Found Alive AL - Carlethia “Carlee” Russell, 25, 911 call reported toddler walking on side of interstate, car found, she & toddler gone, Birmingham, 13 Jul ‘23 #2

[Ontario Mom]

I believe those mile markers aren't just "10" and "11" - but actually "11.6"... "11.4"... etc. - in the video I think her car stops around 11.6.

And yet dispatch is clearly heard telling the officer she reported seeing the "toddler" at mile marker 10.

She brings the car to the stop at mile marker 11, gets out and while on the phone with her brother's GF, is heard asking the "toddler" if they're okay.

Seriously? How'd the kid get from mile marker 10 to mile marker 11 as fast as she did in her car?

 

[MistyWaters]

She traveled quite a distance before stopping (that still has me wondering). She may have noted she passed mile marker 10 and had not yet got to 11 when she called 911?

And if the child was left as bait at marker 10, it would have been impossible for the kidnappers to quickly get to marker 11, where she stopped her car. How could’ve they predicted such a happening?

They be left with collecting a child at marker 10 at the same time as kidnapping the victim at marker 11, no vehicle in sight. It’s important to remember these (alleged) ‘phantom‘ conspirators would not have known there’d be video footage of their escapades.

 

[Lucy6226]

She may have mistakenly reported it to be marker 10 and then went back on herself and spotted a child or what she thought to be a child and realised it was at 11

 

[positive]

Does anyone know (without sleuthing the “wrong” ways), how far is it from where her car was found to where she showed up at home?

I also would like to know this.
Will look into it but prob not till 8pm central.

 

[GoneGoldfishin']

IDK bc the mile marker prior to this is 12. Mile marker 10 will be an entire mile after the incident. Per Google Earth street view

If she circled back around, she could have pulled over sooner than where she said she saw the child. But that still doesn't explain why she was addressing the child (multiple times) while on the phone with SIL. Moo.

 

[ArmchairDefective]

Does anyone know of any examples of verified cases where a child/baby was used as "bait" to lure a victim? I've always heard about this as a supposed tactic but have been led to believe that it was more in the realm of urban legend. If there was a child involved in Carlee's disappearance, I think the most likely scenario would be something along the lines of a neglect situation where a kid wandered out of someone's back door.

 

[gingerbread]

I agree with you. The public needs to know if they are safe. If Carlee has been hurt, mentally or physically, she may not be able to give specific information until she is of sound mind. If she was kidnapped, she could have easily been drugged. If she has been drugged, she may not be able to provide reliable information for 24-48 hours.

But if she was drugged, wouldn’t they have kept her in the hospital longer? I’m not a health care professional, but wouldn’t she need to be treated and possibly “detoxed”, swabbed for DNA from the kidnappers, rape kit, etc.? Is it possible that she refused treatment/testing after a certain point and just wanted to go home?

 

[Ghostwheel]

Now do that with all the facts you know of in this case. Your same thought pattern. And posit a theory. I won't disagree. But I may respectfully challenge you.
The broader our thought on cases the finer we can become.
Do you have a theory?

I have a lot of theories, some I cannot post.

One theory is that she saw something she identified as a small child, stopped and got out to check, was grabbed and hustled into the woods where whomever grabbed her had a planned route of egress. That would be a crime of opportunity and would have happened to anyone unfortunate enough to stop. Possible an original thought was to bring her back to her car to leave. But Mercedes. This one has a lot of possibilities, but needs more information.

Another is that she was dazed and confused for some reason as yet unknown, got out because she thought she saw a small child, followed what she thought she saw into the woods and got lost (fighting for her life to get out).

Another is that she walked off into the dark area not illuminated by lights all and walked more distance than we are aware of in one direction or the other to seek out said small child and that distance was out of the stopping point and out of range of that camera. (This one is thin, but I am missing actual timing so possible)

Still missing enough confirmed information for solid theories.Like, WAS there anyway to get through the woods there? Was there a way to travel in darkness some distance to someplace out of view of the camera(had to have been something for Carlee to leave the area at all, with or without someone else).

