Woman Vanished After Spotting Toddler On The Side Of The Highway - Case of Carlee Russell

[Music]. it is exhausting to exist in this world. especially if you're an empathetic. person it's it's like a fight within. yourself right your personality tells. you hey go over there and help that. stranger that poor old man looks like. he's struggling to load his groceries. into his car but then you have the voice. in the back of your head and maybe my. videos did this to you but it's like no. the minute you go over there you're. going to turn around grab another bag of. groceries he's gonna Bonk you on the. head throw you into his trunk and you're. gonna end up dead on a pig farm I get it.

it's a lot and social media doesn't help. there's always a new thing on social. media that everyone is like be on the. lookout for this zip ties on your car. door you walk out of Target there's a. zip tie on your car door human. trafficking dollar bills laced with. drugs paper bags on your windshields. baby seats in the parking lot. and the one that I think of most is the. baby on the side of the road or the baby. crying outside your door at night what. would you do if you saw a child on the.

side of a busy Interstate alone. distraught. you gotta help right you would have to. stop you would have to stop and help. there's no other option yeah that was a. huge question that was lingering in the. air this past week not just on social. media but really on mainstream media. every news Outlet was asking this. question would you stop on the highway. if you saw a small child that was just. standing there there was no other car. there nobody else was there would you. stop. yeah July 13 2023 so a week ago if.

you're listening to the audio the day it. comes out 25 year old Carly Russell. stopped She said that she had spotted a. small small toddler on the side of the. highway of a busy highway on her way. home from work it was about um 9 30 p.m. so it's not super late it's not like 3. 30 in the morning there's nobody else. around it's not a time that makes you go. oh that's weird maybe this is a setup 9. 30 it's still pretty early she called. 9-1-1 to alert them of this unattended. child there was no car parked on the.

shoulder so it's not like a family had. stopped on the side to get out and the. child got out of the car the child was. alone. she called 9-1-1 they said okay can you. stay right there and we'll be there in. like a few minutes. she hangs up then she calls her. brother's girlfriend she stays on the. phone with her waiting for the police to. arrive but maybe Carly is afraid that. the kid is going to run off into the. woods so most highways are stationed and. there's usually like wooded areas nearby. right maybe she's worried about that or.

maybe she's concerned that the kid is. going to run into uncoming traffic so. she pulls over so she gets out of her. car and her brother's girlfriend could. hear her asking this child if the child. was okay. she asked about three times. before she started screaming all her. brother's girlfriend could do was listen. helplessly on the phone she heard Carly. scream she heard rustling noises she. kept screaming Carly's name but there. was no audible response other than what. sounded like a struggle she didn't hear.

any other voices or people talking but. it definitely it definitely sounded like. something very very bad had happened her. brother's girlfriend happened to be at. the Russell family home so she rushed. into Carly's parents room and motioned. for Carly's mom to rush over and she's. quickly trying to explain what's going. on and her mom started screaming into. the phone Carly Carly are you okay are. you there she tries using her phone to. call Carly no response. the police would arrive at that scene in. the highway about five minutes later. less than five minutes like four minutes. later Carly's car was left unattended.

her driver's side door was left wide. open her purse with her Apple watch. inside were in the front seat of her car. and in the grass near the wooded area. off the highway was Carly's wig and her. phone in the grass on the ground. and Carly was gone and the kid yeah gone. no one was there she had gone missing. and all initial signs pointed to an. abduction or at least that's what. netizens thought the stories the urban. legends that merged with real life.

reports started to kind of mush together. and a lot of netizens were concerned and. they asked what if it was human. traffickers what if they used a little. toddler to lure an helpful woman to come. out of their cars and then snatch them. what if that's what happened to Carly if. that's the case would they even find her. would they ever even find the human. traffickers. the only person that would know for sure. would happen on that Highway that night. would be Carly Russell and she was gone. until she wasn't. just two days later exactly 49 hours.

later Carly showed up to her parents. home barefoot. she was back and the world had so many. questions what happened during the past. 49 hours how did you escape how did you. find your way back home where is the. child all of these are very reasonable. questions but because of the Intrigue. because of the mystery because of the. almost evasiveness that Carly had and a. lot to do with the internet's Obsession. for conspiracy theories and a lot of.

inconsistencies in the case the question. slowly comes to. is Carly Russell even telling the truth. and unfortunately I think some of the. answers coming out right now are a lot. worse than what we thought could be. [Music].

as always full show notes are available. at rottenminglepodcast.com this case. along with the arrest of the Gilgo Beach. murder suspect has been filling up my. inbox and DMS we are currently working. super hard to get the Gilgo Beach case. to you guys ASAP but with that being. said something to note about this case. it is an ongoing case it is a viral case. there have not been any arrests or. warrants that have been made known to. the public I'm sure that there's a lot.

that law enforcement is privy to that. maybe we are not still and since we. don't have the case files or trial or. anything like that that means that this. is the information we have as of now it. could very likely change or there could. be new information that comes out that. changes the perspective of what we think. we know now so this episode is coming to. you a day late because of a press. conference that I wanted to include in. all of this hopefully I'm giving you. guys the newest most up-to-date recap of. everything that's happened so far and. with that being said let's get into it. let me walk you through July 13th first.

Carly Russell was a nursing student at. Jefferson State Community College but. she also works part-time at like a local. Day Spa Sushi just finished work around. 8 20 p.m she left work ran a few quick. errands I mean everything sounds like a. normal day by all accounts it's nothing. spectacular happened law enforcement. stated that as she drove away from work. to run her first errand in her second. errand she was constantly on the phone. with people that she knew so talking to. friends family right she goes to pick up.

