The 911 calls leading up to the disappearance of Carlethia “Carlee” Russell have been revealed after she returned following an alleged abduction.
Audio obtained by AL.com and WVTM 13 reveal details of what was reported to authorities ahead of Russell going missing after she exited her car on a highway to tend to a toddler she claimed was wandering outside.
“Child is going to be a white male wearing a white T-shirt and a diaper,” a Hoover police dispatcher told a responding officer.
“RP (reporting party) is advising there are no cars in the area where the child’s been abandoned on the side of the road.”
Russell reportedly told the dispatcher that she would “stand by for police” after calling 911 around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 13, 2023. However, once the responding officer arrived, they found her unattended car with her belongings inside, but no Russell.
“Call the RP back–she’s not at her vehicle,” the officer tells the dispatcher.
“We’re not getting the female to answer,” the dispatcher replies. “We’re trying to call her back. She’s not answering.”
The officer noted that Russell’s red Mercedes sedan was “unlocked, running,” and contained “all her personal belongings except for her phone.”
“We got a call about a female screaming with a child … Be advised, the female screamed and the line disconnected,” one officer said.
Officers discussed using a drone to scan the area for what they believed was a “possible abduction.” A separate recording came in hours before Russell returned home after her family responded to a call from a Red Roof Inn in Vestavia, Alabama, about 7 p.m. Saturday.
“The front, per caller, said family members at this location saying they received a call from the female that’s missing, Carlee Russell, saying she was at this location,” the dispatcher says.
A few hours later, someone from Russell’s residence called police confirming the 25-year-old nursing student returned home on foot.
Carlee’s parents, Talithia and Carlos Russell, sat down for their first interview this week. They revealed the “fight” their daughter put up for her life during the 48 hours she was missing. They said little about the details surrounding her disappearance amid an ongoing investigation.
The Russells said their daughter was abducted by a suspect who is still at large. They’re also asking for the public to stop with the skepticism that’s being expressed online about her alleged abduction.
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