Police: Evidence Contradicts Carlee Russell’s Abduction Claim
HOOVER, Alabama. – According to the guardian Police in Hoover, Alabama revealed new evidence on Thursday that contradicts the abduction story of Carlee Russell, the woman who vanished last week after claiming she spotted a toddler along the interstate.
During a press conference, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said he does not believe the 25-year-old was kidnapped. Derzis pointed to telling Google searches made on Russell’s phone prior to her disappearance on June 14.
Searches included “How to take money from a register without being caught,” “one-way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville,” Amber Alert info, and the movie “Taken” about an overseas abduction.
“It’s highly unusual the day someone is kidnapped that they Google the movie ‘Taken,’ about an abduction,” Derzis noted. “I find it very strange.”
Security footage also showed Russell’s car rolled 600 yards along the highway shoulder before stopping, making it unlikely she saw a toddler as claimed. No other 911 calls reported a child on the interstate.
In Russell’s interview with police, she alleged a man with orange hair abducted her after exiting her car. But personal items she took from work were not found at the scene when police arrived.
Russell returned home unharmed last Saturday after a days-long search. Her family asserted she was kidnapped, but now faces criticism over inconsistencies in her story.
Chief Derzis said Russell claimed in her interview that she escaped twice from her captors after being held in a trailer and given crackers.
Police wish to interview Russell again about the discrepancies. But her family said she is not ready to speak further due to her mental state.
Authorities continue investigating what really happened the day Russell disappeared. But the new evidence indicates her harrowing abduction tale was likely fabricated.
