Found Alive AL - Carlethia “Carlee” Russell, 25, 911 call reported toddler walking on side of interstate, car found, she & toddler gone, Birmingham, 13 Jul ‘23

[caradana]

Just want to gently say, if she is out there tonight with a phone, reading, and if this was a situation that was intended to be maybe a temporary release of pressure and it’s morphed into a lead-story national search: I can’t imagine. I put myself in those completely hypothetical shoes (I am not saying that’s what is happening here; it’s solely MOO a possibility) and I would be absolutely incredibly terrified.

 

[T4Tide]

 

[T4Tide]

That’s the place LE was searching behind the sign.

Here’s what it looks like on the other side per Google Earth:

 

[T4Tide]

Here’s the pics I could get from street view in the neighborhood where this hole in the woods could go

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

This may sound ignorant, but how do gators get to the water In lakes and ponds? I live in Metro Atlanta, so similar geography as central Alabama. We also have water e everywhere and are always at the lake. My in-laws live on Lake Oconee, we were there yesterday. Is seeing a gator something I need to add to my list of things to worry about?! I have three young kids, so it’s a long list!

Edited to add: all of our lakes are man-made as the closest large body of water is the Atlantic Ocean 4 hours away in Savannah.

I don't think it's something to get crazy anxious about, but just be aware they exist. It's also very rare for a gator to grab someone who isn't in the water. It happens, but not often, IMO.

 

[Cubby]

I’m not sure what happened but find it interesting she uses her emergency lights, like she should, to pull over. This is a simple, but clear headed task. She was being careful. This makes me put staged further down my list for now. imo

RSBM. If I were going to stage my disappearance I'd definitely use a land mark of some sort of I planned on ditching my vehicle along a highway. That highway sign could have been a landmark to a previously chosen route to the nearby residential neighborhood.

Her using her hazard lights only indicates she wanted to make sure other drivers saw her and didn't hit her car.

 

[Cubby]

I think we should be careful on saying that this is a hoax until LE says otherwise. On the TMZ article it does look like there is a light in the brush that could indicate ATV. If a person was dressed in all black u might not be able to see them on the highway footage.I know it seems odd and there is a lot of questions but even one of WS verified expert psyhiatrist or whatever chimed in on this thread saying they don't think it fits a psyhotic break.

Respectfully, I don't think anyone is saying this is a hoax. It's one of several possibilities being discussed.


Additionally, someone doesn't need to have a psychotic break to stage a disappearance believing that's the best option given their current circumstances.

 

[MotherOcean]

This is her SM so far

Instagram

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TikTok

Carlee Russell (@carleerussell1) | TikTok

Carlee Russell (@carleerussell1) on TikTok | 4.8K Followers. Watch the latest video from Carlee Russell (@carleerussell1).

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Facebook

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I don’t think that is her IG. May be wrong but doesn’t look like her in the profile pic and middle name is spelled differently.

 

[nightowl1975]

Just want to gently say, if she is out there tonight with a phone, reading, and if this was a situation that was intended to be maybe a temporary release of pressure and it’s morphed into a lead-story national search: I can’t imagine. I put myself in those completely hypothetical shoes (I am not saying that’s what is happening here; it’s solely MOO a possibility) and I would be absolutely incredibly terrified.

If this were true, I would only say one thing to her.

Your mama would be so unbelievably thrilled beyond measure if this was what happened. Nothing else matters to a mama with a lost child. Just come home. Everything else can be sorted out.

 

[proctorelites]

Long but bear with me please..
There would be evidence all down the side of the ditch if she was attacked by an alligator. They roll, drag. There'd be scratches & drag marks in the dirt. They have long nails and so does she. Her shoes and possibly a pc of clothing would've come off. At least a few drops of blood from tht. She doesn't strike me as a girl tht would go quietly as an alligator rolled her down a hill. She'd be digging in her heels and elbows and feet trying to get away. I doubt body parts would be there but major disturbance in the dirt- at least a shoe or both. Ive watched a gator attack in water (tv) IMOO on dry land i imagine there would be a big disturbance in the earth. A human would be trying to get a hand hold on something, anything to stop it rolling or dragging them. I haven't heard they found any indication of a wild animal attack. Its interesting.
Another possibility- all speculation- say she had a friend she drops there every night on her way home- he/she lives jus through the trees. Except this night the friend said they saw a toddler on the side of the rd. So she slows down, calls 911 and she gets out of the car with her friend this time, she usually just drops them off & the secret friend had sinister intentions and took her with him. Are you ok and the scream still make sense then. She didn't want her brothers gf or fam to know abt her friend bc maybe he wasn't who they approve of or maybe he's just an aquaintance she offered a ride home from their work nearby. My daughter did this for 18 months before I found out. She casually mentioned she takes a coworker home now bc his car broke down a while back. Id never have known had her car turned up on side of a hwy. She texted every nigjt she left work. My daughter has a bf it was nothing like tht just helping out an older married coworker. He had a pregnant wife and couple kids he was getting home to from his 2nd job. When I asked her why she never mentioned it before she said: bc I knew you'd act like this. Like I have no sense and just carry random strangers home. So I shut up- of course I freaked out lol 20 something girls are still babies. I dont care what anybody says! They think they have it on lock & they don't. They're niave and don't know what danger is lurking next to them. They talk like they understand the dangers though. My daughter does. I get what her parents mean by her heart. Their desire to help someone in harms way or danger can get them hurt.