Mediterranean food for herself and her. mother then she does a quick Target run. to pick up a few quick snacks and then. she starts heading back home on. interstate 459. now side note Carly. lived with her parents I'm not sure if. her brother and her brother's girlfriend. all lived in the house too but it seems. like her brother's girlfriend was at the. house that night keep this in mind so. this is about an hour after she gets off. work she calls her brother's girlfriend. and tells her that she sees a small. child on the side of the highway the. child is in a white shirt and a diaper.

she turns on her hazard lights and. starts slowly pulling over it's like. slowing down and then pulling over for. safely on the shoulder of the highway. her brother's girlfriend tells you I'm. so sorry she was just pulling over while. she was on the phone with the girlfriend. but you say she called the police. already oh no this is when her brother's. girlfriend is like oh you need to call. the cops don't get out of the car so. she's like oh okay let me call the cops. right now so as she's slowing down she's. calling the cops got it and then she.

gets on the call with dispatch and the. 911 call was recently released in the. press conference yesterday uh July 19th. and it starts with Carly stating that. she's on i-459 and there's just a kid. that's walking by themselves now a lot. of the conversation in the initially is. about if she's going Southbound or. Northbound and where exactly what's the. mile marker and then the dispatch asks. how do they look were they walking. northbound. um they're walking towards Tuscaloosa. walking southbound or how old do they. look.

um like the toddlers like maybe like. three or four. did you pull over with them are you. still with them. yes okay are you with the child right. now. no I'm not I didn't get out of the car. I'm just I can see them though. can you do you mind staying and keeping. an eye on them until we get there yeah. yeah sure yeah what is he wearing. um it's a white T-shirt and it doesn't. look like he has any pants on it looks. like a diaper. you don't see any cars anywhere no no.

cars are anywhere. and the whole thing about Carly's voice. is it sounds so normal it sounds like if. I were to call 9-1-1 about a missing. child or like a child that I see on the. side of the road it's just concerned but. not stressed out it's more like uh like. a toddler maybe three or four did you. pull over with them or are you still. with them yes okay you're with the child. right now no I'm not I didn't get out of. the car I can see them though do you.

mind staying with the child until we get. there yeah yeah sure. dispatch asks questions about the kind. of car that Carly is in and then they go. did you talk to the child at all or did. you say anything to them no. do they look like they're injured no. they don't. are they white black Hispanic or Asian. Fair White. male or female I think it's a boy a. little boy. white male okay so is he wearing clothes. yes it's a white shirt and it doesn't.

look like he has pants on it looks like. a diaper. and you don't see any cards anywhere no. no cars anywhere. okay try to keep an eye on him as best. as you can I don't want you to lose. track of him does he have shoes on no. not that I can see but I can't see him. that well it's really dark. officers are on the way keep an eye on. him okay thank you okay thanks bye and. once she's done she hops back on the. phone with her brother's girlfriend. um I will say it is important to note.

that the dispatch initiated the hang up. so I saw some discourse about it online. like why did she hang up usually. dispatch tries to stay on the phone with. you but it's pretty indicative in the. call that dispatch was like okay thanks. it was like a very natural end. so now she's on the phone with the. brother's girlfriend and I think the. brother's girlfriend most likely thought. that she was just gonna stay on the. phone with her until the police arrived. but before she could even do much she. can hear Carly talking to someone I mean. it's pretty clear Carly got out of the. car and it sounded like she was trying.

to ask the child if the child was okay. like are you okay are you all right. it said that Carly asked maybe two to. three times and the brother's girlfriend. could not hear a response so she never. heard the toddler respond or maybe he. was too scared to speak. and then there was a scream. some sort of shuffling a lot of. background noise Carly's brother's. girlfriend didn't even dare hang up she. starts running around the house trying. to get all the Carly's family gathered. and she's screaming Carly's name into. the phone when Carly's mom found out.

what was going on she picked up her own. phone and starts calling Carly because. yeah I mean she knows that her son's. girlfriend has an open line but still. she has to at least try she doesn't know. what else she can do. right now all they hear is background. noise and Carly hasn't said anything. after she screamed. thankfully the family all use Life360 an. app to share locations with family and. friends and they threw on their clothes. and they start racing to the location. that shows up on their phones it was a. residential street. wait it wasn't Highway no so not where.

Carly was her phone wasn't there either. the family would later find out that her. phone was on the other side so it's the. highway and in the middle a wooded area. and then on the other side of that was a. residential street so I guess Life 360. is not like that precise oh okay okay so. they went to the residential area yeah. and the phone and everything is across. the fence almost basically yeah there is. a fence yeah and so they're like oh my. God she's not here her phone's not here.

like what's going on now side note. Carly's mom also called 9-1-1 after she. found out Carly wasn't responding to the. phone anymore there were technically two. 9-1-1 calls that made that night about. this incident the first being Carly. calling about the toddler on the side of. the road the second being Carly's mom to. report the strange incident with her. daughter there would be no other calls. to report a child missing or a child. spotted on the highway just these two. calls and there would be no sign of. Carly Wessel anywhere the police in this.

case I will give it to them they were on. it I mean the same cannot be said for a. lot of missing persons cases especially. missing black women's cases but they. were on the scene within four. minutes-ish. yeah and they started pulling CCTV. cameras from the highway we do have. footage of her Vanishing. but the footage is so grainy so unclear. we can barely make out human figures in. it the footage is almost like an aerial. view of the highway it's night time all. the all the lights are like reflecting.

off of each other it shows Carly. Russell's red Mercedes though starting. to slow down with her hazard lights on. she safely pulls over to the side of the. highway and I will note one thing as she. starts slowing down she's driving for a. while. we're gonna later find out exactly how. long she drove for. but that was like the first thing. everyone noticed is like wow she's. driving for a long time so did she see. the kid that far ahead because if she. did then more people should have seen. the kid yeah or was the kid like running.

