A 25-year-old woman disappeared after stopping to check on a toddler traveling alone on an Alabama freeway.
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell was on the phone with her sister-in-law when she got out of her car to check on the child. Then the family member heard a sudden scream and shortly thereafter lost all contact with Russell.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Russell’s car nearby, as well as her cellphone, purse, wig and Apple Watch – however, Russell and the child were nowhere in sight.
Hoover Police have received no further calls about a missing child. A witness said they may have seen a gray vehicle and a man outside of Carlee’s vehicle, but police said they had no further information.
“At one point she got out of the car and my daughter-in-law could hear her asking the child if he was okay,” her mother, Talitha Russell, said. “The child didn’t answer, or at least didn’t hear their answer, he or she did answer.”
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole, 25, disappeared after stopping to check on an infant who was traveling alone on an Alabama freeway while talking to her sister on the phone Thursday night
The 25-year-old was on the phone with her sister-in-law when she went to check on the child before the family member heard a scream and lost contact
“And then she heard our daughter, Carlee, scream, and from there all we could hear was noise … background noise on her phone, which we later found out to be noise from the freeway.”
Russel left work around 8:20 p.m. Thursday before stopping to pick up food for her and her mother.
She then drove toward Hoover and called 911 at about 9:30 p.m. to report the missing child, who was traveling on Interstate 459.
After Russell called 911, she reportedly called her sister-in-law to let her know she was checking on the child. The family member lost contact with her at around 9:36 p.m., but the line remained busy.
Responding officers found Russell’s abandoned car nearby, along with her cell phone, purse, wig and Apple Watch, but no sign of her or any child.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Russell’s car nearby, as well as her cellphone, purse, wig and Apple Watch – however, Russell and the child were nowhere in sight
A witness said they may have seen a gray vehicle and a man outside of Carlee’s vehicle, but police said they had no further information
“And then she heard our daughter, Carlee, scream, and from there all we could hear was noise … background noise on her phone, which we later found out to be noise from the freeway,” said her mother, Talitha Russell (left ).
Hoover Police have received no further calls from anyone missing a young child.
Lieutenant Daniel Lowe said a witness reported he may have seen a gray vehicle and a man outside of Carlee’s vehicle, but they had no further information.
Investigators are currently investigating this incident and are asking for the public’s help in locating Russell.
Described as a black woman measuring 5’7″ and weighing 150 pounds, Russell was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants and white Nike sneakers.
Lowe said police are exploring all avenues to stop the disappearance.
“We’re definitely not ignoring anything,” he said when asked if investigators think she was kidnapped.
“No information is unimportant in this investigation,” Lowe said at a news conference on Friday.
Described as a black woman measuring 5’7″ and weighing 150 pounds, Russell was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants and white Nike sneakers
A family member organized a search on Friday. Anyone with information should contact Detective Brad Fountain at 205-444-7562, Sergeant Drew Mims at 205-739-7274, or Crimestoppers of Metro Alabama at 205-254-7777
Family members also organized a search operation in the area.
“We’re just going to search the earth,” Russell’s father, Carlos Russell, told WVTM. “There’s no stopping us.”
An anonymous donor offered a $20,000 reward for Russell’s safe return, with an additional $5,000 reward available through Crime Stoppers.
The Hoover Police Department said it is working with many partners at the local, state and federal levels in the investigation and is “grateful for the tremendous support from local and law enforcement agencies.”
Police said they will continue to post regular updates on Twitter to provide immediate information to the public.
“We would also like to ask our community to keep the Russell family in thoughts and prayers at this difficult time,” said Lowe.
Investigators are currently investigating this incident and are asking for the public’s help in locating Russell. Police said an anonymous donor offered a $20,000 reward for Russell’s safe return and another $5,000 reward is available through Crime Stoppers
The Hoover Police Department said it is working with many partners at the local, state and federal levels in the investigation and is “grateful for the tremendous support from local and law enforcement agencies.”
Talitha Russell said the last time she spoke to her daughter was around 9:18pm on Thursday, when she left Taziki’s after picking up food and was heading home
Talitha Russell said the last time she spoke to her daughter was around 9:18pm on Thursday, when she left Taziki’s after picking up food and was heading home.
“We trust God, we stay positive, we don’t let negative thoughts enter our minds, so we just trust God and believe in God that our daughter will be brought home safely,” Talitha Russell told WSAZ.
“She’s considered helpful and has a big heart,” Talitha Russell said of her daughter.
“And she knows not to be in front of anyone… I think she broke her cover because she thought they were so close. And as she got out of the car, she said to my daughter-in-law, “I can’t just leave this little kid on the side of the road.”
Family members and volunteer teams are spread across the city to distribute flyers
Carlee’s wig was left at the scene of her disappearance. Her mother posted a photo of what her daughter looks like with pigtails and no wig
Russell’s parents are asking anyone with information to come forward
Russell works part-time at Woodhouse Day Spa and attends Jefferson State Community College, where she is studying to be a registered nurse, according to AL.
According to the outlet, she has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from AUM.
Jefferson State released a statement Friday, saying the school is “extremely concerned” for Russell’s safety.
Angela Harris, mother of Aniah Blanchard, a 19-year-old who disappeared in 2019 before she was found dead, joined the search on Friday.
Harris said that despite teams of volunteers distributed across the city to distribute flyers, their number is limited because there is “nowhere to look.”
“It’s the most frustrating thing,” she told AL. “I’ve said to the family, ‘Go whatever it is in your heart to go where you need to go.”