The mysterious disappearance and return of Carlee Russell: Unraveling timeline of nursing student's 48-hr vanishing
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA: The case of Carlee Russell, a woman who was reported missing after stopping to check on a toddler she had seen walking along a highway in Alabama, has raised numerous questions. The situation took an unexpected turn when Russell, 25 returned home two days later, leaving both the public and her loved ones perplexed.
While her boyfriend Thomar Simmons claimed she had been kidnapped and was fighting for her life, the official police statement made no mention of abduction and stated that detectives "are still gathering and evaluating evidence in this case." As details remain scarce, the circumstances surrounding Russell's disappearance and subsequent return remain shrouded in mystery.
Timeline of Carlee Russell's disappearance
Russell disappeared after calling 911 and a family member to report that she had spotted a young child walking along Interstate 459 in Hoover, a suburb of Birmingham, on Thursday, July 13, The following day, Simmons expressed concern on Instagram, suggesting she had been kidnapped and was "fighting for her life." However, the police statement released shortly after her return did not confirm any such scenario and provided no information about a possible suspect.
The Hoover Police Department disclosed that they received a call around 10.45 pm on Saturday night reporting Russell's return on foot. She was subsequently taken to UAB Hospital and discharged the next morning. However, the police statement did not reveal any details about Russell's whereabouts during her absence, nor did it mention efforts to locate the toddler she had reported seeing. Additionally, the statement did not address any suspect in connection with her disappearance.
What happened when Carlee Russell went missing?
According to the police, Russell left her workplace at The Summit mall in Birmingham around 8.20 pm on Thursday. She then placed a phone order at a nearby establishment in The Colonnade mall before heading there to pick up the food. Detectives have been retracing her steps from The Colonnade to the time of her 911 call, but no one has been located who was with Russell during that timeframe. She made the emergency call at 9.34 pm and contacted a relative at 9.36 pm, mentioning a male toddler in a diaper on the side of the interstate. It was during this conversation that Russell reportedly went missing.
"She went missing during that conversation sometime after 9.36 pm, after telling both the 911 operator and the relative she had seen a male toddler in a diaper on the side of I-459 and was stopping to check on him," police said. "Traffic-camera footage was obtained which depicted this portion of the incident, and that footage is still being analyzed as part of the investigation in conjunction with the 911 call to accurately determine the timeframe." Police also clarified Russell's 911 call was the only report they received of a child on the interstate.
When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Russell's wig, cell phone, and purse on the road near her car, but there was no sign of her or the child she had reported seeing. "The details of that statement are a part of the ongoing investigation, which is expected to continue over the next few days," the police statement said. "During the initial portion of the investigation detectives were able to retrace nearly all of Carlee's steps until the point she went missing and are confident that will continue to be the case."
'Our baby is safe'
Police said the statement "contains all the information the Hoover Police Department is able to release at this time. As we continue to investigate, we will release information that is determined to be factual and pertinent to the public." At the time, Simmons wrote on Instagram, "She was literally fighting for her life for 48 hours, so until she's physically and mentally stable again, she is not able to give any updates or whereabouts on her kidnapper at this very moment."
Russell's mother Talitha Robinson has expressed gratitude for the support they have received and shared a brief statement on Facebook, expressing relief that she is safe. However, she did not provide details about what happened when Russell went missing. "God is faithful and He has answered our prayers. We are so grateful to each of you for all the acts of kindness, generosity, and compassion you have shown. Our baby is safe!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, Father God," she wrote. Robinson asked for privacy "to allow us to just love on our daughter and each other with our close family and friends. Also, please consider the fact we have not slept for three nights and we are mentally and physically exhausted."