away from her like what's going on. so so we're gonna find out the distance. that she's yeah driving slowly for in. the distance is well I guess I can tell. you right now it's sick six football. fields long. 600 yards if you want to use metrics oh. wow that's yeah wow yeah okay so she's. driving for a while maybe she has really. good eyesight because something else to. notice again there were no other 911.

calls made that night nor any witnesses. that came forward that stated that they. also saw a child on the side of the. highway. she starts slowing down she makes it to. the mile marker like a giant sign on the. highway right she stops the car and from. the footage it's hard to see any child. like look some people say they can make. out a few figures other people say that. they can't I personally don't see. anything and I'm very aware that humans. are more prone to see human faces in. human figures and shadows so I can't say. for sure it is like way too dark way too. grainy in the footage we do see Carly's.

car stop and what appears to be her. driver's side door opening and like a. blob of a figure because this is how bad. the cameras are. leaving the driver's side area going. through the back of her car and opening. the passenger side door so she's like. walking around the back of her car going. to the passenger side opening it and. then she seems to walk off into the. wooded area. and that was the last she was seen. yeah to tell you how grainy the footage.

is you can't even make out which. direction she went in after she leaves. the passenger side door like you don't. know if she's going northbound or. southbound or at least I can't with the. footage that we have publicly available. right now she just vanished. the highway is still busy you can see. there's cars non-stop it's 9 40 p.m and. she was gone just vanished Into Thin Air. in the next 48 hours. would be excruciating for the family. her parents pleaded with the public to. help find their beloved daughter Carly.

Russell had so much ahead of her she had. graduated Auburn University with a. degree in Psychology she was a nursing. student she worked hard her mom. described her as being so kind and. compassionate she was a joy to be around. she had this like deep love for God and. neighbors said this could have happened. to any one of our kids that's what got. the world so passionate I mean it could. have been my daughter that I'd seen the. child on the side of the road what kind. of person wouldn't stop how could you. not right of course you would stop you.

would do that because you're a good. person. a lot of Carly's neighbors had kids that. Carly once babysat for so they were all. holding prayer circles it's Alabama so. it's pretty religious there the prayer. circles they were holding vigils they. were looking and spending their entire. weekend turning the entire town upside. down. the non-profit Crime Stoppers of Central. Alabama raised money from the community. donations from people who wanted to help. from afar they were able to secure a 63. 000 reward for anyone who knows anything.

about Carly's whereabouts that's a lot. yeah and then it happened so quickly. right yeah like within maybe 24 hours I. mean I don't know if there's a national. average that I could find that seemed. accurate but many cases we've talked. about I mean we've seen rewards of five. ten thousand dollars and that's usually. after they've been missing for a period. of time. this is a big deal I think it just goes. to show the whole nation wanted Carly. home law enforcement this time they. quickly get to work and it is not just.

the Hoover Police Department I'm talking. local state federal agents were involved. the FBI Secret Service and the U.S. Marshal's office were involved. so when did it when did it start going. viral the same day she went Miss like. the next day really. volunteer search parties made up of. civilians they hit the ground running. and at first there were a lot of. alarming rumors and Whispers going. around at one point there was a rumor. that a witness claimed to see a gray car.

pull up and a man get out to approach. Carly now I will say there's no evidence. of that on the CCTV footage but the. problem is that every single tip. Anonymous reasonable or not every tip. has to be investigated that's what the. FBI mainly worked on the case went viral. and they were getting hundreds of tips. the Russell family would get tips and. they would be sent over to the police to. look over as well and it was just a lot. of Manpower being poured into this case. it was said at one point in time there. were about 50 or 60 police officers. working on this case and that's not.

including federal agents. but like Carly's parents the agents had. hope Carly's mom told the media my. daughter is a fighter we believe that if. there is any opportunity for her to make. it home to us she's gonna seize that. opportunity. she continued we want people to do. everything in their power no matter how. big or how small to make a joint effort. Carly's dad said we're gonna scour the. Earth there is no stopping us. and Carly had a lot of people on her. side A lot of family members who had.

dealt with their own loss of their own. family member being a victim of a crime. or having gone missing they came out in. show of solidarity and support. Anaya Blanchard's mom being one of them. Anaya Blanchard went missing in 2019 in. Auburn Alabama she was a 19 year old. college student. she texted her roommate that she was. going to be home soon CCTV cameras. showed Anaya stopping by a gas station. before heading home and her phone. activity stopped around midnight.

she wasn't seen alive again. about a month later her body was found. in a wooded area. she was shot to death. a man named Ibraham yazid had been. arrested and charged with her murder. this is really not that long ago 2019. these are some fresh wounds but Anaya. Blanchard's mother showed up to help. look for Carly and she said very. emotionally my heart is breaking for the. Russells but I'm gonna help them I'm. gonna be right there beside them.

when Anaya went missing for the whole 32. days I mean your body is in a constant. find my child State there's nothing you. can say there's nothing you can do to. make that go away. time is of the essence to bring Carly. home share Carly's information with. everybody tell your friends just share. it be on the lookout everyone and be. safe. I think most people were really worried. that Carly Russell was already being. human trafficked. there were some social media posts not. too long ago that really stuck with a.

lot of women so one famous One reads. ladies please read this Ryan my husband. and I were at the mall we walked out to. our cars by Sears and Ryan noticed that. there was a baby crying in a car with no. adult. so we pulled over to that mysterious car. Ryan got out and found out that the. window was rolled down a tiny bit and. there was no baby in the car there was. like a tape recorder it was a recording. then I noticed that there was another. Shady car parked several spots down with. blacked out windows and I think that. this is a setup these are the kind of.

