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Did Carlee Russell have a mental health breakdown? Ex-FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer lists possible reasons for nursing student's disappearance

Alabama nursing student Carlee Russell recently made headlines when she disappeared mysteriously and then came back, 48 hours later

HOOVER, ALABAMA: According to an expert, Carlethia "Carlee" Russell, 25, came home on Saturday after going missing for 48 hours, and the absence of police action in her case may indicate that she had a mental health crisis. The public and media remain baffled by her case. There has been no information provided by authorities, as yet, about why Russell disappeared and the events behind her eventual return.

On Thursday, July 13, Russell went missing after she reported seeing a toddler wandering beside Interstate 459 in Hoover, to 911 and a family member. Her Mercedes, seen on a traffic camera, can be seen slowly traveling along the shoulder lane with its flashers activated before coming to a stop. The video does not show any children. Officials rushed to the location and discovered Russell's abandoned car, including her phone and pocketbook. Neither Russell nor the kid she claimed to have seen was anywhere to be found.

Did Carlee Russell have a mental health breakdown?

Russell came back to her parent's house, on her own and on foot, on Saturday, July 15, claim authorities. This was after a hectic 48-hour search for the missing woman by the police. Authorities were called to the site, and they transported her to a nearby hospital where she received treatment before being released. According to Jennifer Coffindaffer, a former FBI special agent who now works as a law enforcement consultant for Eagle Security Group, individuals should exercise caution before making decisions on Russell because there are still many possibilities, as per Newsweek.

According to Coffindaffer, there are currently three possible scenarios in this case. She theorized that one possibility was that Russell "was actually kidnapped, and that's why she disappeared. They took her to a residence and then they let her go, or she was able to escape and get back home." According to Coffindaffer, some facts back up this view. There is video proof that Russell stopped her car on the side of I-459, left the door open, and started the engine. Additionally, Coffindaffer reported that she spoke with a family member who overheard Russell speaking to a youngster, "although it was very clear that they didn't hear the child respond."

Another possibility, that some social media users seem to agree with in their tweets, is that the kidnapping is a hoax "for the purpose of attention seeking," said Coffindaffer. She claimed that given how sincere the Russell's family's desperation was over her assumed abduction, she doesn't believe this to be the case.

A third theory is that Russell went through a mental health crisis. According to Coffindaffer, "In her mind, she truly believed that she saw a three- or four-year-old. That's why she called 911, she abandoned her car because she believed she was being kidnapped. These things happen, these types of situations are very real — but I wouldn't want to diagnose her that way at this point."

Are all three options possible?

All three possibilities are feasible, according to Coffindaffer. Witnesses have reported seeing a man stop his gray sedan near Russell's car. Coffindaffer declared that these eyewitness reports "cannot be quickly discounted" and that they might lend credence to the idea that Russell was abducted. Coffindaffer continued by saying that if the police had not intervened, it might have indicated that she had not been kidnapped.

Coffindaffer further added: "There's no child reported missing out here, and police have not warned people that there's an assailant on the loose. And I find the absence of any such notice opportunities or communication with the media to be insightful." According to her, this indicates Russell was not kidnapped or that her captor has already been caught.

"We really don't know for sure," stated Coffindaffer about what transpired with Russell. "And when you're talking about something that's so fragile and important as a possible mental health crisis, it's really unfair to make such a conclusion without more information," the former FBI agent continued. Coffindaffer believes that while the police are still looking into Russell's disappearance, people should hold their judgment.