If no one sees anyone on the side of the road after Carlee gets out, where did SHE go?

 

[Googlebutts]

She said it was a male, 3-4 years old, walking on the side of the interstate, wearing a white t-shirt and a diaper.

But the latest statement says in a diaper, nothing about a shirt. The facts keep changing and getting twisted

 

[Sillybilly]

Thread is closed for review.

Check back later today or tomorrow morning.

 

[JessG78]

She may have mistakenly reported it to be marker 10 and then went back on herself and spotted a child or what she thought to be a child and realised it was at 11

I was a police dispatcher and callers rarely have good locations using mile markers. We’d even have people to tell us that the last mile marker they remembered seeing was 10, but they aren’t sure of the exact location. We’d definitely have officers start looking around 8 and they’d check for several miles past 10 as well. This is pretty common. People don’t typically know exact locations on highways…unless they are very familiar with the roads…truck drivers, law enforcement.

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

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[Turkeytrot]

Carlee Russell facing misdemeanor charges after lying to law enforcement

"Actions can have consequences and that's why we're here today," Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said.

www.wvtm13.com

Hoover police are "combing through numerous pieces of evidence" in the disappearance of "Carlee" Nichole Russell after she was returned home alive and safe Saturday night.

 

[Gardenista]

Hoover police retracing Carlee Russell’s steps find no evidence she was followed​

Hoover police retracing Carlee Russell’s steps find no evidence she was followed

“Carlee’s 911 call remains the only timely report of a child on the interstate and no one has called to report that a child is missing.”

www.al.com

 

[thebedbug]

I really hope the perpetrator(s) in this case are brought to justice.

 

[bestill]

Have to admit this case is a big puzzle to me. I hope that we hear more that will answer so many questions! I've worried about Carlee, I've worried about the toddler, Carlee's family and friends...seriously lost sleep because we care. Awaiting more from LE.

 

[Pavelsky]

ADMIN NOTE:

This thread was closed due to excessive violations of Websleuths TOS.

New members need to familiarize themselves with the TOS (aka The Rules) that they agreed to upon registering with this site. Those rules are linked in my signature.

Long term members need to refresh their recollection of what The Rules are, including our Victim Friendly policy, our no sleuthing of family or friends or linking to their social media. Approved links are required to all images and to all information stated as fact, and rumors, off topic posts, rudeness, personalizing and bickering are never allowed.

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Thank you!

 

[gliving]

Includes short statement by Hoover Police Chief.

 

[MistyWaters]

I had to look twice to ensure this was a legitimate news source - NO refunds, decision has been reversed, although some donations have already been refunded. What a mess! Carlee is home, surely LE is aware if anyone is eligible for the reward money, contained in earlier news reports it was stated LE confirmed no one was and that’s why the funds were being refunded. Not a good sunshiny day at Crime Stoppers I bet.

Crime Stoppers now says $63,000 raised in Carlee Russell search not being refunded

“This investigation is still ongoing, and accordingly, there is no basis to refund any contributions at this time."

www.al.com

“Crime Stoppers of Central Alabama on Monday reversed course hours after announcing that more than $60,000 raised in reward money for information that led to the safe return of Carlee Russell would be returned to donors.

On Monday morning, the organization said they would refund $63,378 donated in the 48-plus hours the 25-year-old nursing student was missing.

However, on Monday afternoon, they announced that was no longer the case.

“This investigation is still ongoing, and accordingly, there is no basis to refund any contributions at this time. Furthermore, the Hoover Police Department has not requested for any donor contributions to be released or refunded,” the afternoon announcement stated……

…..Bob Copus, executive director of Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama, said Monday morning that some of those donations had already been returned and the rest were in the process of being refunded if that was what the donor requested.”

 

[Gardenista]

Gray showed a full hour of the traffic camera video. Watch at about 33:50, the time on the clock is 9:34pm when she makes the 911 call.

Also watch at 9:30 pm where you will see someone with their right turn signal on and then there is a jump cut in the video and you can't see what happens