setups psychopath Killers do to abduct. you please be careful everyone don't. walk to the car or just call Security on. 9-1-1 if you hear a baby crying please. share this to inform others. wow another post read this was forwarded. to me by a friend they don't know if. it's true or not but I'm passing it. along we might see this on the news as. like the latest Internet hoax but Joan. my friend just told me that her friend. heard a baby crying on her porch the. night before last. she called the police because it was. late and she thought it was weird and. the police told her whatever you do do.

not open the door. the lady said that the baby had crawled. near a window now and she could hear the. baby through the window and she was so. worried that the baby was going to crawl. out onto the street and get run over and. the police said we already have a unit. on the way do not whatever you do do not. open the door. then the officer told her that they. think there's a killer who uses babies. cries recorded and uses uses it to lure. women out of their homes thinking that. someone dropped off a baby. he said that it wasn't verified but. several women had called saying that. they heard a baby crying outside their.

door when they're home alone. so these took over the Internet by storm. along with the human traffickers that. will zip tie your door handle at Target. parking lots because that's how they. Mark you. many of these. have been. I don't know I don't want to say proven. false because that makes it seem like. that's never happened at all and I I. don't have the knowledge of that but. just they haven't been connected with. human trafficking. so major advocacy groups to end human. trafficking said this is not really a.

concern. what is not a concern baby crying. outside your door this doesn't it seems. more of like an urban myth what does. that zip tie supposed to do oh okay. apparently that's an urban myth too but. it's supposed to make you distracted and. try to unzip tie your door handle and it. marks if you're like a single woman got. it because they work in teams right but. because all of this is constantly online. and like don't get me wrong I fall for. these all the time I'm like honey honey. I can't go to the Target parking lot. because they're gonna zip tie my car and. put a paper bag on my windshield and.

jump out from the back and slice my. Achilles heel and he's like okay but I. think that this case really just. resonated with a lot of women because I. mean these are the messages that we've. been hearing these are the messages. online that have been going around for. so long and it's like it's so. frustrating it's wow really another. thing we can't even be kind to people. anymore and then it happened it didn't. happen to some random friend on Reddit. but to someone with a name it happened. to someone with a face who was so.

relatable a young woman who was studying. and working it felt like Carly Russell. could have been any one of us. so everyone rallied together to look for. her. and then she was found. almost exactly 49 hours later. July 15 2023 Hoover Police receive a. call from the Russell residence. Carly is home. we don't have that many details right. now about how she got home but here's. what we know so far she came home on. foot she didn't drive nobody dropped her.

off she walked home somehow she was. barefoot she was seen on neighbors home. security cameras walking through the. neighborhood alone before arriving home. at first the fire department and I'm not. sure where exactly the miscommunication. came from but the fire department. initially thought Carly was unconscious. and unresponsive but when paramedics. arrived at the scene to take care of her. she was responsive and speaking. she was rushed to the hospital to be. evaluated she was briefly questioned by. the police treated and released now I am.

going to go over what the police. uncovered in their brief conversation. with Carly once she's home and other key. pieces of evidence that they found but. before that let me walk you through the. Public's perception long before. yesterday's press conference there. seemed to be a rabbit hole of. inconsistencies about this case. according to the internet for one nobody. else reported seeing a child on the side. of the highway and if you just look at. the people of Hoover who came together. to look for Carly I feel like this is. not a community that would just see a.

child and go I'm sure someone else will. deal with it. there were no reported sightings of that. said child but also there were no. reports of a missing child that fit the. description but that doesn't mean that. the child doesn't exist it could have. been a child that had gone missing long. long ago or that nobody knew to be. missing. but the biggest thing that everyone came. back to was if there was an abductor if. there was a child on the side of the. highway the police would absolutely. announce that they were looking for this. victim or they suspect after Carly got.

home right. because for like a week the police were. silent okay for like four days actually. the police were silent after Carly came. home they released like little tidbits. here and there but they never said hey. this is the composite sketch of the guy. that we're looking for or this is what. the baby looks out everyone don't go out. at night if you hear a baby on the. highway don't stop they didn't put out. any of these and so the community is. like are we in danger are we not someone. let us know. so that is the belief like look I don't.

know even being look I don't know though. because for the Idaho case for the. longest time the public thought that the. police weren't doing anything and then. they caught the person but. it's just it was kind of shady. so one side of people believe that Carly. was lying and they said well they would. warn the public they would ask the. public who's already looking for answers. it's a national case they would ask the. public to be on the lookout they didn't. release any sort of sketch or anything I. mean allegations that a child was being. used to human traffic woman or kidnap. someone that's a very big deal.

maybe they're not doing that because. there's no abductor. there's no missing child. others who are a bit more hesitant to. believe someone would lie about. something like this they said yeah well. the public is already freaking out and. creating all these conspiracies why. would the police want the public. involved it would just cause more harm. than good. now there were other things that the. netizens had a hard time wrapping their. heads around there was a whole Saga with. the Red Roof in so apparently the day. after Carly Russell went missing there. was a Red Roof in about 12 minutes away.

like five miles away from where Carly. went missing on the highway and the. 9-1-1 call was made from what appeared. to be a worker at the Red Roof Inn and. they stated to authorities that about. six cars of family members came in. claiming to be Carly Russell's family. members and they're like pulling up. looking for Carly the family member. stated that Carly personally told them. that she was here. what so it seems like the family had a. personal conversation with Carly is. initially with netizens thought well it. was I guess kind of disproven depends if.

you want to take their word for it but. Carly's mother came out to State there. is a horrible and heartless hoax we want. to address out of several I received a. text at some point from someone claiming. to be Carly and that she was at the Red. Roof Inn however when my family went. there and knocked doors and looked for. her there was no indication that Carly. was there nor had she ever been there. either way I'm mentioning this because a. lot of netizens focused on it you know. this part of the case because it just. seemed. just peculiar just strange.

