‘There was no kidnapping’: Carlee Russell’s attorney gives statement after suspicious disappearance



Good afternoon. I’m Captain Keith Scali with the Hoover Police Department. We’re here today to provide an update in the car. Russell investigation chief Nick will read *** prepared statement that will provide an update in this case. After reading the statement, we will have time for *** few questions related to the case. Keep in mind this is still an ongoing investigation and there are some questions we simply cannot answer at this point but that I’ll turn it over to Chief. Thank you, Gavin. Yes. Good afternoon. Thanks to everyone for attending again today. I want to thank the members of our department and all of law enforcement who played *** role in the investigation of this case. Last Wednesday, July 19th. We held *** press conference and provided you with the facts of the Carli Russell disappearance. We told you the investigation was ongoing and we help you determine where Cary was within the 49 hours of her disappearance that I have talked to and received *** statement from Mr Emery Anthony attorney for Russell. Mr Anthony has scheduled *** meeting for Carty to meet with investigators earlier this afternoon, but then I received an email stating that *** statement was being provided by him on her behalf. Mr Anthony asked that I read this and which I will do. Now, my client has given me permission to make the following statement on her behalf. There was no kidnapping on Thursday, July 13th, 2023. My client did not see *** baby on the side of the road. My client did not leave the Hoover area but she was identified as *** missing person. My client did not have any help in this incident, but this was *** single act done by herself. My client was not with anyone or any hotel with anyone from the time she was missing. My client apologizes for her actions to this community. The volunteers who were searching for her to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies as well as to her friends and family. We ask for your prayers for Carly as she addresses her issues and attempts to move forward understanding that she made *** mistake in this matter, Carly again, ask for your forgiveness and prayers. We have *** meeting scheduled with Mr Anthony to further discuss this case. We’re currently in discussions with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office in Bessemer about possible criminal charges related to this case and we will announce those charges when and if they are filed. All right. Well, then we’ll take *** few questions. As Officer Hall said, I call on you, please state your name and your affiliation? Yes, sir. Keith Mwagg 16, 100.1 FM Summit media uh chief, do we at this time or does the Hoover Police Department know the whereabouts of Carlie Russell during that 49 hour period that she was supposedly missing? Now, as I said, the other day was talking facts and everything. If I said anything today would best be speculation, actual facts. We do not. 13. Can you tell us where or excuse me, what her motivation was for doing this? If you can? I wish I could tell you, I think only knows that maybe her attorney now. But, uh, again, the statement that we receive from him does not indicate any RC. Can you give us an idea of what charges you may be? That would strictly be up to the District Attorney’s office? David CB 42. Can you up there so that there is *** meeting scheduled for this afternoon with the family or, or when is that meeting? No, not *** meeting with the attorney, not the family or car. We have *** meeting scheduled with the attorney and that will take place some point tomorrow and there is no meeting with Carly Russell or her family at this point, not scheduled. No, sir. Well, again, we want to, uh, talk to, uh, talk to Mr Anthony tomorrow and, uh, and see if he has any, uh, any more to discuss about, uh, about the case. Uh, we’ll certainly be asking if, uh, if we will get an opportunity to, uh, again interview, uh, Cary, like we’ve wanted to since, uh, since she returned, Chief Stephen Quinn ABC 33 40. Your reaction. Now, knowing that Carly has admitted that this was made of, well, I’m, I’m glad that we got this, you know, we, uh, we certainly laid the facts out to, to the, to the, to the, you know, to, to you guys and, and to the national, uh, media that had *** lot of interest in this particular case. Uh, uh, the, the sad thing is that, uh, again, there were so many people that, uh, that were involved, uh, took this thing very, very seriously. And, uh, and again, we wanted the focus to be Bruner home. She got home. We’re very excited about that. Uh, you know, just, uh, you know, it is what it is. Uh, the facts, I think last, uh, Wednesday, uh, pretty much showed that, uh, we knew that it was, uh, it was *** hoax Lisa with WEVTM 13. Do you know the expense you went to during this search? And if you don’t have ***, *** dollar figure for us, just the, how big it was. Well, it was, it was all hands on deck and, uh, and we don’t have *** dollar figure yet, but, uh, uh, we’re, we’re certainly working, uh, towards getting one and not only ours, but there’ll be, uh, there’ll be other agencies that uh, that had *** lot of, uh, *** lot of support that they gave us and had monetary expenses themselves. Investigate, are the parents under any, you know, as I said the other day, uh, we were gonna try to determine exactly those 49 hours. So, right now, you know, and anything is on the table. We’re, we, we still don’t know what happened to those 49 hours where she was. Did she have any help? We have no idea. You know, I read the statement from Mr Anthony. That’s all we know, Chief Man, uh, uh Wagg 16, uh Southern Media Chief. Let me ask you this, what do you think prompted or provoked to, uh, do this kind of thing? Are there any kind of mental issues that, uh, the police department or the public should be concerned about or just, you know, not that I’m aware of? I mean, it’s, uh, uh, you know, this is *** very elaborate, this was elaborate deal. I mean, when you talk about calling *** 911 and, and, and being up on the interstate, uh, uh, again, it would all be conjecture. Uh, so really, uh, I don’t know, I was hoping that we’d have an opportunity to interview and we’d be able to ask, ask her those questions. Were any others involved in putting this together for, uh Mr Anthony? Uh, in his statement says there was not W Pr C Fox Six News. Um, you said that you had *** meeting scheduled and it kind of switched to *** statement. Did they give any type of reason that that switched? No, they did not. Uh *** and WB team 13 is not in custody right now. That is correct. That is correct. Last question with David. David Land once again. So, first of all, when did you actually see this letter? And, and second of all, do these admissions and the content of the letter alter the investigation at all. No, not at all. Uh We’ll continue to investigate. We are still trying to determine where those, where she was during those 49 hours. But uh I am glad that we receive this. It, it at least puts uh puts some of the social media super s uh hopefully at rest for *** little bit as far as uh what everyone, the conjecture of what everybody thinks took place. Uh We know that uh that uh by her own admission, it didn’t happen. And uh you know, we’re thankful for that. All right. Thank you guys very much.

