Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, a 25-year-old nursing student who vanished on Thursday night after calling 911 to report seeing a male toddler in a diaper walking along the side of an Alabama highway, has returned home, police said. On Saturday night, police received a call at around 10:45 p.m. notifying them of her return. Officers and medics responded, and Russell was taken to a hospital for evaluation, Hoover Police Captain Keith Czeskleba said. They also spoke with Russell and got a statement.
How Did Carlethia Russell’s Disappearance Happen?
Carlethia Russell had been on her way home from work in Birmingham when she called 911 at about 9:30 p.m. and told the Hoover dispatchers that she’d stopped to check on the young child she’d seen walking on the side of Interstate 459. After she hung up, Russell called a family member, but the line remained open, and the family member lost contact with her during the call, police said. Responding officers found Russell’s car, wig, and cellphone abandoned at the scene, officials said. There were no signs of Russell or a child.
Officers analyzed Russell’s phone during the missing person investigation. They also spoke with a witness who reported seeing a vehicle and a man standing outside Russell’s car. Police obtained traffic camera footage, which is still being analyzed.
“The details of that statement are a part of the ongoing investigation, which is expected to continue over the next few days,” Hoover Police Lt. Daniel Lowe said in a Sunday press release. “During the initial portion of the investigation, detectives were able to retrace nearly all of Carlee’s steps until the point she went missing and are confident that will continue to be the case.”
Where Was Carlethia Russell During The 48 Hours?
It is currently unclear where Russell was during the search, which began Thursday night. Officials have not yet given any indication of her whereabouts. Police said they had not received any calls regarding a missing child, and Russell’s 911 call remains the only timely report of a child on the interstate.
Hoover is part of the Birmingham metropolitan area. Lowe said local police worked with state and federal agencies during the search. A large group of volunteers organized by Russell’s parents also assisted in the search effort.
Police said they are investigating traffic camera footage as part of the investigation. “That footage is still being analyzed as part of the investigation in conjunction with the 911 call to accurately determine the timeframe,” the release stated. Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis told CNN affiliate WBRC that the police department is “very happy” that Russell has returned home safely.
News of Russell’s disappearance sparked a frenzied 48-hour search effort across the area, with police offering a reward of $25,000. Derzis said that, at times up to 50 or 60 police officers were working on the case. “There are times you get overwhelmed; the story kept getting bigger and bigger,” he told WBRC.
Russell’s disappearance and subsequent return home remain under investigation, and further details have not yet been released.