Carlee Russell smiles in mug shot as she’s charged with false police report in kidnap hoax

Alabama woman Carlee Russell facing two misdemeanour charges in Jefferson County after confessing to wild abduction story was lie Hoover Police announce at press conference

Carlee Russell: Police give timeline of disappearance

Carlee Russell wore a big smile when she had her mug shot taken as she was charged with two misdemeanour counts for faking her own disappearance and kidnapping in Alabama.

An arrest warrant was issued Friday, on charges of false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident.

Ms Russell was released from jail later that day after posting bond, her lawyer said.

The Alabama woman “disappeared” on the evening of 13 July after calling 911 claiming she was stopping to help a toddler walking alone on Interstate 459. She returned home two days later and claimed she had been kidnapped and barely managed to escape.

Police revealed last week they were unable to verify many of Ms Russell’s claims and pointed to her “relevant” internet history which included searches for Amber Alerts and the movie Taken.

Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis told local WVTM 13 that investigators had sussed out the hoax long before her confession.

Key Points

• Carlee Russell charged after falsely reporting kidnapping
• Police seeking two charges against Carlee Russell, report says
• Carlee Russell admits she was never kidnapped
• Crime stoppers refunding $63k in reward money
• Russell looked up the movie Taken before disappearing

[28 July 2023 13:00 · Ariana Baio]

The possible charges Carlee Russell is facing

Carlee Russell could be facing two charges: falsely reporting an incident and false reporting to law enforcement authorities.

Each charge is considered a misdemeanour in Alabama and carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison each, according to ABC News.

The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Bessemer Division is allegedly considering the charges against Ms Russell, chief assistant district attorney Lane Tolbert told ABC News.

[28 July 2023 14:00 · Ariana Baio]

Carlee Russell could face jail time as prosecutors consider two potential charges for kidnapping hoax

Carlee Russell could be facing up to a year in prison as authorities in Alabama are reportedly considering charging the 25-year-old with falsely reporting an incident and false reporting to law enforcement authorities.

Authorities in the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office – Bessemer Division told ABC News on Thursday that they may be seeking the two charges against Ms Russell for faking her kidnapping and lying about being abducted.

[28 July 2023 15:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

Crime stoppers refunding $63k in reward money

The Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama will be refunding the $63,378 that was donated during the search for 25-year-old Carlee Russell.

“We are releasing all funds,’’ Bob Copus, executive director of Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama, told AL.com on Tuesday. “We’re basing that on the statements made at the news conference.”

More than $60k was donated in the 49 hours that Ms Russell went ‘missing’ at the beginning of July.

Police and Ms Russell’s attorney revealed on Monday that Ms Russell faked her disappearance and lied about being kidnapped.

[28 July 2023 16:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

What Carlee Russell’s attorney said

Carlee Russell’s attorney, Emory Anthony, prepared a statement for the Hoover Police Department that was read aloud during a press conference on Monday.

“There was no kidnapping on Thursday, July 13, 2023. My client did not see a baby on the side of the road. My client did not leave the Hoover area when she was identified as a missing person. My client did not have any help in this incident — this was a single act done by herself. My client was not with anyone or any hotel with anyone from the time she was missing. My client apologizes for her actions to this community, the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies as well and to her friends and family. We ask for your prayers for Carlee as she addresses her issues and attempts to move forward, understanding that she made a mistake in this matter.”

[28 July 2023 17:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

Attorney for Carlee Russell says she is ‘dealing with her issues’

An attorney representing Carlee Russell has said he expects her to be charged over false claims that she was abducted.

Emory Anthony told local news station WDHN that he had met with Hoover Police Department detectives to discuss his client’s case. Mr Anthony said that Ms Russell was better but still “dealing with her issues.”

“It was a great meeting; It was a short meeting,” Mr Anthony said. “We tried to identify some things about where we go from here. There [are] responsibilities that we need to take care of.”

Mr Anthony’s remarks come just a day after authorities confirmed that Ms Russell, 25, had admitted to lying about being kidnapped on the side of a highway after stopping to check on a toddler. The attorney did not elaborate on what motivated Ms Russell’s fake story.

He added: “I know you have a hundred questions but we won’t be able to answer them at this point in time, but just walk with us and we should be through this shortly ,” Mr Anthony said.

[28 July 2023 18:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

Three unanswered questions in the mysterious case of Carlee Russell

After law enforcement in Hoover, Alabama cast doubt over Carlee Russell’s claim that she was kidnapped, the 25-year-old admitted to fabricating her story, leading to more questions about her perplexing case.

[28 July 2023 19:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

ICYMI: Hoover Police Department’s press conference on Monday

[28 July 2023 19:30 · Josh Marcus]

The dramatic moment Carlee Russell confessed to her hoax

At the beginning of this week Carlee Russell’s attorney made a shocking announcement: the Alabama woman had fabricated her entire story of seeing a lost child wandering the interstate, being kidnapped, then escaping home.

Here’s how her lawyer explained what happened, in a statement read by police.

“There was no kidnapping on Thursday July 13, 2023. My client did not see a baby on the side of the road. My client did not leave the Hoover area when she was identified as a missing person,” the statement read. “My client did not have any help in this incident. This was a single act done by herself.”

[28 July 2023 19:36 · Josh Marcus]

Carlee Russell charged after falsely reporting kidnapping

Carlee Russell, the 25-year-old Alabama woman who claimed went missing and later explained that she had been kidnapped, has been charged.

The arrest warrant was issued earlier today, Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis said in a news conference.

Hoover police arrested “for her actions related to faking her kidnapping and subsequently making false statements to detectives.” Chief Derzis continued, “Her decisions that night created panic and alamr for citizens of our city and even across the nation.”

Numerous law enforcement agencies worked “tirelessly” to bring Ms Russell home to her family and to find a kidnapper “that we know now never existed.”

Kelly Rissman reports for The Independent.

[28 July 2023 19:53 · Oliver O'Connell]

The arrest warrant for Carlee Russell, the 25-year-old Alabama woman who claimed she went missing and later alleged that she had been kidnapped, was issued earlier on Friday 28 July, Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis said in a news conference.

Hoover police arrested Ms Russell “for her actions related to faking her kidnapping and subsequently making false statements to detectives.” Chief Derzis continued, “Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for citizens of our city and even across the nation.”

Numerous law enforcement agencies worked “tirelessly” to bring Ms Russell home to her family and to find a kidnapper “that we know now never existed.”