HOOVER, ALABAMA: Carlee Russell, the orchestrator of an Alabama kidnapping hoax, has been found guilty of fabricating her disappearance and misleading law enforcement, resulting in wasted police time.
The 25-year-old nursing student was convicted on October 11 of two misdemeanor charges, each classified as a class A misdemeanor and carrying a potential sentence of up to a year in jail.
When did Carlee Russell go missing?
The saga began when Russell went missing during a 911 call on July 13, claiming to have found a toddler on a highway.
Subsequently, she reported the same scenario to her brother's girlfriend with distressing screams.
Simmons, Carlee Russell's ex-boyfriend, initially disclosed that she was allegedly 'fighting for her life for 48 hours' after disappearing from the Alabama Interstate 459 highway.
Two days later, after reappearing, she alleged being abducted by a man with 'orange hair' and wove a detailed tale of escaping captivity.
However, Russell eventually admitted to fabricating the entire incident, stating in a written confession that the kidnapping never occurred and characterizing it as 'a mistake.'
What was Carlee Russell accused of?
On July 28, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis announced criminal charges against her owing to falsification and misleading the police.
As part of the sentencing, a judge has ordered Russell to pay nearly $18,000 in restitution for the charges and suggested a potential jail term of up to a year.
Despite previously acknowledging the falsification, Russell plans to appeal the ruling in circuit court.
In a prior statement, her attorney said: "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."
Internet reacts to this incident
The whole incident has left viewers confused with people throwing mixed reactions in the pit.
On the one hand, some condemned her act, saying, "Spoiled brat— that’s the best description."
Another said, "Seems just if that's the sentence she gets. They need to set an example and show that it's no joke. Law enforcement used Ressources to search for her whole other crimes happen. It's not fun to fake w crime to provoke an ex or get famous."
Another wrote, "She should be charged for hate crime, blaming it on a white person, imagine if a white individual does the same and blames a person of color, he would receive the death penalty!"
However, not everyone had the same viewpoint. One supported her saying, "I think she should pay the fine and have community service. I don't think prison time is the answer."
Another tweeted, "No, a mental health eval and recommended therapy, restitution, and a couple years probation. A year in jail will just screw her up more than she already is."