now Carly's parents were supporting her. from the minute that she went missing. and from the minute that she got back. they firmly believed that Carly has been. kidnapped even when she got back they. still believe without a shadow of doubt. that their daughter's abductor is still. out there they stated Carly gave her a. statement to the police so that the. police can continue to pursue the. kidnappers. but a lot of people for some reason. don't really like their media interviews. I've seen a lot of videos maybe too many. videos over analyzing the parents body.

language and again while I do find Body. Language experts to be fascinating and. oftentimes insightful I think especially. with crime cases it's way too. speculative to be productive but many. netizens just didn't like how the. parents were speaking of the case. so they didn't like their body language. but they also didn't like what they were. actually saying like the words they were. using the parents kept mentioning that. anything regarding the actual case they. weren't going to talk about it they said. that they weren't allowed to discuss it. I guess netizens felt as if everything.

sounded like they had lawyered up which. again is pure speculation and it doesn't. really matter to the case I think anyone. that is having a conversation with law. enforcement would do well to have a. lawyer but that that's just me okay the. netizen did not like this and Carly's. parents said it's been rough and that. while Carly was missing they had. received countless malicious messages. lying about where Carly was that they. knew something about Carly Carly's mom. stated that she didn't know how people. could be so evil. she said now Carly is having to deal.

with the trauma of people just making up. completely false allegations about her. when was this speech given. this was after Carly was found she was. like now that she's home she's with this. trauma that she's already endured now. people are making up conspiracies that. maybe she hadn't been kidnapped maybe. this kid didn't exist there were. conspiracies of maybe she was on drugs. and hallucinating nobody else saw the. kid right the parents also were asked. about the condition that Carly was. returned home in and that's something.

the whole world wanted to know was she. injured did she have something to say. what did she go through the parents were. asked what did you do when you saw her. and her mom said she was not in a good. State we tried to hug her as best we. could but we had to stand back and let. medical professionals work with her. they stated that the past 49 hours that. Carly was missing and I quote there were. moments she had to physically fight for. her life and mentally fight for her life. aside detail that netizens were kind of. picking apart was that a correspondent.

that spoke with Carly's parents said. that Carly's parents had said you know. we always warned Carly that something. like this could happen. they warned her that someone might try. to use a child to lure her in. what okay so like one of those internet. things yeah that like you know we keep. sending around we share to the family. group chats we're like hey guys be. careful right maybe it was like that. but I think they were saying it just as. like Hey we're worried that something. like this was gonna happen but a lot of. doubting netizens felt like I don't know. there's too many coincidences and again.

this is not me personally stating an. opinion just presenting what I could. find during my research and since this. case is very difficult to cover without. including a lot of the public discourse. a lot of netizens were like it seems. like she took inspiration from that. warning Carly Russell's boyfriend also. posted on social media when Carly was. found safe he wrote thank you to my Lord. and Savior Jesus Christ for saving my. girlfriend's life I have been going. non-stop since I received that call that. she was missing on Thursday night I know. she would have done the same for me so I. wasn't going to give up until I saw her.

face again I was straight tunnel vision. even though I would get on social media. in my downtime and see some of the false. allegations and assumptions about me. having something to do with her. abduction she was literally fighting for. her life for 48 hours so until she's. physically and mentally stable again she. is not able to give updates or. whereabouts on her kidnapper at this. very moment. Carly's parents have also released more. statements on social media on one. Facebook post from Carly's mother it. reads and this is shortened for clarity. great morning my husband and I want to.

make this statement again as we did last. night it's nothing more to add or take. away from how we're feeling right now. God is faithful and he has answered our. prayers we are so grateful to each one. of you for all your acts of kindness. generosity and compassion that you have. shown we do ask for privacy at this time. to allow us to just love on our daughter. and each other with our close friends. and family for everyone that has. messaged or called to Rejoice with us we. are so grateful for your concern just as. we made a commitment to not entertain. negative thoughts during the time our. daughter was missing we surely will not.

entertain negative thoughts and. statements invalidated opinions or sheer. ignorance at such a joyous time. we pray that those that doubt God's. Powers Miracles and the power of faith. will be encouraged to draw closer to him. and learn the power of positive. affirmations and unwavering faith. be blessed the Russells. they also released another statement to. address rumors about donations that were. made to assist in the search of Carly so. a lot of people started speculating. because Carly came home and for a day. she was silent and for days the police. didn't release like a be on the lookout.

for the serial killer or this abductor. or this child they started to question. did Carly do this for attention and. money. like the Crime Stoppers reward who's. that gonna go to. any donations for the search parties. who's that going to go to so the Russell. stated that they gave the money back to. Crime Stoppers who will return the money. to the rightful donors the family deny. any existence of any sort of GoFundMe. and they also stated when we initially. asked for the help of the public in. searching and praying for Carly's safe. return we asked for sincere prayers not.

prayers or support that came with. strings or entitlement. please understand our mental state and. the anguish we have experienced and that. Carly is still dealing with and. understand that no matter how many. demands or false narratives that are. produced we will not be bullied into. doing anything that will compromise our. daughter's mental well-being or the. investigation we will not entertain the. negative social media comments with the. response so you can find someone else to. do it. yeah I mean see I I can see both sides. right but the problem is.

the less you speak the more speculation. people's gonna draw too so a situation. like this like people just want some. kind of answer so unless you give them. some answer it's only gonna get bigger. right yeah and I think when you're. dealing with the general public like I. I'm sure each one of us can sit here as. an individual and say well I would never. right but I think when you talk about a. big large mass of people it's gonna work. in the most basic way of human. psychology if they felt they have poured.

