Carlee Russell pleads guilty to faking her own abduction, will not serve jail time

BESSEMER, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - An Alabama woman has pleaded guilty to faking her own abduction and will not serve jail time.

Carlee Russell, 26, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts for filing a false police report.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge David Carpenter sentenced her to 12 months of supervised probation, 100 hours of community service and $17,974.88 paid in restitution to the City of Hoover. Russell will also continue mental health counseling.

On July 13, 2023, Russell called 911 and reported she saw a toddler walking along the side of I-459. When police responded, they found Russell’s car still running on the side of the interstate and her phone, triggering a search that commanded national attention and concern.

Russell returned to her home on foot on July 15 at 10:44 p.m.

To date, authorities say they are still unclear about Russell’s location during the 49 hours she was missing. She told police a man came out of the woods with orange hair and abducted her, forcing her into an 18-wheeler. Russell said she was able to escape but was recaptured. She said she was able to escape again in West Hoover and returned home.

During their investigation, police found evidence that Russell’s abduction was a hoax, such as searches Russell had made on her phone that included the movie “Taken,” bus ticket prices and the question, “Do you have to pay for an Amber Alert?”

Ultimately, Russell admitted to falsifying the situation through a statement from her attorney Emory Anthony.

“My client did not have any help in this incident, but this was a single act done by herself. My client was not with anyone or in a hotel with anyone during the time she was missing,” the statement said in part.

Russell turned herself into the Hoover Police on July 28 and posted a $2,000 bond.

On Thursday, Carpenter told Russell the community was outraged when they learned the kidnapping was a hoax.

“It is a waste of resources to put you in jail. It is a waste of resources to have a trial. Although we are upset about what you’ve done, we’re not going to treat you differently than we would any other person charged with misdemeanors,” the judge said.

This is Russell’s first criminal offense. Generally, defendants are not sentenced to jail time in Alabama for misdemeanor crimes under similar circumstances.

Russell appeared in court with her attorneys and family. She cried as prosecutors from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office argued for her to spend time in jail, given the extreme nature of Russell’s disappearance and the resources wasted to find her.

Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis shared his frustration over the lack of harsher charges available for situations like this that create panic, fear and consume significant law enforcement resources.

“It’s the same as someone who goes out and maybe shoplifts less than $500 worth of merchandise. It’s the same penalty, and I just think there needs to be some sort of enhancement when you’re talking about being kidnapped and you’ve been a victim of a serious crime,” said Derzis.

Misdemeanor charges are generally adjudicated in municipal court. A judge found Russell guilty of the counts in municipal court in order to appeal the case to state court with the hopes of avoiding jail time.

In October, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office argued for Russell to serve a custodial sentence in the Hoover City Jail, specifically for six months for each count, $831 dollars in court fines, and $17,974.88 in restitution to cover the resources expended to conduct the search for Russell.

The lack of criminal penalty for an issue like this prompted the Hoover police chief to petition lawmakers to increase the punishment for filing a false report. A bill is currently going through the Alabama legislature that would elevate the punishment for this crime from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C felony in situations that indicate public danger to a person or the community at large.

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