Hoover, AL – The events that unfolded over a 48-hour period after Carlee Russell made a 911 call reporting a toddler walking on a Hoover interstate remain shrouded in mystery. Police continue to retrace the steps of the 25-year-old nursing student to determine her whereabouts from Thursday night to Saturday night.
While her parents believe she was abducted and fought for her life, the exact sequence of events remains unknown.
AL.com obtained recordings of police dispatch calls that shed light on the police response during the incident.
However, Hoover police have not released the law enforcement radio communications or Russell’s 911 call due to the ongoing investigation.
The ordeal began on Thursday night at 9:34 p.m. when Russell called 911 to report seeing a white toddler wearing a white t-shirt and a diaper. Responding officers arrived at the scene and located Russell’s red Mercedes, but there was no sign of the toddler or Russell herself.
Efforts to reach Russell by calling her back proved unsuccessful, as she did not respond to the calls. The officers discovered that her vehicle was unlocked, and running, and her personal belongings, excluding her phone, were inside.
Authorities ran the car’s registration and confirmed it belonged to Russell. However, they were unable to establish contact with her. The situation escalated when officers learned that Russell had seen a child walking on the interstate and had briefly interacted with the child before the call was disconnected.
The tweet below shows the Latest press release from Hoover Police Department:
Latest press release from Hoover Police Department on the disappearance of Carlee Russell. #CarleeRussell pic.twitter.com/EzMjgBRW8x
— Mattie Davis WVTM 13 (@MattieWVTM13) July 19, 2023
Search efforts intensified, with officers considering the possibility that the child had wandered from a nearby house. They also discussed contacting Russell’s family home in Hoover for further information. Later, a call was received about a female screaming with a child, but the line disconnected during the call.
Meanwhile, police organized a staging area and deployed drones to aid in the search. The Jefferson County sheriff’s office helicopter was also called, but it was unable to fly. A statewide lookout bulletin was issued for a possible abduction, with specific attention given to certain areas.
Finally, on Saturday evening around 7 p.m., Carlee Russell’s family reported receiving a call from her stating that she was at a Red Roof Inn in Vestavia Hills. However, it was unclear which specific location she was referring to, and no check-in was made under her name at the Vestavia location.
Hours later, at 10:44 p.m., the Hoover 911 center received a call from Carlee’s residence, informing them that she had returned home on foot. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene, where a large crowd had gathered. Russell was subsequently transported to UAB by a rescue unit.
The circumstances surrounding Carlee Russell’s disappearance and return remain under investigation as authorities piece together the timeline and events that unfolded during those critical 48 hours.
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