Alabama police find ‘no evidence’ Carlee Russell was trying to help toddler on highway when she disappeared

Investigators in Alabama have found “no evidence” that Carlee Russell was trying to help a toddler walking along a highway at the time of her mysterious disappearance.

Nursing student Ms Russell, 25, vanished without a trace from the side of Interstate 459 in Hoover just after 9.30pm on the night of 13 July, moments after she called 911 saying she had spotted the toddler alone on the road.

Her disappearance sparked a huge search operation with her family begging the public to come forward with information.

Two days later on the night of 15 July, Hoover Police said that they received a 911 call saying that Ms Russell had suddenly returned home on foot.

In the days since, few details have emerged about what happened to the 25-year-old and where she had been for the 48 hours she was missing – as her family continued to insist that she had been the victim of a kidnapping.

Now, Hoover Police have cast doubts on one of the key aspects of the case – saying that there is no evidence of a toddler walking along the highway.

Authorities also released other new details about the case including that Ms Russell visited a Target store to buy snacks just before her disappearance and said that they have obtained surveillance footage of the moment she returned home.

On the night she disappeared, Hoover police said that the 25-year-old left her workplace and ordered food from nearby restaurant The Colonnade.

After stopping by The Colonnade, she went to the Target on Highway 280 and bought some snacks, police said.

These items were not found inside her abandoned vehicle along the highway or with her cellphone and wig at the scene of her disappearance.

Police said that the investigation had uncovered no evidence of a toddler walking down the interstate and had not received any additional calls about the said child – despite surveillance footage capturing numerous other vehicles passing through the area around that time.

New details were also released about the moment Ms Russell suddenly returned home to the house she shares with her parents.

Hoover Police said that surveillance footage – which has not been released to the public – shows her walking alone down the sidewalk to the home.

A police press conference has been scheduled for Wednesday afternoon to give an update on the mysterious case.