Carlee Russell skirts jail time after blaming Alabama kidnapping hoax on ‘emotional issues and stress’
Carlee Russell finally revealed Thursday why she faked her kidnapping last summer in a case that spurred nationwide panic as she pleaded guilty to two charges and avoided jail time.
The 26-year-old nursing student apologized for falsely reporting seeing a baby crawling alongside an Alabama highway just minutes before she seemingly vanished, only to turn up two days later without explanation.
“I made a grave mistake while trying to fight through various emotional issues and stress,” Russell told the court through tears.
“I’m extremely remorseful for the panic, fear and various range of negative emotions that were experienced across the nation. I want to specifically acknowledge and take accountability for the pain and embarrassment that I inflicted upon my family, my church family, friends, neighbors, community, and all of those who were directly involved in search efforts for me,” she continued.
“I absolutely regret my decision and in hindsight wish I had cried for help in a totally different manner.”
Russell pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charges of false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident.
Although the Jefferson County judge acknowledged that Russell’s actions set off a nationwide panic, he said it would be a waste of government resources to put her behind bars because she does not pose a threat to the community.
Instead, she was sentenced to one-year probation, community service, and mental health counseling and ordered to pay $17,974.88 in restitution to the city of Hoover.
Russell’s tearful admission marked the first time she spoke in court — and the first time she revealed a motive for the bewildering crime.
She had previously apologized and admitted to the hoax, but only through lawyers.
The bizarre chain of events kicked off July 13 when Russell called 911 to report seeing a baby crawling along the side of Interstate 459 in Hoover.
When officers arrived just minutes later, they found Russell’s running car, cell phone, wig and purse but no sign of her or the child.
She showed up at her parent’s house two days later, where law enforcement found her “conscious and speaking,” despite dispatch reports that she was “unresponsive but breathing.”
Russell initially told cops she was abducted by a white man with orange hair — a lie that quickly fell apart when cops revealed that she had googled the kidnap-themed action film “Taken” and the AMBER Alert system in the days before.
What led to the mystifying fabrication — and where she spent those 49 hours — is still not clear.
Russell was initially convicted in October after being found guilty of false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident. A judge recommended the nearly $18,000 restitution payment, as well as one-year in jail.
While her team found the restitution fair, Russell’s lawyers appealed the conviction in order to avoid jail time.
