Police say a US girl who vanished after she allegedly stopped to assist a stranded toddler on a busy freeway had Googled Liam Neeson’s well-known abduction film Taken earlier that day.
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, 25, was reported lacking on the evening of Thursday July 13 (Friday AEST) in Alabama after calling 911 to report the toddler.
After making the report, she referred to as a relative who claimed they heard her scream.
When law enforcement officials arrived inside minutes, they discovered Ms Russell’s automotive, wig, telephone and purse however no signal of her or the kid.
The seek for Ms Russell was shared on social media internationally, gaining nationwide and international consideration.
About 49 hours later she mysteriously reappeared at her dwelling on Saturday July 15 (Sunday AEST), leaving many individuals questioning what occurred and the way she received dwelling.
Police launch timeline of disappearance
Police have now revealed what Ms Russell advised them, together with the revelation they’ve been unable to confirm most of her assertion, in hopes to alleviate worry locally.
Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis mentioned Ms Russell claimed a person got here out the bushes and mumbled he was checking on the child.
“She claimed that the man then picked her up and she screamed,” he advised a press convention on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).
She advised police she was compelled over a fence and right into a automotive, earlier than discovering herself within the trailer of a giant truck.
“She stated the male was with a female, however she never saw the female, only hearing her voice,” Derzis mentioned.
He mentioned she advised detectives the person had orange hair with a giant bald spot and she or he may hear a child crying.
“She said she was able to escape the 18-wheeler and fled on foot only to be captured again and was put in a car,” Derzis continued.
“She claimed she was blindfolded but not tied up because the captor said they did not want to leave impressions on her wrist.
“She said they took her into a house and made her get undressed. She believes they took pictures of her but she does not remember them having any physical or sexual contact.”
Derzis mentioned Ms Russell advised detectives the subsequent day she awakened and was fed by a lady who additionally performed together with her hair. At some level she mentioned she was put again in a automotive and was capable of escape.
“She told detectives she ran through lots of woods until she came out near her residence,” he mentioned.
Police defined they needed to provide Ms Russell time to relaxation earlier than asking extra questions however their requests to interview her once more have been denied, together with her household saying she was not prepared to speak as a consequence of trauma.
Carlee Russell’s web searches
Police labored with the US Secret Service to uncover “several internet searches” within the days main as much as Ms Russell’s disappearance that they mentioned have been “very relevant” to the case.
Derzis mentioned they included the search “do you have to pay for an Amber Alert?”, “how to take money from a register without being caught?” and a seek for a one-way bus ticket.
“On July 13 at 12.10pm a search for the movie Taken, a film about abduction, was conducted,” he mentioned.
When questioned about what he product of the web searches, Derzis advised reporters he discovered it “very strange”.
“We want to talk in facts and I do think it’s highly unusual the day that someone gets kidnapped, seven or eight hours before that they were searching the internet, Googling the movie Taken, about an abduction. I find that very strange,” he mentioned.
Police additionally revealed information from Ms Russell’s telephone confirmed she travelled the equal of six soccer fields whereas she was on the telephone to 911 stating she was following the toddler.
Derzis mentioned he wasn’t saying it couldn’t have occurred however he discovered it “very hard” to grasp.
Police mentioned there have been no different reviews of a toddler alongside the freeway “despite numerous vehicles passing through the area at that time”.
“No one has called to report that a child was missing and the Hoover Police Department cannot locate any evidence of a small child walking down the interstate [highway],” Derzis mentioned.
Police mentioned they might proceed the investigation and promised to find out what occurred within the 49 hours Ms Russell was lacking.
“As you can see there are many questions left to be answered but only Carlee can provide those answers,” Derzis mentioned.
“What we can say is we have been unable to verify most of Carlee’s initial statement made to investigators and we have no reason to believe there is a threat to public safety related to this particular case.”
Ms Russell’s household had earlier mentioned they believed the toddler was used as “bait” by human traffickers to get her out of the automotive and kidnap her.
Before the press convention Ms Russell’s mom Talitha Robinson-Russell launched a press release thanking individuals for his or her help, including that the household had “fully co-operated with authorities … and will continue to so”.
“Carlee has given detectives her statement and hopefully they are pursuing her abductor,” she mentioned, in response to WBRC.
Source: www.news.com.au
