Carlee Russell appeared in a Jefferson County courtroom Thursday afternoon, eight months after she vanished from the side of Interstate 459 and sparked a nationwide panic, and asked for mercy as she entered guilty pleas to two misdemeanors.
Russell, 26, entered a blind plea to false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident.
That meant Russell had no agreement in place stating what sentence the judge would hand down. A Hoover municipal judge in October had sentenced her to a year in the Jefferson County jail.
“I made a grave mistake while trying to fight through various emotional issues and stress,” Russell said, crying as she addressed the judge.
“I absolutely regret my decision and in hindsight wish I had cried for help in a totally different manner. My prayer is that I will be extended grace and be given the opportunity to redeem who I truly am and restore the positively esteemed character that I have worked so hard to obtain for the 25 years of my life prior to this incident,” Russell said.
Jefferson County Bessemer Cutoff Judge David Carpenter pointed out that although Russell alarmed the country, he believed it would be a waste of government resources to put her in jail because she is not a threat to the community.
Russell was sentenced to six months in county jail. However, those sentences were suspended.
Russell was ordered to pay restitution of nearly $18,000. She must provide proof of mental health counseling.
The Alabama Attorney General’s Office had argued Russell should be given jail time — even though the charges were misdemeanors — even if just on nights or weekends.
“This case has always been about respect for law enforcement and respect for this community as a whole,” state prosecutor Clark Morris said.
“Miss Russell faked a kidnapping, duped the community, and contrived this situation. We, judge, still don’t know, to this day where she was, how she got there, what she was doing, and with whom she was doing it,” Morris said.
Morris said hundreds in the community and local, state and federal law enforcement helped in the search for Russell.
“It’s our contention Miss Russell knew this would happen,” Morris said. Even once home, Morris said, Russell continued “perpetuating this ruse” she had been kidnapped.
“She should get some jail time,” Morris said.
Russell was given an opportunity to speak and said she wanted to “genuinely apologize” for her actions and the “resulting negative impact” they had on others.
“I am extremely remorseful for the panic, fear and various range of negative emotions that were experienced across the nation. I want to specifically acknowledge and take accountability for the pain and embarrassment that I inflicted upon my family, my church family, friends, neighbors, community, and all of those who were directly involved in search efforts for me,” Russell said.
Russell also apologized to the Hoover police department and other law enforcement agencies and said she had “no malicious intent” when she faked her kidnapping.
“I pray that you will feel my sincerity as I prepare to pick up the pieces and go on to restore my life that you will witness the fruition of grace,” Russell said.
Russell was represented by attorneys Emory Anthony, Richard Jaffe and Luckie Milad.
Anthony spoke following the hearing and thanked Carpenter “for being strong enough to make a decision based upon probation.”
Anthony noted that ”Carlee apologized to the community, to Hoover, to the volunteers for her actions and I hope we will accept that and move on and allow her to live her life.”
Anthony still declined to say where Russell was during her disappearance and said emotional issues led to the hoax.
“I know there’s still questions that you all want her to answer but I think it would be good to give her the opportunity to find herself.”
”She’s just 26 years old, she’s in nursing school, she’s got three semesters left, she’s genuinely contrite and remorseful and she’s been deeply affected,’’ Jaffe said, adding that she wants to redeem herself.
Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said he’s glad Russell apologized but said it came a little late.
”I don’t know why we didn’t hear that back in July,’’ he said. “There were a lot of people, not only in our community but across the nation, that were concerned for those couple of days.”
The chief said the nearly $18,000 in restitution falls way short of the money actually spent on the investigation, which he estimated to be in the area of $40,000 to $50,000.
“It appears to me here that the consequences are for the parents because I would assume they’re the ones who are going to have to pay for this‚’’ Derzis said.
Derzis thanked the Alabama Legislature for working to make hoax abductions a felony crime requiring some jail time.
”Hopefully if anybody does anything like this again, they will be prosecuted in a different manner,” Derzis said.
Derzis said he was disappointed she would not served jail time, especially with so many unanswered questions.
”We still today don’t know where she was and she obviously had help and we don’t know who the help was,’’ Derzis said.
“To me it’s a slap on the wrist- pay your money and go forward.”
How we got here:
After faking her own abduction last year in a 49-hour disappearance that garnered attention nationwide, Russell pleaded not guilty on Oct. 11, 2023, in Hoover municipal court to false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident.
Despite her plea, Hoover Municipal Judge Brad Bishop found her guilty based on the recommendation of state prosecutors.
Bishop recommended one year in jail and $17,874 in restitution. He also recommended two fines of $831 each.
In municipal court, there is no jury trial. The constitution allows anyone who faces jail time to have their case heard and decided by a jury of their peers.
