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

[gremlin444]

From my quick notes while watching the traffic cam video:

I see her open her driver door and get out around 51 seconds. She then walks behind the car and goes past her flashing taillights at 55 seconds. I see her walk to the side of her car and stand there, walking back and forth along the length of her car and maybe even a bit ahead of her car. The last I feel like I can actually still see movement from her is at 1:48. Then I lose sight of her after several car headlights in a row go by in the middle lane and mess with the shadows. Past that point, I no longer can see her standing next to the car or near where I last saw her at 1:48. I don't actually witness a police car pull up--the camera just gets a bright blue flash in the middle before stopping, but I'm assuming it's the police car, just wondering why he's in the middle lane.

 

[Van Helsing]

gremlin444, you're correct, she exits the car right after it stops. The blue flash seems to be centered on on of the cars so I assumed that was the police car arriving.

 

[gremlin444]

gremlin444, you're correct, she exits the car right after it stops. The blue flash seems to be centered on on of the cars so I assumed that was the police car arriving.

I understand why she had her hazards on, but argh--they make it so hard to see! The sweeping headlights and shadows as cars go by are bad enough, but the flashing just messes with your eyes....I wish I had a bigger monitor.

 

[MotherOcean]

I work with juveniles who have committed crimes in the state of AL and many of them are from Birmingham. The crime and especially violent crime is out of control. I often talk to Juvenile Probation Officers there and hear the most horrendous stories involving gun, drug, and human trafficking. I’ve been told they lose juveniles due to community violence almost every week. I used to really love that area of the state but it’s just gotten too scary. I’m really scared for Carlee and the child. I read that the police arrived three minutes from the 911 call! How is it possible that Carlee, a child, and the perpetrator were all gone within three minutes?! I may be wrong but I believe there are homes just beyond the wooded area where she stopped. I hope they are checking those homes out because the quick disappearance of at least three people and no reported (that we have been told) vehicle nearby sounds like she may be close by.

 

[Gardenista]

So there is no man with a gray car in the video?

 

[MotherOcean]

WBRC has added a video. "Friday - 9:45 p.m. Update: WBRC has obtained traffic camera video from Interstate 459 at mile marker 11.7 from the time period it is believed that Carlee Nichole Russell disappeared. " It show a car stopping on the side of the interstate a a police car arriving a short time afterwards. No other vehicle stops. I don't know if that is her car.

‘We are trusting God’: Family of 25-year-old woman possibly abducted staying positive

Snipped from above link:
Carlee has a scripture tattoo on the back of her shoulder that says “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.”

 

[LurkingSleuther]

Watching that video, that was definitely a police SUV in the right lane that turned its blue lights on.

The 3-4 minute response rate by the police lines up. It was slightly under 4 minutes from when the vehicle pulled over to a stop and when the police vehicle turned its lights on.

At no point in that video does an additional car pull over near what we presume to be Carlee's car. This is exceptionally odd. I didn't see a grey car pull over like that trucker apparently saw.

 

[LurkingSleuther]

So there is no man with a gray car in the video?

I've watched video twice over and never see any car pull over, let alone a gray one or a man approaching the vehicle. Furthermore, there was a lot of slow-moving traffic for people to see something.

 

[Van Helsing]

So there is no man with a gray car in the video?

Not unless it was after the blue light. I guess at night someone could easily mistake some kind of animal off to the side of the road for a small child.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

You might want to research the Teleka Patrick case.

I have. I fail to see any correlation.

 

[Gardenista]

I've watched video twice over and never see any car pull over, let alone a gray one or a man approaching the vehicle. Furthermore, there was a lot of slow-moving traffic for people to see something.

So either the trucker is lying or he saw someone else.

Completely spitballing with a gruesome scenario that we have seen happen in the past. Could she have been hit by a truck and ended up embedded in it? Would hitting her happen so fast though that a scream would not be heard?

If the gray car/man thing did not happen, it leads me more towards a mental health break.

 

[Ladyotm]

A situation where there is some domestic indecent on the highway, bystander stops to help and they panic in fear she will be the reason they are reported for child abuse and injury/grab her?

Great theory. A car could have been pulled up further or over in the wooded area. Or she could have passed a car on the side of the road prior but seems others would have called to report that tip as well.