time and effort into this they're gonna. feel entitled to answers and that's just. how it works yeah I think some. transparency yeah it goes a long way. yeah exactly yeah yeah or just I think. maybe even just the wording could have. been a bit better yeah just like hey. guys she's really not okay right now. please I'm so sorry yeah like I know you. guys deserve answers but like give me a. second you know but it was just um I. guess people were very upset with this. statement now according to sources. Carly's dad said Carly had been. struggling with quote bad dreams and.

moments where some things would make her. cringe slash afraid like loud noises. she had quote different triggers since. she got back. he said the whole family is traumatized. so it sounds like they're working. closely with the police they said we. don't want to do anything that would. hinder the investigation you know things. like that. so were the police on the same page. not really. and we actually got that impression long. before the press conference. the police said a lot without saying a.

lot in the development of this case. they came out to say that they weren't. looking for a child. they came out to say that no child has. been reported missing they came out to. say that nobody else on this busy. highway had seen that child. they also stated that after Carly was. found they were giving her time. a lot of people thought that was weird. you wouldn't say that in an. investigation when a dangerous. kidnapping perpetrator is on the loose. you wouldn't say that if there's a. serial killer on the loose time is of. the essence every law enforcement agency. knows that. finally they gave a press conference.

July 19th on Wednesday and they kind of. paid an entirely different picture of. what happened and I just want to make it. very clear we don't know for sure at all. what happened in these 49 hours that she. was missing even law enforcement admit. to that until we know there is really no. way to say that one person is. definitively guilty or not guilty or did. something or didn't do something or. telling the truth or not police have. gotten it wrong before. but um. it's not looking good. they had so many different levels of law.

enforcement on this case and so many. damning things have come out in the. press conference let's dissect. everything the police stated that they. were still investigating and they. wouldn't stop until they could account. for all 49 hours that Carly was missing. and even though the investigation isn't. over they felt as if they owed it to the. citizens to give them the facts of the. case. the police stated that after Carly came. back home they were able to briefly talk. to her about what had happened while she. had been missing for the past 49 hours. she stated that while she was driving.

down the highway she saw a little child. on the side of the road unattended okay. we know that she called 9-1-1 she got. out of her car to check on the child she. said that there was a man that was. hiding in the shadows of the trees. he came out and started mumbling about. how oh I'm just checking on the child. too. but before Carly could do anything the. man picked her up and she screamed. dropped her phone and she told the. police he made her go over her fence. forced her into a car and the next thing. she remembers is being an 18-wheeler in.

like the back of one of those big trucks. she said that there was a woman there. too but she only heard her voice and. never saw the woman she could also hear. a baby crying. what did the man look like she said that. he had orange hair and a bald spot in. the back. she said that she was able to get out of. the truck start running but they caught. her again she was thrown into a car this. time they blindfolded her but they told. her that they didn't want to tire up. because they don't want to leave any. Impressions or like marks on her wrists. they drove till they came to a house. they took her inside this house they.

forced her to get naked and she thinks. that they took nude photos of her but. she doesn't remember any physical. contact. she remembers the next day the woman fed. her cheese crackers and played with her. hair. but Carly didn't remember anything else. in the 49 hours. at some point she was put back into a. car and she managed to escape and she. said that she was in the west Hoover. area so she just started running and. running and running she ran past through. a lot of woods until she got home so all. of this is very vague there's not actual.

descriptions of how she escaped and what. the house looked like or 49 hours is a. long lengthy period of time especially. if you've been kidnapped by criminals. these people don't just hang out for 49. hours I mean most kidnapping cases these. people are doing things in 49 hours yeah. the day Carly came back home. investigators took note of visual wounds. that they saw so this is not to say that. these are the only wounds that she has. and I don't know if police I'm sure that. they've obtained her medical records but. from the press conference and from this.

initial interview with Carly when she. got home the officer said that she had a. small injury to her lip and she stated. that her head hurt. other things that were kind of odd is. that she had a hundred and seven dollars. in cash that was stuffed in her right. sock. okay. so it sounds like what everyone else. thought was gonna happen you know she. was abducted by human traffickers that. lured her in with a toddler and maybe. they were amateurs or maybe they didn't. realize that this would cause such a. national uproar so they freaked out and.

let her go or they let her Escape. somehow. well. during the press conference the chief of. Hoover Police revealed they went through. Carly's phone. Secret Service was actually involved in. the analysis of Carly's phone because it. was left in the grass remember. Carly made yeah that secret service was. involved yeah and her phone was working. and all that okay. Carly made a lot of questionable. internet searches. July 11th two days before she went.

missing she searched do you have to pay. for an Amber Alert. July 13th the day she went missing she. searched how to take money from a. register without being caught. Birmingham bus station one-way bus. ticket from Birmingham to Nashville. departure date July 13th. and lastly the one that the internet has. been up in arms about. the movie Taken. yeah wow it's a classic but maybe if you.

guys are international listeners the. movie Taken. um it's the I'll find you that one yeah. it's about a 17 year old girl that gets. kidnapped in Paris and her father is. like an xcia agent who does everything. to find her he does and he exposes a. huge like human trafficking market for. the elite. in the process. so. there were other searches too computer. searches that were made at Carly's place. of work they said things like maximum. age for an Amber Alert.

police said that there were other. searches on Carly's phone that shed that. quote shed light on her mindset but. because of respect for her privacy the. police have not released those. statements are those searches wow. there's more. as for the night that she went missing. we get a few more details from law. enforcement so she left work like we. mentioned CCTV cameras showed that she. took a dark colored robe from her. workplace it it's kind of insinuated. that she stole it so I don't know she.

