Police in Hoover, Alabama say they have confirmed their suspicions that Carlee Russell made false claims that she was kidnapped after pulling off to the side of the road while reporting a toddler was walking alone.
Hoover Police Department Chief Nicholas Derzis said on Monday Ms Russell has admitted to lying about her supposed abduction in a statement she provided through her attorney.
“There was no kidnapping on Thursday, July 13. My client did not see a baby on the side of the road,” the statement read, according to Chief Derzis, who read it at a news conference. “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, as to her friends and family.”
The bizarre scandal has lead to questions about whether the Alabama woman may face charges.
Ms Russell, 25, claimed she went missing on 13 July after calling 911 to report a young child was walking alone and barefoot on Interstate 459.
For the 49 hours that Ms Russell was out of sight, local, state and federal authorities conducted an extensive search.
The search efforts ended on 15 July when Ms Russell returned home on foot. She claimed a man kidnapped her.
Last week, authorities in Alabama said they have no evidence that a toddler was walking along the interstate and could not verify that Ms Russell was kidnapped.
Hoover police chief Nick Derzis said no other drivers on the busy interstate reported a child walking alone and there were no missing children alerts. He said Ms Russell was the only person to make the 911 call and there were no signs of a toddler when authorities arrived.
He added that during Ms Russell’s brief phone call with a 911 operator, she claimed she pulled her car over to assist the child but phone tracking data shows she moved 600 yards – the length of six football fields.
Mr Derzis expressed doubt that a small child between the ages of two and four could move 600 yards in the time Ms Russell was on the phone.
25-year-old Carlee Russell was reported missing after a call to 911 to report a toddler was found on the side of an Alabama highway.— (Hoover Police Department)
Mr Derzis said the priority of their investigation was to return Ms Russell home safely and find out where she was in the two days she was missing.
Police have also pointed to Ms Russell’s questionable internet search history that she conducted in the days and hours leading up to her fake “disappearance.”
Ms Russell searched for the movie Taken, one-way bus tickets out of Birmingham and information about Amber Alerts like how much they cost and how old a person has to be for one to be issued.
While police have not made any official allegations against Ms Russell, should they find that she made a false report, law enforcement could choose to charge her.
Section 13A-10-9 of the Alabama criminal code states that making a false report to law enforcement, knowingly, is a Class A misdemeanour.
When asked last week if law enforcement was planning on charging Ms Russell, Mr Derzis replied: “To be perfectly honest with you, that hasn’t even entered our mind or been discussed.”
On 25 July, Ms Russell’s attorney Emery Anthony met with detectives to discuss her case.
Following the roughly 20-minute meeting, he said that he is expecting charges to be filed against her.
“It was a great meeting; It was a short meeting,” he told local news station WDHN.
“We tried to identify some things about where we go from here. There’s responsibilities that we need to take care of.”
He said that the goal of the probe is three-fold: to make sure their client is taken care of and “dealing with her issues,” to make sure that the City of Hoover feels “comfortable and safe,” and to get to the “end game,” the station reported.
He said that she could be charged as soon as 26 July though it is not clear what those charges may be.
