Carlee Russell came up with an elaborate kidnapping hoax in July 2023, triggering a nationwide search before reappearing and admitting that it was all a ruse she’d devised after a fight with her then-boyfriend.
Hoover Police DepartmentCarlee Russell admitted to fabricating her kidnapping story.
Carlee Russell made national headlines in July 2023 when she was seemingly abducted after calling 911 about a toddler on the side of the road. When the 25-year-old Alabama nursing student returned home two days later, she claimed that she’d been kidnapped by a man and a woman.
But soon afterward, she admitted it was all a hoax.
There had been no toddler and no kidnappers. Carlee Russell had faked all the details of her abduction. But why?
The ‘Disappearance’ Of Carlee Russell In July 2023
The story of Carlethia Nichole “Carlee” Russell began on July 13, 2023. Then, Russell called 911 with an alarming story. She said she’d pulled over on Interstate 459 after spotting a small child wandering alone on the shoulder of the road. Russell told the 911 dispatcher that the toddler was white, a boy, and between the ages of three and four. According to the recorded 911 call, the dispatcher reassured Russell that help was on its way.
After hanging up with dispatcher, Russell called a family member and described the same scene. Then, to the horror of the person the other line, Russell suddenly screamed — and then went silent.
When police arrived at the scene five minutes later, they found Russell’s car still running. Inside, they found Russell’s cellphone, wig, purse, and Apple Watch. But Carlee Russell was gone.
Hoover Police DepartmentCarlee Russell seemingly vanished without a trace in July 2023.
The mystery of Russell’s disappearance exploded on social media. TikTok sleuths dissected the details of the case; Reddit threads speculated wildly. Crime Stoppers raised more than $63,000 in reward money, as authorities meanwhile launched an extensive search operation for the missing woman. They used police dogs, drones, and helicopters, and volunteers canvassed wooded areas and roadways. For two days, Russell’s story dominated headlines as the nation wondered what could have happened to her
Then, just as suddenly as she had vanished, she reappeared.
On the evening of July 15, Russell showed up at her parents’ home in Hoover. Disoriented and wearing a torn t-shirt, Russell told the police that she’d been kidnapped. According to her story, she’d been abducted by a man with orange hair who blindfolded her and forced her into a 18-wheeler truck.
Carlee Russell claimed that the man brought her to a house, where there was a woman and a crying baby. She stated that the man made her remove her clothes and that he’d taken photographs of her, and that the woman had given her cheese crackers. After being placed in a vehicle, Russell told police that she was then able to escape.
But when investigators began to take a closer look at Carlee Russell’s kidnapping story, they could tell something wasn’t right.
How Investigators Discovered The Kidnapping Hoax
In the days following her return, the Hoover Police Department began to find discrepancies in Carlee Russell’s story. For starters, not a single other driver on the busy interstate had reported seeing a child. No witnesses, no dashcam footage, and no surveillance video supported her account.
Then police found her internet search history.
Hoover Police DepartmentPolice soon began to find discrepancies in Carlee Russell’s story of her kidnapping.
In the days leading up to her disappearance, Russell had searched, “Do you have to pay for an Amber Alert?” and “One-way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville.” She’d also searched for information about stealing from a cash register and looked up the movie Taken, a film about a kidnapping.
Detectives began to suspect that Carlee Russell had not been kidnapped at all. Instead, it looked like she’d executed a premeditated hoax.
On July 24, just 11 days after her dramatic return, Russell’s attorney released a statement admitting that Carlee Russell had made the entire thing up. There was no child, no 18-wheeler truck, and no kidnappers. It was all part of an elaborate hoax made up entirely by Russell.
Why Did Carlee Russell Fake Her Kidnapping?
In the weeks before she vanished, Russell had posted cryptic messages online that hinted at emotional distress. “You think you have a bond with someone until they show you you never did,” she tweeted. Another read, “Everyone wants to feel wanted.” Other posts hinted at relationship issues.
Instagram/tee_sims28Carlee Russell pictured here with her then-boyfriend Thomar Simmons, who stood by her after she was found.
Indeed, it later came out that Carlee Russell had staged her abduction after a fight with her boyfriend, Thomar Simmons.
Simmons had shared public pleas for Russell’s safe return after she vanished and, in the days after her return, had publicly thanked the community for their support. But after her confession, he removed her photos from social media and expressed feeling “blindsided and betrayed.”.
“We had a little argument, but it was nothing to kidnap yourself over,” he remarked in an interview on the podcast 205 Boyz.
The Fallout and Legal Consequences For Carlee Russell
Hoover Police DepartmentCarlee Russell was arrested and charged with misdemeanors for falsely claiming she was kidnapped.
After her confession, Carlee Russell was charged with two misdemeanors: false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident. In October 2023, a judge found her guilty. The court recommended a year in jail, nearly $18,000 in restitution, and two $831 fines.
Her legal team pushed back, arguing that the punishment was too severe for a first-time offender. They filed an appeal for a jury trial. But prosecutors weren’t convinced. They emphasized that this wasn’t a harmless stunt. The hoax had wasted public resources, diverted attention from real cases, and betrayed the trust of an entire community.
In March 2024, Russell pleaded guilty. She was sentenced to one year of probation, 100 hours of community service, and ordered to pay the full $18,000 in restitution. In court, Carlee Russell described her actions as driven by emotional distress and said: “I absolutely regret my decision and in hindsight wish I had cried for help in a totally different manner.”
Though Russell avoided jail time, she couldn’t avoid the judgment of the public. She became the target of viral memes and online ridicule.
WVTMCarlee Russell arrives at Hoover Municipal Court for a pretrial hearing on October 11, 2023.
In the days following her confession, TikTok and Twitter exploded with memes mocking the incident. Hashtags like #CarleeRussellHoax trended for days. Some parodies reenacted the fake abduction, while others criticized how her story undermined real missing persons cases.
Russell apologized in court and admitted to fabricating the entire story, but the damage was already done. Not just to her reputation, but to victims of actual kidnappings or assaults who might now face more skepticism.
Since her guilty plea, Carlee Russell has kept a low profile. Her social media accounts went dark, and her relationship ended. She said emotional distress drove her actions. But some people still wonder what truly happened during those 49 hours — and why. “I made a grave mistake,” Russell said.
It’s a mistake that will follow her for the rest of her life.
After reading about the Carlee Russell kidnapping hoax, read about Sherri Papini, the woman who faked her own kidnapping and torture. Then, learn about seven famous hoaxes that deceived the world.