took toilet paper and other items. belonging to the business when she left. she ordered them Mediterranean food. picked it up and then she went to Target. like we said and we get a more precise. description of what she bought she. bought granola bars and Cheez-Its. she stayed in the parking lot for a. minute before heading back to drive home. she was on the phone with people she. knew until she hung up to call the. police about the child now most of this. we already knew but the alarming thing. that comes out is her purse and the. Mediterranean food was found in her car. her wig and her phone were found in the.

grass outside of the car. but the robe the toilet paper roll that. she took from work amongst other things. and the granola bars and Cheez-Its from. Target were not in her car. what if she ate it. no rappers were in her car. so it's okay she never trashed had the. opportunity to trash those things. exactly yeah so she still had it on hers. what okay and if you're being kidnapped. I don't know if your kidnapper is like. hold on grab your Cheez-Its what kind of. rope are you talking about because she.

works at a day spa like a medical spa so. I'm thinking maybe it's like one of. those bathrobes that they put on before. they like massage you. okay got it yeah they were not in the. car they were not anywhere near the car. so. people thought that was really odd like. if you're getting kidnapped typically. the kidnapper is not like let me rifle. through your car first. and if they would why wouldn't they take. your valuables like your cash your. wallet versus granola bars right it. sounds but why would someone do this.

though I guess to a lot of people their. speculation is that she planned the. kidnapping and she needed food. she needed toilet paper maybe a change. of clothes. but why right okay so there is why out. there and I'm not actually going to go. into it because it's really crazy. um I've seen some crazy wise out there. that it's speculating that she wanted to. make her boyfriend jealous that she. wanted her boyfriend to be concerned. about her that she was flunking out of. nursing school that her parents were too. strict like I don't know there's so many.

speculations none of them have been. verified because it's all people being. like Oh I know them or I know a friend. who knows them. and this is what they said right so we. don't know if these people are making up. lies for attention we don't know but I. can only imagine when it comes out it'll. just. be weird. yeah another thing is police released in. the press conference like I said that. she drove 600 yards after she told 9-1-1. that she was going to follow the child. until police got there and they're. saying a Barefoot kid a three-year-old. running the length of six football.

fields in the wooded area not even flat. Terrain. skeptical you know. police also stated that they asked for a. second interview and Carly has since. declined her parents have stated that. she is not in the right mental or. physical space because of the trauma. authorities stated that they have no. reports of toxicology reports whether. they ordered one or not I'm not sure. they also stated that they at least have. no knowledge of any mental illness. history. and I think before this press conference.

myself included I was like wait okay. let's hold off on making any assumptions. just because something is unlikely or. crazy doesn't make it untrue. but the press conference so far has shed. kind of a damning light on the situation. and add to that even before the press. conference there were a lot of people. that were already doubting what happened. to her or at least doubting that this. was a human trafficking scheme a few. huge names that have dedicated much of. their time to ending human trafficking. have come forward to talk about the case.

some more directly than others but the. end message was pretty much it's not. impossible but it's highly unlikely. many activists stated that the idea that. human traffickers would use a baby to. lure unsuspecting helpful women to be. trafficked just isn't practical they. said the sad part about human. trafficking that most people don't want. to come to terms with is it's done by. people you know. that new person that you started dating. your family member your friend they will. lure you to be human trafficked since. they already have that established. Foundation of trust.

it would cause too much of a scene to. kidnap someone for human trafficking. especially someone that unfortunately. it's maybe the kidnappings for human. trafficking are more. common in different parts of the world. or in different communities of. potentially sex workers could be huge. victims runaway teens are huge victims. but when you're talking about a 25 year. old established woman who is driving a. red Mercedes. it's too much attention at the end of.

the day human traffickers have a. business quote. they're evil they're evil business right. and they like to protect their quote. business so they're not going to take. that big of a risk unless they have to I. mean leaving her car there on the. highway with her wig and phone Left. Behind that's a huge risk it's not even. a oh she's 25 maybe she didn't want to. be home anymore. it's clear there was Foul Play nobody. would look at that and say she's an. adult she just wanted to do her thing.

so a lot of these activists said it just. isn't in tune with what we've been. dealing with. and the CEO of the National Children's. Alliance stated not about this case in. particular but in general we want to. believe that people trafficking children. are unknown nefarious shadowy creatures. it makes us uncomfortable to think that. some of these things could happen in our. own communities in our own schools with. people who you know. Sabrina thulander communications. director of Polaris the nonprofit that. runs the national human trafficking.

hotline said as far as we are aware this. is not a tactic that traffickers use she. said that if this is true if the track. of traffickers use a baby to lure a. victim it would be contrary to how. traffickers almost always operate in the. United States. she continued abduction is not. completely unheard of but it is very. unlikely. so if it's not human trafficking which. with the new press conference I don't. know where you stand but let's try to. entertain something did happen to her. right some people thought maybe it. wasn't a random abduction by a stranger. maybe it was someone that she knew that.

followed her or maybe someone at work. that roofied her and she hallucinated. into thinking that she saw a child they. followed her home and thought this is. the perfect opportunity. the theory has a hiccup when CCTV. cameras showed no other car pulling up. and the police said that they tracked. her from her workplace to the highway. and there's no evidence that she was. being followed by any vehicles. so. again I think with the Google searches. both theories are pretty hard to. entertain right now so the next two.

theories would be more on par. which is did Carly have a psychological. breakdown. maybe there were things going on in her. life or she had a mental condition that. we and maybe even she herself was not. aware of that led her to hallucinate. black out or go into a full state of. psychosis. maybe she fully believes her version of. events and again legally clarifying I'm. not saying her version of events isn't. true but maybe she believes everything. to be true we don't know right.

we don't know there's we don't know and. hope I think we'll find out but as of. right now we don't know there is a. different variation of this Theory. though. is is this just a hoax did she plan it. is this another Sherry papini her name. has been coming up a lot and for context. we've talked about her before on this. pod and we're going to link it in the. description but Sherry pipini was a mom. of two she was the wife to Keith papini. from Northern California she went. missing she went for a run and vanished. authorities found her phone with the.