 

[whitelilac]

Just thinking aloud.
I was considering that maybe she went into the woods for whatever reason. Follow the "toddler"? Urgency to pee?
But it was dark, and even darker in the woods, and she left her phone behind. You wouldn't do that because you'd need the phone's flashlight. And why remove and drop the wig too?

So was she forced?

I'm baffled.

Hoping at this point that there is a rational unknown explanation of some sort, and that she is ok.

 

[meg1620]

Has this been shared? From a day before her disappearance she tweeted, "people are such creeps…like this man stared at me while sitting in his car for like 10 minutes"
9/12/23

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1679302186713464832

 

[Ladyotm]

I don't know what to think of this case.
I've watched that video countless times and I'm not seeing the various "other people" some folks are seeing.
I see one person, the person who exited the driver side and walked around the back of the car to the passenger side.
But I also cannot figure out how she went from calling 911 to report a child on the highway, then just vanished into thin air.
Nothing about that makes a bit of sense.

jmo

Hi. When I watched it, it appeared she walked around the front of the car. I still don't see "other people' but stand by something strange/different happening around 1:36. I also saw "lights" within the trees, traveling the opposite direction. Others have pointed it out as blinker reflections. I'm going to watch and study some more time frames pointed out by others. Where is Carlee?

 

[Chimera]

If this were true, I would only say one thing to her.

Your mama would be so unbelievably thrilled beyond measure if this was what happened. Nothing else matters to a mama with a lost child. Just come home. Everything else can be sorted out.

I agree.
What a kind post, it made me tear up.

Praying that Carlee will be found safely, and will be o.k.
Too many people have inexplicably vanished throughout history.
I hope Carlee will not be one of them !
Omo.

 

[kittythehare]

Is there a reason people are discussing a staged disappearance?

 

[Chimera]

Just thinking aloud.
I was considering that maybe she went into the woods for whatever reason. Follow the "toddler"? Urgency to pee?
But it was dark, and even darker in the woods, and she left her phone behind. You wouldn't do that because you'd need the phone's flashlight. And why remove and drop the wig too?

So was she forced?

I'm baffled.

Hoping at this point that there is a rational unknown explanation of some sort, and that she is ok.

Emphasis mine.
Makes it sound like there was some sort of struggle ?

 

[Mormon Attorney]

I am just hearing about this case today and came here for more facts. I have watched the video of her car pulling over and it just strikes me that nothing is readily visible with all the headlights of the many cars passing. There did not appear to be other vehicles by her and I couldn't see any clear movement near her car either. For an abduction, I would expect something to be captured on the video whether it be a struggled or a vehicle or something. I am hoping LE can make more of the video. Carlee's disappearance has made me sick since the moment I heard. I feel like there should be more obvious signs to lead to what happened. I am praying LE has much more they are not sharing (as is often the case).

 

[Cubby]

I would assume the same, but driving how fast on that highway with no lights along the roadway. That’s a pretty complete description

Agreed. A few months ago I drove passed an elderly man who had fallen and was sitting on a lawn in a residential neighborhood. This occurred around noon with a 25mph speed limit and it took me about 500' to realize it didn't look right, back up and offer him help.

As a commercial driver we are trained to watch for things that might be off. I can't imagine being able to clearly see a person, child or adult, with that much accuracy while driving 55 mph on a hwy without street lights.

Is there a timeline anywhere yet? Especially with time stamps for her location when the calls were made.

 

[kittythehare]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1680295503823609859

 

[athenna]

I'm confused by the timing... when did she pull over? did she turn around at some point to go back? (wouldn't she have to?) if you were driving down the highway you'd be going pretty fast, and it's not like you'd see a toddler on the side of the road from afar - at least at 9:30 at night. So by the time you figure out what you've seen, you've already gone by. Why didn't the 911 operator keep her on the phone if she was already pulling over at that point?

I found/rescued a missing child on the side of a busy highway a few years ago. Granted, it was daylight, but it was pouring rain.

You’d be surprised how fast your brain would notice something so out of the ordinary. I pulled over so fast.

ETA: and I assure y’all it was very real and I was not having a psychotic break.