Often defendants will appeal a verdict to Jefferson County Circuit Court to take the case to a jury trial.
Russell seemingly vanished July 13 after calling 911, and a family member, to report seeing a child, about 3 or 4 years old only wearing a diaper, walking alone on I-459.
The family member reported hearing a scream, and then only interstate noise through the open cell phone line.
Russell’s disappearance sparked a massive search and widespread concern.
Two days later, Russell showed up alone at her parents Hoover home. She was taken to UAB Hospital for evaluation.
While in the hospital, Russell told Hoover police she escaped the clutches of a man and woman who abducted her.
Derzis said authorities were able to determine that Russell left her job at Woodhouse Day Spa – from which she was subsequently fired – after taking a robe, toilet paper and a small amount of cash.
She ordered food from Taziki’s at The Colonnade and traveled there. Carlee then traveled to Target on Highway 280 where she bought some granola bars, Cheez-its, and a drink.
From there, she remained in the parking lot of that shopping center until 9:21 P.M. when she drove to I-459.
Russell called 911 at 9:34 p.m., reported seeing the child. After that she called her brother’s girlfriend, and it was during that conversation – about 9:36 p.m. – that she went missing.
Police said no one else ever reported seeing a toddler on the interstate.
Data from Russell’s phone, including her Life360 app, showed she traveled approximately 600 yards in her vehicle while she was on the phone with 911 stating she was following the child.
When police arrived on the scene, they found Russell’s wig, cell phone and purse on the roadway near her vehicle, and her Apple Watch was in her purse.
The food she ordered from Taziki’s was also still in her car. The items she purchased from Target, as well as the items taken from her place of employment, were not in the vehicle nor were they located at the scene.
In her initial interview after her return home, Russell told police she was abducted from the side of I-459.
“She told detectives that while traveling down the interstate, she saw a baby walking down the side of the road and called 911. When she got out of her vehicle to check on the child, a man came out of the trees and mumbled that he was checking on the baby,” Derzis said at an earlier press conference.
“That man then picked her up and she screamed. He then made her go over a fence. He then forced her into a car and the next thing she remembers is being in the trailer of an 18-wheeler. She stated that the male was with a female, however she never saw the female, only hearing her voice. She also told detectives she could hear a baby crying,” Derzis said.
“She told detectives the male had orange hair with a big bald spot on the back. She was able to escape the 18-wheeler and fled on foot, only to be captured again and put into a car. She was then blindfolded but was not tied up because the captors said they did not want to leave impressions on her wrists,” Derzis said.
“She said that they took her into a house and made her get undressed. She believes they took pictures of her, but she does not remember them having any physical or sexual contact with her. She stated that the next day, she woke up and was fed cheese crackers by the female,” according to Derzis.
“She stated the woman also played with her hair, but she could not remember anything else.
“At some point, she was put back in a vehicle that she claims was able to escape from while it was west Hoover area. She told detectives that she ran through lots of woods until she came out near her residence,” the chief said.
“During this interview, detectives noted that Carlee had a small injury to her lip and she complained of her head hurting. She also had a tear in her shirt. Detectives also noted that she had $107 in cash in her right sock.”
Russell’s parents, Talitha and Carlos Russell, made an appearance on the Today show two days after Russell returned home, maintaining that she had been abducted.
Police were “unable to verify most of Carlee’s initial statement made to investigators,” Derzis said.
Russell never spoke with Hoover investigators again after that initial interview.
About 10 days later, Russell has admitted through a statement from her attorney to Hoover police that she was not abducted.
This is the statement sent by Anthony:
“My client has given me permission to make the following statement on her behalf: There was no kidnapping on July 13, 2023. My client did not see a baby on the side of the road. My client did not leave the Hoover area when she was identified as a missing person. My client did not have any help in this incident, but this was a single act done by herself,” the statement Anthony provided read.
“My client was not with anyone or with anyone at any hotel during the time she was missing,’’ Anthony said.
“My client apologizes for her actions to the 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 attorney said in the statement.
Anthony has not said where Russell spent the 48-plus hours she was gone.
Anthony told AL.com that Russell told him she was not at the Red Roof Inn, which has been widely reported on social media.
Derzis said previously said he does not know why Russell fabricated the disappearance.
“I wish I could tell you,’’ he said. “I think only Carlee knows, and maybe her attorney knows now.”
“The sad thing is there were so many people involved and took this thing very, very seriously and, again, we wanted the focus to be to bring her home and she got home. We’re very excited about that,” Derzis said.
“It is what it is,’’ he said. “We know that it was a hoax.”
“We still don’t know what happened during those 49 hours,” Derzis said, “where she was, did she have any help.’’