 

[Knox]

WBRC has added a video. "Friday - 9:45 p.m. Update: WBRC has obtained traffic camera video from Interstate 459 at mile marker 11.7 from the time period it is believed that Carlee Nichole Russell disappeared. " It show a car stopping on the side of the interstate a a police car arriving a short time afterwards. No other vehicle stops. I don't know if that is her car.

‘We are trusting God’: Family of 25-year-old woman possibly abducted staying positive

That's her car right? She's driving with her flashers on then stops near the exit 10 sign. You can see a person exit the vehicle and go to the passenger side after the vehicle parks.

What's the yellow light at 3:45 in? It floats through the trees paralel to the highway?

Where's the gray car, no one else stopped?

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

I should have been more clear. I was referring to the symptoms.

What symptoms? Those of you saying this is a mental health crisis, I'm genuinely curious what symptoms make you believe that? Are there MSM articles about her mental state? About symptoms? Was she depressed or anxious, acting differently, was there a history of symptoms? I'm not seeing any of that. I'm not prepared to call anyone who disappears after an unusual circumstance someone suffering a mental health crisis. IMO, 95% of the time, we would be wrong.

 

[Turkeytrot]

I can't even come up with a theory here at this point. This is just baffling to me

 

[Van Helsing]

That's her car right? She's driving with her flashers on then stops near the exit 10 sign. You can see a person exit the vehicle and go to the passenger side after the vehicle parks.

What's the yellow light at 3:45 in? It floats through the trees paralel to the highway?

Where's the gray car, no one else stopped?

I think that yellow light is just a refection off of the camera lens. It seems to be in sync with a car's yellow turn signal's flashes.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

I like the idea that America, evolved people in America, are now in a place where we can talk about the possibility of mental health crisis without it being viewed as victim shaming or as throwing shade or blame at a missing person. Culture has come a long way on this, at least where I live (reasonably enlightened geography with people who care) … I hope we can talk about this case without shutting down mental health crisis as an avenue of inquiry. We are better sleuthers when we can talk about it openly.

I don't think there's anything wrong with speculating about it, but IMO, there's no indication at all that would lead me to this conclusion (I do think it would be a dangerous avenue for MSM to take without evidence, but here on WS, I think it's fine). But again, there's nothing on which to base it at this time. It would be like me saying "I bet she was dragged off by an alligator." Nothing at all to indicate that.

I also have to point out that if she was having a psychotic break, it would not be limited to the child on the interstate. Psychosis is a thought disorder. There would be a level of agitation, paranoia, disorganization, and possibly incoherence in her call with 911 and with her family member. People don't have a first break and calmly talk to others about the hallucination. In fact, a hallmark of first break psychosis is (9 times out of 10 auditory hallucinations, not visual), for example, a self-inflicted stab wound or gunshot wound, jumping out a window, or running out into traffic. That's because people don't think rationally during a psychotic break. They lose touch with reality.

Her 911 call will be telling if she was experiencing a mental health crisis.

 

[Starlet]

lights in the woods are reflections bouncing off the signs

No grey car

Did she walk into the woods to the neighborhood right behind it?

Edit- also she was heard speaking to a child (but no child heard speaking back). No child seen in video.

 

[Alwayswanted2bFBIagent]

Is it possible that the police would give out a false lead in hopes that it would produce a confession quickly or rule out a close suspect? Maybe that information is the grey car and tall thin guy wearing khaki shorts

 

[Ladyotm]

From my quick notes while watching the traffic cam video:

I see her open her driver door and get out around 51 seconds. She then walks behind the car and goes past her flashing taillights at 55 seconds. I see her walk to the side of her car and stand there, walking back and forth along the length of her car and maybe even a bit ahead of her car. The last I feel like I can actually still see movement from her is at 1:48. Then I lose sight of her after several car headlights in a row go by in the middle lane and mess with the shadows. Past that point, I no longer can see her standing next to the car or near where I last saw her at 1:48. I don't actually witness a police car pull up--the camera just gets a bright blue flash in the middle before stopping, but I'm assuming it's the police car, just wondering why he's in the middle lane.

I haven't watched the full video. Watch around the 1:36 minute mark. To me it appears something could be happening, movement in the area where she appeared to be standing).