headphones wrapped around it on her. running trail and like a big chunk of. her hair on the ground she went missing. for weeks and the whole nation was. looking for her they were like oh my God. this poor mother this poor wife we were. praying for her we're grieving for her. and her poor family and then she makes. it back alive and people are like. thanking the Lord but they were also. very surprised you know. she told the world that she was being. held captive by two Hispanic women that. were honestly racist stereotypes of. Hispanic women turned out to be a lie. she was staying with an ex-boyfriend she. had planned her whole disappearance and.

quote reappeared on the side of the road. wearing restraints she was sentenced to. 18 months in federal prison and required. to pay more than three hundred thousand. dollars in restitution. I will say though Sherry's story is um. look whether it connects to this case or. not it was insane like balls to the. walls marbles gone out the door Sherry. actually branded herself literally with. a hot brand of a Bible verse like an. exodus verse on her shoulder she had. bruises all over her body her nose was.

broken she did it to herself her hair. was chopped off she lost a big chunk of. weight her weight was like 87 pounds. when she was released from her captors. quote. so she really really worked to sell the. story that she had been kidnapped and. abused she was gone for 22 days. so if it's not psychosis or some other. sort of somewhat explainable mental. health condition. a lot of people believe that Carly might. have faked her disappearance for. whatever reason whether it's like Sherry.

in the sense that Sherry just really. didn't want to deal with her problems. anymore. she was like okay I'm kind of over my. life. or some people think that Carly wanted. attention. some people think that Carly wanted. attention not from the nation she. probably didn't think it was going to. get this big if that's the theory we're. running with entertaining right now so. when she was searching like about Amber. Alert yeah she she's trying like the. Google search is I guess the speculation. with those Google searches and this is.

pure speculation we have truly no idea. what she was thinking is she's trying to. see if she would qualify for an amber. alert and people think that she doesn't. want to qualify for an amber alert so I. think her idea if this is the theory. were entertaining this is alleged I mean. there's only two things right either she. qualifies or she doesn't qualify When. She searches so either she wants the. attention from as an amber alert or she. doesn't want the attention as Amber. Alert yeah right either or yeah I think.

um I mean both way. either way is weird see I don't want to. say she faked it. wouldn't believe she faked it well okay. I don't know because any way that you go. with this it's bad if it was a mental. breakdown I hope she gets the help that. she needs and I hope that the public is. is very soft with their reception. because mental health is a serious issue. but if she faked it for something that. wasn't like a full-blown psychosis.

it's really not well thought out at all. like the If You're Gonna Leave Your Door. like that if you're gonna say that. there's a child on the side of the. highway and you're gonna think to. yourself that law enforcement isn't. going to Care is kind of crazy yeah but. I will say that there are some people. that have gone off the deep end on this. Theory. um people were saying that they knew. that she was lying about this whole. thing because she said that the boy on. the side of the road was like three or. four years old. which I know what you're thinking what. does that even mean but people were. referencing a man named mclish who is. often interviewed as an expert of sorts.

for Crime shows and I just thought this. was interesting again I'm not trying to. make this like a valid point but he. stated that the number three is the. Liar's number. he said he doesn't really know why but. after all of his investigative work if. anyone gives him the number three so. three men attacked me it was like 3 P.M. they stole three hundred dollars he said. he always does a double take he he. doesn't say that they're lying but he. just pays extra attention to the rest of. their details. which I just thought was kind of what I.

didn't even know right so I don't know. if it turns out she's lying I think it. would just. really really suck I mean not just the. fact that she lied but the fact that a. lot of not so great people will use this. as some sort of argument to not care. about missing women and particularly. missing women of color. I also can't imagine if it is proven. that she lied what Anaya's mother would. feel if this turned out to be fake. the police were asked during the press.

conference if they were thinking of. pressing charges against Carly Russell. and they stated that they were focusing. first on the 49 unaccounted hours they. haven't even discussed pressing charges. but the energy that is being given by. news media and. everyone it seems like if it turns out. to be a hoax charges will be pressed. a reporter asked the chief of police. during the press conference there has. been a concern in the community that if. this turns out not to be a true story. that the next woman a young woman of.

color goes missing it wouldn't be taken. seriously how do you respond to that. the chief of police said I would say. that we investigate every crime to the. fullest just like we have this one. and regardless of the results of this. investigation I say we hold them to that. and again this is just the information. we have right now and yeah it doesn't. appear to be looking good for Carly but. even the police chief said I'm the type. of guy that says Never Say Never. so again legally I'm not saying Carly.

lied I'm not saying this is a hoax but. these are just the facts we have right. now and how netizens have responded to. said information. so on that note I'd like to end this pod. with a note there is a website called. our black girls run by journalists and. activist Erica Marie Rivers the website. focuses on often Untold Stories of black. girls and women who have gone missing or. were found dead under very suspicious. mysterious circumstances she writes. about black girls and women who don't. get space on the front pages like Carly. Russell did or on social media when they.

disappeared and she ends every single. article the same way which is she is our. sister and her life matters. so regardless of what this investigation. will unravel with Carly Russell and. whether it was faked or not and whether. or not she will face charges I hope this. just. I hope this opens up a conversation. of how little press coverage typically. missing people of color get in the media. because yes Carly's case got national. attention but there's so many missing.

black women who get no attention and yes. Carly's case is pretty shady and. controversial right now but she has. absolutely nothing to do with the next. black girl or woman that goes missing. and we should just be as passionate. about finding the next one as we were. about finding Carly Russell so with that. being said please stay safe let me know. your thoughts and I will see you guys on. Sunday for the minisode bye.