Police officers in Alabama are still searching for woman who vanished in mysterious circumstances, after calling 911 to report a toddler walking alone along the side of an interstate highway.
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, 25, has not been seen since she heard to suddenly scream, while on the phone to her sister-in-law after her call to the cops on Thursday (July 13). When police arrived at the scene, they found Carlee’s vehicle – along with her cell phone, purse, wig and apple watch in the nearby area.
However, Carlee and the child were nowhere to be seen. And they have not been since
The Hoover Police Department say Carlee, a nursing student, called 911 just after 9.30pm local time and told emergency dispatchers he had stopped to check on a young child that she had seen walking on the side of Interstate 459.
Police said that, after immediately calling 911, Russell phoned a family member. During that call, the family member “lost contact with” Carlee, “but the line remained open,” Hoover Police’s Lt. Daniel Lowe said in a news conference on Friday.
Carlee’s mom, Talitha Russell, said that her daughter had called her sister-in-law. She said: “At some point she got out of the car and my daughter-in-law could hear her asking the child if they were okay.
“‘The child did not respond, or at least she did not hear her respond, he or she respond. And then she heard our daughter Carlee scream, and from there on all we could hear was noise … background noise in her phone, which we later found out was noise from the interstate.”
A reward totalling at least $50,000 is now being offered to help find Carlee. Lt. Daniel Lowe said: “A single witness has reported possibly seeing gray vehicle with a light-complected male standing outside of Carlee’s vehicle, but we have no further information on that individual or the vehicle at this time.”
He also said police were also “analyzing” Carlee’s phone “to see if there’s any information on there that could help us.”
A huge search – involving local, state and federal agencies- is ongoing, added Lowe. A large group of volunteers organised by Carlee’s parents are also assisting in the search effort.
Carlee’s father, Carlos Russell, said: “We’re going to be looking in every direction. We’re just going to scour the earth.”
Police describe Carlee s being 5-foot-4 inches tall and between 150 to 160 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants and white Nike shoes.
Anyone with information regarding Russell’s whereabouts is being asked to call Hoover police at 205-444-7562.
