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

[CamilleBSP]

IMO I find it odd that Carlee would have been caught stealing from her job and not been fired over it. I’m sort of skeptical of that bit and it’s not really clear what the source is other than a SM post. Every job I’ve ever had would immediately fire someone if they were caught stealing, unless what they were caught stealing was of little importance. (e.g. I got chewed out for trying to “steal” something out of the dumpster when I worked at petsmart lol, but I didn’t get written up or fired because it obviously wasn’t a big deal)

JMO. I’m curious to know if this bit is true and what the alleged theft supposedly was

We don't know for sure if she is still employed by the spa, though. The statement didn't include that.

 

[txsleuth70]

We don't know for sure if she is still employed by the spa, though. The statement didn't include that.

Agreed, and it takes a minute to get fired these days!

 

[thebedbug]

All I could see on the traffic cam video was her getting out, walking to the back of the car and around to the passenger side. I have a 27" screen and that's all I was able to clearly make out.

there is a video out there that has what I'll call a "day" filter AND where they have eliminated the flash from car blinkers. in that video, it does appear (to me) the figure moves just a bit up the road and towards the woods, before disappearing.

 

[NeverPersonal]

Well it falls into the “human trafficking” trope that people are hysterical all over the place about. The belief that there are roving bands of strangers trying to traffic women and children off the road or from a mall or IKEA. “Two men with accents were following me!”

Adding in the child used as bait, which is one of the trafficking myths, and it becomes even more interesting.

But the fact that this is a young, beautiful, seemingly responsible woman is crucial as well. That is an element that makes this even more attractive to people.

EXACTLY, thank you. hence my 100 comments on carlee's threads about what human trafficking actually looks like, i'm professionally trained in it and yet people still want to believe the hysterical social media version of trafficking... it gets frustrating to see "trafficking" thrown out there as the evidence-lacking solution to every missing persons case ever, but i really want to educate people on this.

 

[Snail-Overlord]

All I could see on the traffic cam video was her getting out, walking to the back of the car and around to the passenger side. I have a 27" screen and that's all I was able to clearly make out.

I kind of chuckled at the update of (paraphrasing) “as you can see in traffic cam footage, there was no toddler.” I can barely even see Carlee or anything for that matter on the traffic cam footage lol.

I’m viewing the video on a mobile phone which probably doesn’t help

 

[caradana]

She may have had to get fingerprinted for nursing school.

Is the spa by chance in the jurisdiction of the PD that spoke with her?

 

[AngTxGal]

In my opinion, if a parent were worried about their adult child's state of mind, they may go along with that child's story for now just to placate until she is able to get the help that she needs.

However, if the story develops into a further far-fetched story such as a cheese itz welding Oompa Loompa theoretically I think they would have to draw the line.

Yes, this is my thought too. A parent worried about her mental state may not know what is fact and what is fiction, just that their child is endangered in some way and they want to protect them.

If this ends up a far-fetched story without mental illness involved- from a 25 yr old woman with a degree in psychology… it is troubling in so many ways. Life after such a public event will not be easy.

JMO

 

[arielilane]

Hoover police continue to investigate Carlee Russell’s disappearance and are still awaiting her “to be made available to obtain a more detailed statement,” the department said. Police said they expect to release more Wednesday afternoon.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1681654930875064322

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[Synergizer Bunny]

Well it falls into the “human trafficking” trope that people are hysterical all over the place about. The belief that there are roving bands of strangers trying to traffic women and children off the road or from a mall or IKEA. “Two men with accents were following me!”

Adding in the child used as bait, which is one of the trafficking myths, and it becomes even more interesting.

But the fact that this is a young, beautiful, seemingly responsible woman is crucial as well. That is an element that makes this even more attractive to people.

I don't know if I misinterpreted your statement; however, child trafficking is not a myth. <modsnip: no source> It is unfortunately big business, with some children from the poorest countries being the victims.

The sad thing is with Carlee and her image is that, if this is a self-imposed hoax, the truth behind her facade of being a smart, beautiful and responsible person will be exposed for the world to see.

If this is a hoax, it will be interesting to see if her parents double down on Carlee's version of events or support the police department's findings after many hours of investigating this case. The police will have a lot of evidence. I just hope that they share it at this news conference.

It won't surprise me if the Red Roof Inn comes into play. From my way of thinking, Carlee didn't walk all over town across highways and interstates. She had to stay somewhere, either at a hotel or with someone. If she had help, did that person panic and come forward after this case went nationwide?

If this is a hoax, their daughter needs help. She is 25 years old, an adult. Why, with a college education, is she still living at home? Why isn't she out on her own? I read that she works "part time" at the spa. That can't bring in much income.

If the parents don't get their daughter help now, after this extreme stunt, I'm afraid that it might seal her fate. So, I hope that they will do the right thing.

