More details are emerging about the mysterious disappearance of Carlee Russell after she miraculously returned home to her residence in Hoover, Alabama July 15.
Carlee’s boyfriend, Thomar Simmons, took to Facebook on July 16 to give the public a brief update about the 25-year-old’s mysterious disappearance. Simmons seemingly confirmed that the young college student was kidnapped on July 13 while driving down the I-459 highway after she called 911 to report a lone toddler walking on the side of the road.
“All I asked from everyone right now is to be respectful of Carlee’s situation. She was literally fighting for her life for 48 hours, so until she’s physically & mentally stable again, she is not able to give any updates or whereabouts on her kidnapper at this very moment,” his Facebook post read. “I also want to thank the people on social media who have been understanding & respectful about what she’s been through in these past few days.”
Simmons said he was determined to find Carlee after she vanished Thursday.
“I wasn’t going to give up until I saw her face again!” Simmons added in his lengthy post before thanking the public for their support. “I was straight tunnel vision, even when I would get on social media on my downtime & see some of the false allegations & assumptions about me having something to do with her abduction would have me discouraged at times. I didn’t give up & kept my faith! I just want to thank all of my family, friends, former teammates, & church members who called or texted me just to let me know that they’re praying & here for me; you guys don’t know how much that meant to me!”
Talitha Robinson-Russell, Carlee’s mother, told concerned supporters that she would give a statement about the investigation “in the near future.” But right now, the family is celebrating Carlee’s miraculous return.
“We do want to ask for privacy at this time to allow us to just love on our daughter and each other with our close family and friends. Also, please consider the fact we have not slept for 3 nights, and we are mentally and physically exhausted,” she penned in a lengthy Facebook post on Sunday.
According to the Hoover Police Department, Carlee returned home on Saturday around 10:45 p.m. on foot, USA Today noted. She was quickly rushed to UAB Hospital for evaluation and was later released. Police have not shared updates about the young college student’s current condition, how she managed to return home, or further details about her bizarre case.
According to TMZ, dispatchers in the Hoover-Vestavia Hills area received a tip about Carlee “possibly being at a nearby motel” before she returned home Saturday.
In the 911 call, the dispatcher said she received a call from a Red Roof Inn employee after the Russell Family reached out to the hotel to see if Carlee was there. According to the audio, Carlee allegedly called her family on Saturday to let them know that she was at Red Roof Inn near Montgomery Highway, just 5 miles north of where she vanished. Oddly, first responders said no one had checked into the location under Carlee’s name.
Hoover officials are still piecing together what happened to Carlee on the I-459 highway.
After the Alabama native called 911 on Thursday to report the missing toddler, she stopped along the I-459 highway to check on the child. She also called a family member to notify them about the situation, police said. According to the police report, “the family member lost contact” with Carlee as she stepped closer to the young toddler.
“Officers who were already en route to the location of the initial 911 call located the female’s vehicle and some of her belongings nearby but were unable to find her or a child in the area.”
Hoover police claimed they didn’t get any calls about a missing child prior to the incident.
Police are analyzing traffic camera footage to find out more details about the bizarre kidnapping.
“The footage is still being analyzed as part of the investigation in conjunction with the 911 call to accurately determine the timeframe,” Hoover police said in a statement.
*UPDATE* 7/19/2023
Russell’s safe return has sparked questions. On July 19, Hoover Police Department held a press conference regarding Russell’s ordeal. The details are here.
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