Carlee Russell’s parents insist she was kidnapped as police refuse to confirm claims
The parents of Carlee Russell, the 25-year-old Alabama woman who disappeared for 48 hours after reporting that she spotted a child on the side of a highway, have spoken out for the first time since their daughter returned.
“We tried to hug as best we could, but I had to stand back because she was not in a good state,” Talitha Russell told The Daily Beast about seeing her daughter return home. “So we had to stand back and let medical professionals work with her.”
While Ms Russell has been reported safe, mystery still swirls around what happened in the two days in which she vanished. Her parents and the police haven’t shared what transpired in that period.
Her parents have maintained that she was “absolutely” abducted. “There were moments when she physically had to fight for her life, and there were moments when she had to mentally fight for her life,” the mother told the outlet.
“She’s having to deal with the trauma of people just making completely false allegations about her,” she added. “Carlee has given detectives her statement so that they can continue to pursue her abductor.”
Ms Russell’s boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons, wrote on Facebook following his girlfriend’s return. His statement echoed the parents’ theories: “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.”
Ms Russell called 911 to report seeing a toddler next to the highway. She then called her brother’s girlfriend to say she was going to stop to check on the child. While the call stayed connected, Ms Russell stopped speaking and the girlfriend heard a scream on the other end.
Police said that traffic cameras caught Ms Russell stopping at the side of the road, but the footage did not show the child. There were also no reports of any missing child, according to the police.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found Ms Russell’s car – which was running – and a number of her belongings. But they did not see her or the toddler, Ms Russell’s mother previously said.