CR needs to be held responsible for her actions. All of this time and resources could have been used to help a victim who truly was in need. The sad outcome is if this type of event does happen in the future, it will make people stop and wonder if this is real or a hoax "like the CR case."

JMO.

 

[CamilleBSP]

Is the spa by chance in the jurisdiction of the PD that spoke with her?

Hoover, where she lives, is in both Jefferson and Shelby counties, while Birmingham (where she works/worked) is on Jefferson county and Harpersville (the PD she talked to) is on Shelby county.

 

[Cindizzi]

 

[wary]

SMH, what is the significance of the Target snacks that were purchased but not found in her car?????

I think the assumptions are that they were provisions to sustain her during her ‘kidnapping.’

MOO

 

[ReillyElizabeth]

Is the spa by chance in the jurisdiction of the PD that spoke with her?

No. The spa is in a shopping center called The Summit, which is in the city of Birmingham. She lived in (and was allegedly abducted from) the city of Hoover (which is a suburb of Birmingham), and the Hoover PD has been heading up the investigation.

 

[sprightly]

EXACTLY, thank you. hence my 100 comments on carlee's threads about what human trafficking actually looks like, i'm professionally trained in it and yet people still wanted to believe the hysterical social media version of trafficking

Yep. Stranger abduction DOES occur. Human trafficking DOES occur. Both things are unspeakable tragedies. But ... this isn't what either of those things look like. Instead this seems like an urban legend that someone is trying to spin into a compelling narrative.

I think in cases of stranger abduction, the possibility that a victim has been trafficked at least offers some vague hope that they might still be alive, so I can see why loved ones might want that to be the case, but unfortunately, most victims of stranger abduction are dead pretty quickly.

And quite frankly (and depressingly), there are already so many vulnerable people who can be trafficked without the hassle and media circus of a stranger abduction that there just isn't a need to grab well-to-do stable people who will be missed off the streets for these nefarious purposes.

I don't know with any kind of certainty what this WAS, but I'm pretty sure what it WASN'T.

 

[x_files]

When I was a teenager I did experience an abduction situation by an older guy known to family, and was taken out of state. In my own case, there was considerable trauma and I definitely wanted to speak with police about it.

Again I am sorry I am so glad you survived and were able to talk to the police about it.

 

[Snail-Overlord]

I don't know if I misinterpreted your statement; however, child trafficking is not a myth. <modsnip> It is unfortunately big business with some children from the poorest countries being the victims.

The sad thing is with Carlee and her image is that, if this is a self-imposed hoax, the truth behind her facade of being a smart, beautiful and responsible person will be exposed for the world to see.

If this is a hoax, and the police will have all of the evidence, because there are cameras everywhere, and it seems from what we now know (before the news conference) that her steps are documented, her parents, who are professionals can either stand by this ridiculous story or apologize to the public. It will be interesting to see if they double down on the police department and the many hours that they have spent investigating this case.

If this is a hoax, their daughter needs help. She is 25 years old, an adult. Why, with a college education, is she still living at home? Why isn't she out on her own? I read that she works "part time" at the spa. That can't bring in much income.

If the parents don't get their daughter help now, after this extreme stunt, I'm afraid that it might seal her fate. So, I hope that they will do the right thing.

CR needs to be held responsible for her actions. All of this time and resources could have been used to help a victim who truly was in need. The sad outcome is if this type of event does happen in the future, it will make people stop and wonder if this is real or a hoax "like the CR case."

JMO.

IMO I don’t think it’s that unusual that she lives with her parents at 25. A lot of people do. Housing in the U.S. is not cheap, and it’s near impossible to actually buy a decent house for a good price right now. Living at home with parents is a smart financial decision for many college students. There may be a lot of things here worth judging but I don’t feel like that’s one of them

 

[Quill]

there is a video out there that has what I'll call a "day" filter AND where they have eliminated the flash from car blinkers. in that video, it does appear (to me) the figure moves just a bit up the road and towards the woods, before disappearing.

That's a possible explanation for how she left the roadside so quickly without being seen by passing motorists.

 

[x_files]

As mentioned previously, the case of Abby Hernandez is one example of an actual victim of abduction refusing to relay info to the police as she was afraid the man would do what he promissed and come back to hurt her (even more).
IMO, it's possible that Carlee isn't cooperating here because of the rumors Court TV mentioned that she had stolen from her workplace. Maybe that explains her interaction with police officers earlier in the day and is what her workplace said they "uncovered" and relayed to the police.

What if she did indeed steal from her work but it is unrelated?

 

[wary]

ya i always pshaw those. i will reply "why dont you turn around and yell "WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME" if this is true.

With all due respect, I don’t think this is a realistic expectation. Many people freeze when confronted with possible danger.
MOO

 

[DianaElaine]

The hotel phone call was a hoax?

Sorry, somewhere upthread I read that it was proven that Carlee never made that call. I’ll have to go back and see if I can find it.