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The parents of the Alabama woman who vanished after she stopped to help a stranded toddler on a busy highway believed the child was being used as “bait” to lure their daughter out of her car — before she was mysteriously returned home alive.
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, 25, went missing Thursday night when she pulled over to help a wandering toddler on I-459, the Hoover Police Department said.
The nursing student called 911 before dialing her sister-in-law.
“My daughter-in-law could hear her ask if the child was OK, and the child didn’t respond — at least she didn’t hear him or her respond,” her mother, Talitha Robinson-Russell, told WVTM-TV on Sunday.
“Then she heard our daughter scream.”
The parents believe the toddler Russell spotted on the side of the road may have been used as “bait” to lure her out of her car, they told the local outlet.
Russell was dropped off at her home in Hoover, Ala. two days later on Saturday and “appeared to be in shock,” according to police and local reports.
Just before 11 p.m. Saturday, the Hoover 911 call center received word that Russell had returned home, police said.
She was transported to a local hospital for evaluation, according to police.
It’s unclear where Russell had been since Thursday.
What to know about Carlee Russell's disappearance
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, 25, was reported missing on Thursday night after stopping to help a toddler she had spotted wandering along a busy highway.
The nursing student called 911 and was talking with a family member as she pulled off I-459 to check on the child when the line mysteriously went silent — but remained open, according to Hoover police.
When officers arrived just minutes later, they found Russell’s running car, cellphone and purse — but no sign of her or the child.
A witness told police they saw a gray vehicle parked near the scene and saw a “light-complexioned male” standing outside Russell’s car, according to Lowe.
Traffic camera footage from Interstate 459 at mile marker 11.7 is believed to show Russell’s car pulling over before she vanished.
Approximately 48 hours later, Russell reappeared as mysteriously as she had vanished, returning to her home in Hoover, Ala., before 10:45 p.m., the Hoover Police Department confirmed to WBRC.
Russell was dropped off at the residence and “appeared to be in shock.” She was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
Her parents believe the toddler whom Russell spotted on the side of the road, who was estimated to be 3 to 4 years old, may have been used as “bait” to lure her out of her car.
Russell’s boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons, claims his girlfriend was kidnapped and is recovering from the traumatic experience.
Hoover police plan to respect Russell’s recovery time before interviewing her.
When officers had arrived to the location off I-459 where Russell had reported the wandering toddler around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, they found her vehicle and some of her belongings, including her phone, but not her or the child, cops said.
Police said they were going to give her time to recover before interviewing her.
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