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‘There was no kidnapping’: Carlee Russell’s attorney gives statement after suspicious disappearance

For the first time since her suspicious disappearance last month, an attorney for Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell has issued a statement. Russell went missing shortly after calling 911 on July 13 to report a toddler in a diaper walking along an Alabama highway. Police said Russell mysteriously returned home on foot around 10:45 p.m. two days later.Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said police were unable to verify most of the 25-year-old’s initial statement to investigators, including a claim that a man with orange hair abducted her when she got out of the vehicle to check on the child. On Monday, Derzis said in a news conference that Russell, through a statement from her attorney, has admitted that no kidnapping took place and that there was no toddler on the highway as she claimed to dispatchers that day.A statement from Russell’s attorney, Emery Anthony, reads as follows:”There was no kidnapping on Thursday, 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 — this was a single act done by herself. My client was not with anyone or any hotel with anyone from the time she was missing. My client apologizes for her actions to this community, the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies as well and to her friends and family. We ask for your prayers for Carlee as she addresses her issues and attempts to move forward, understanding that she made a mistake in this matter.”During Monday’s news conference, Derzis said police were scheduled to meet with Russell and her attorney, but were sent this statement instead. Police are working with prosecutors to discuss potential criminal charges in the case, he added. Last week, Derzis said, police discovered web searches for “Do you have to pay for an Amber Alert?” and for the movie “Taken” on Russell’s cell phone.”There are many questions left to be answered, but only Carlee can provide those answers,” Derzis said at a news conference last week. Russell’s mother, Talitha Robinson-Russell, said she believes her daughter was abducted before returning home. “Carlee has given detectives her statement and hopefully they are pursuing her abductor,” Robinson-Russell said in a statement to CNN affiliate WBRC.A meeting is set for the attorney to speak with the Hoover Police Department Tuesday. Can’t see the graphic? Click here.

For the first time since her suspicious disappearance last month, an attorney for Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell has issued a statement.

Russell went missing shortly after calling 911 on July 13 to report a toddler in a diaper walking along an Alabama highway. Police said Russell mysteriously returned home on foot around 10:45 p.m. two days later.

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Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said police were unable to verify most of the 25-year-old’s initial statement to investigators, including a claim that a man with orange hair abducted her when she got out of the vehicle to check on the child.

On Monday, Derzis said in a news conference that Russell, through a statement from her attorney, has admitted that no kidnapping took place and that there was no toddler on the highway as she claimed to dispatchers that day.

A statement from Russell’s attorney, Emery Anthony, reads as follows:

“There was no kidnapping on Thursday, 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 — this was a single act done by herself. My client was not with anyone or any hotel with anyone from the time she was missing. My client apologizes for her actions to this community, the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies as well and to her friends and family. We ask for your prayers for Carlee as she addresses her issues and attempts to move forward, understanding that she made a mistake in this matter.”

During Monday’s news conference, Derzis said police were scheduled to meet with Russell and her attorney, but were sent this statement instead. Police are working with prosecutors to discuss potential criminal charges in the case, he added.

Last week, Derzis said, police discovered web searches for “Do you have to pay for an Amber Alert?” and for the movie “Taken” on Russell’s cell phone.

“There are many questions left to be answered, but only Carlee can provide those answers,” Derzis said at a news conference last week.

Russell’s mother, Talitha Robinson-Russell, said she believes her daughter was abducted before returning home. “Carlee has given detectives her statement and hopefully they are pursuing her abductor,” Robinson-Russell said in a statement to CNN affiliate WBRC.

A meeting is set for the attorney to speak with the Hoover Police Department Tuesday.

Can’t see the graphic? Click here.