Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell and Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis
Law enforcement authorities in Alabama provided new details in the case of Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, the woman who mysteriously went missing moments after calling 911 and reporting that she saw an unsupervised toddler wandering along the side of the highway. Authorities have now obtained evidence that suggests Russell may not have been abducted.
According to Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis, surveillance video from Russell’s place of work showed her at approximately 8:20 p.m. on July 13 concealing a dark robe, a roll of toilet paper, and other items belonging to the business prior to her departure. She then picked up food from a restaurant and snacks from Target before getting on the highway and heading back in the direction of her home at around 9:20 p.m.
She made several calls to family and friends on the drive before calling 911 at about 9:34 p.m.
Police played the two-minute 46-second 911 call in its entirety during which Russell sounds calm and collected while telling the dispatcher she was following the child she spotted wandering on the busy stretch of road. According to Derzis, Russell was the only person to report a child on the road despite heavy traffic in the area.
The data from Russell’s phone showed that she traveled about 600 yards while on the phone with the dispatcher and supposedly following the toddler, Derzis said, emphasizing that such a distance is equal to six football fields lined up consecutively.
