Detectives have asked to speak to Carlee again, but they have been denied. They say they have many questions remaining, but they say they do not believe there is any threat to the public at this time.
RIGHT NOW:
#CarleeRussell press conference: "This investigation is not over." Surveillance video show Carlee concealed items from her business like toilet paper. She ordered food and then went to Target to buy more food. She stayed at the shopping center until driving to I-459. Investigators now playing the 911 call Carlee made to police on the night of her disappearance.
In the 911 call, you can hear Carlee speak to the dispatcher. Carlee tells the dispatcher that a toddler, around 3-4 years old, is walking southbound on the interstate. She says she can see them and the dispatcher says to keep an eye on them until police could arrive.
Dispatcher tells her to put her hazards on and Carlee tells dispatcher that toddler does not look injured. She says the toddler is a boy wearing a white t-shirt and a diaper with no pants on. Carlee discloses her full name to the dispatcher and the car she is driving.
Carlee says the Toddler is not wearing shoes. Dispatcher says to continue to keep eyes on the child and the phone call ends. Back at the presser, police officials say that Carlee calls her family before disappearing. Police say Carlee's 911 call is the only witness account of a toddler on the interstate.
Data from Carlee's phone shows she traveled approximately 600 yards while on the phone with 911. That is six football fields straight that the toddler would have had to walk.
The items
#CarleeRussell purchased from Target nor the stuff she stole from her job were found near the vehicle. A drone unit, investigators all came in to assist in the search for Carlee. K9 teams came to check for signs of Carlee. Those searches, of course, turned up empty.
At 10:44pm on July 15, 911 dispatcher receives call saying she returned home on foot. Surveillance footage shows her walk up the sidewalk alone. She was conscious and speaking to paramedics when being transported. She told detectives that she saw a baby on the road when a man came out of the trees, picked her up and that's when she screamed. She says he forced her into the back of an 18-wheeler. She said she heard the voice of a female, but never saw her. She says she fled on foot before being captured again. She was blindfolded but not tied up as to not leave impressions on wrists. She says he was forced to take naked pictures but never had any sexual contact. She claims she was able to escape a moving vehicle when in the west Hoover area. Carlee has a small injury to her lip and she said her head was hurting. Carlee had $107 in her right sock. Detectives at this time did not press Carlee any further at this time to give her time to rest.
On July 11, the term "do you have to pay for an amber alert" were searched. Also the term, "how to take money from a register without being caught" were searched. On the day of her disappearance, "Birmingham bus station" was searched. Also, a one way bus ticket to Nashville was searched with a July 13 departure date.
Detectives have asked to speak to Carlee again, but they have been denied. They say they have many questions remaining, but they say they do not believe there is any threat to the public at this time.
"She is not ready to talk" is what detectives have been told.