Police were then able to obtain a statement from Carlee at both her home and the hospital, the details of which have not been released. When Carlee Russell's mother was asked what happened when they first saw their daughter, she noted that they were overwhelmed, but Carlee needed medical attention."We tried to hug her as best we could, but I had to stand back, because she was not in a good state, so I had to stand back and let medical professionals work with her," Talitha Russell said in an exclusive interview with "TODAY."In terms of what happened to Carlee Russell during the time that she went missing, her parents said they cannot speak to anything about the case itself. They do, however, believe there is an abductor out there, and police continue the search.Talitha Russell was shocked at the amount people who "maliciously lied" during the investigation, she told "TODAY" in an exclusive interview. She said Carlee Russell is having to deal with the trauma of people making false allegations about her.“She definitely fought for her life," Talitha Russell said. "There were moments when she physically had to for her life, and there were moments when she had to mentally fight for her life.” Carlos Russell, her father, added, "She made it back."Anyone who has any information about this case is asked to call Detective Brad Fountain at 205-444-7562. This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.
HOOVER, Ala. —
Carlee Russell searched for information about Amber Alerts, bus stations and taking money before she went missing.
The U.S. Secret Service found these searches on her phone, which was left in her car after she went missing Thursday night following her report of a toddler walking along I-459.
Search terms included:
- “you have to pay for an amber alert or search”
- “how to take money from a register without being caught”
- “Birmingham bus station”
- “one-way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville”
- (the movie) “taken”
- information about Amber alerts on her work computer
- Other searches that police say reveal her mindset that won’t be released
Surveillance footage from her work at the spa shows that she concealed a bathrobe and toilet paper when she left, and neither were in the car after she went missing.
Video below: Full news conference from police
When she called 911, data tracked her driving 600 yards while she said she was allegedly following the toddler along the interstate, according to Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis. That is the distance of six football fields.
No child has been reported missing at this time in Hoover, Derzis said.
Traffic camera footage has been sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for enhancement and has not yet been returned.
Video below: Carlee Russell's statement to police
During her initial statement to police, Russell said that when she got out of her car, a man came out of the trees and mumbled that he was checking on the baby. He then picked her up, took her over a fence, and the next thing she remembered was that she was in a tractor-trailer.
In the truck, there was also a man and a woman, according to the statement. She also heard a baby. She was able to escape the truck but then found herself in a car again and was taken to a house, where she was undressed and was possibly photographed.
A woman fed her cheese and crackers and played with her hair, she told police. She was able to escape and ran through the woods, finding herself near her residence and able to get home.
Police said she had a minor injury to her lip and $107 in cash in her sock. No drugs or alcohol were in her system.
Another interview request from police to speak with Russell hasn't been granted, but police said they're ready to talk when she is.
The disappearance
On Thursday night, around 9:34 p.m., Hoover 911 received a call from Russell stating she saw a male toddler in a diaper on the interstate near the John Hawkins Parkway exit.
Despite the steady stream of traffic at the time of the incident, police say they never received any additional calls regarding a toddler walking down the interstate and, at this time, have obtained no evidence of a toddler near the scene.
She was on her way home from her job at the Woodhouse Day Spa in the Summit, stopped to get food at The Colonnade and was about 10 minutes from her house, according to her parents, Talitha and Carlos Russell.
Officials said that after leaving the Colonnade, Carlee stopped at the Target on Highway 280 and purchased some "snack food type items" before arriving at the scene of her disappearance. Those items were not found anywhere in or around Carlee's car.
Video below: Timeline of the disappearance of Carlee Russell
Carlee Russell then stopped to check on the child and called a family member, according to police. The family told investigators that they lost contact with her, but the phone line remained open.
Hoover Police Department
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole RussellWhen police arrived, they found Carlee Russell's car and belongings, but there was no sign of her or a toddler.
Police have not been able to locate anyone with Carlee Russell from the time she left where she picked up food to the time she made the 911 phone call.
This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
MISSING PERSON: Police are looking for Carlee Russell. She disappeared after calling 911 about seeing a child walking on the side of I-459 in Hoover. When police arrived, they found her car empty. Her family is desperately seeking answers, calling for a search party. @WVTM13 pic.twitter.com/65fAgp8Pqv
— Mattie Davis WVTM 13 (@MattieWVTM13) July 14, 2023Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Family gathered to search for Carlee Russell Friday morning at the Hoover Met and asked for help.
This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
"We're just gonna scour the earth," said Carlee Russell's dad, Carlos Russell. "There's no stopping us."
Her parents noted that there is a report from a trucker who said they saw her car with the door open and a grey vehicle had pulled in front of it.
The Russells also said they believe that the child was used as 'bait' in order to lure Russell out of her car.
Video below: Carlee Russell's family describes her
At 10:44 p.m. Saturday, police said they received a call that Russell had returned home on foot.
Police revealed that surveillance footage taken from her neighborhood shows Russell "walking down the sidewalk alone" before arriving at her home Saturday night.
The initial report that Russell was "unresponsive" was proven to be information relayed to dispatchers by a 911 caller; she was "conscious and speaking" at the time of her transport to UAB.
Police responded to the scene to investigate, and Hoover fire medics responded to the scene to assess and transported Russell to UAB hospital for evaluation.
Police were then able to obtain a statement from Carlee at both her home and the hospital, the details of which have not been released.
When Carlee Russell's mother was asked what happened when they first saw their daughter, she noted that they were overwhelmed, but Carlee needed medical attention.
"We tried to hug her as best we could, but I had to stand back, because she was not in a good state, so I had to stand back and let medical professionals work with her," Talitha Russell said in an exclusive interview with "TODAY."
In terms of what happened to Carlee Russell during the time that she went missing, her parents said they cannot speak to anything about the case itself. They do, however, believe there is an abductor out there, and police continue the search.
Talitha Russell was shocked at the amount people who "maliciously lied" during the investigation, she told "TODAY" in an exclusive interview. She said Carlee Russell is having to deal with the trauma of people making false allegations about her.
“She definitely fought for her life," Talitha Russell said. "There were moments when she physically had to for her life, and there were moments when she had to mentally fight for her life.”
Carlos Russell, her father, added, "She made it back."
This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Anyone who has any information about this case is asked to call Detective Brad Fountain at 205-444-7562.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.
English (US)