Carlee Russell charges update: Carlee Russell charged with filing fake police report in connection to kidnap hoax

Carlee Russell, the 25-year-old Alabama woman who claimed went missing and later explained that she had been kidnapped, has been charged.

The arrest warrant was issued earlier today, Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis said in a news conference.

Hoover police arrested “for her actions related to faking her kidnapping and subsequently making false statements to detectives.” Chief Derzis continued, “Her decisions that night created panic and alamr for citizens of our city and even across the nation.”

Numerous law enforcement agencies worked “tirelessly” to bring Ms Russell home to her family and to find a kidnapper “that we know now never existed.”

Kelly Rissman reports for The Independent.

At the beginning of this week Carlee Russell’s attorney made a shocking announcement: the Alabama woman had fabricated her entire story of seeing a lost child wandering the interstate, being kidnapped, then escaping home.

Here’s how her lawyer explained what happened, in a statement read by police.

“There was no kidnapping on Thursday July 13, 2023. My client did not see a baby on the side of the road. My client did not leave the Hoover area when she was identified as a missing person,” the statement read. “My client did not have any help in this incident. This was a single act done by herself.”

After law enforcement in Hoover, Alabama cast doubt over Carlee Russell’s claim that she was kidnapped, the 25-year-old admitted to fabricating her story, leading to more questions about her perplexing case.

An attorney representing Carlee Russell has said he expects her to be charged over false claims that she was abducted.

Emory Anthony told local news station WDHN that he had met with Hoover Police Department detectives to discuss his client’s case. Mr Anthony said that Ms Russell was better but still “dealing with her issues.”

“It was a great meeting; It was a short meeting,” Mr Anthony said. “We tried to identify some things about where we go from here. There [are] responsibilities that we need to take care of.”

Mr Anthony’s remarks come just a day after authorities confirmed that Ms Russell, 25, had admitted to lying about being kidnapped on the side of a highway after stopping to check on a toddler. The attorney did not elaborate on what motivated Ms Russell’s fake story.

He added: “I know you have a hundred questions but we won’t be able to answer them at this point in time, but just walk with us and we should be through this shortly ,” Mr Anthony said.

Carlee Russell’s attorney, Emory Anthony, prepared a statement for the Hoover Police Department that was read aloud during a press conference on Monday.

“There was no kidnapping on Thursday, July 13, 2023. My client did not see a baby on the side of the road. My client did not leave the Hoover area when she was identified as a missing person. My client did not have any help in this incident — this was a single act done by herself. My client was not with anyone or any hotel with anyone from the time she was missing. My client apologizes for her actions to this community, the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies as well and to her friends and family. We ask for your prayers for Carlee as she addresses her issues and attempts to move forward, understanding that she made a mistake in this matter.”

The Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama will be refunding the $63,378 that was donated during the search for 25-year-old Carlee Russell.

“We are releasing all funds,’’ Bob Copus, executive director of Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama, told AL.com on Tuesday. “We’re basing that on the statements made at the news conference.”

More than $60k was donated in the 49 hours that Ms Russell went ‘missing’ at the beginning of July.

Police and Ms Russell’s attorney revealed on Monday that Ms Russell faked her disappearance and lied about being kidnapped.

Carlee Russell could be facing up to a year in prison as authorities in Alabama are reportedly considering charging the 25-year-old with falsely reporting an incident and false reporting to law enforcement authorities.

Authorities in the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office – Bessemer Division told ABC News on Thursday that they may be seeking the two charges against Ms Russell for faking her kidnapping and lying about being abducted.

Carlee Russell could be facing two charges: falsely reporting an incident and false reporting to law enforcement authorities.

Each charge is considered a misdemeanour in Alabama and carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison each, according to ABC News.

The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Bessemer Division is allegedly considering the charges against Ms Russell, chief assistant district attorney Lane Tolbert told ABC News.

The Black and Missing Foundation, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to helping bring awareness to missing people of color by providing resources, tools and educating communities on personal safety, issued a statement regarding Carlee Russell’s disappearance.

“Now that we officially know the truth, we can no longer give any more energy to this case,” the foundation wrote.

“While Carlee’s revelation is disheartening, we will not be dismayed. There are far too many missing people of color who actually need our help and are counting on us to help bring them home. We are calling on our community to not let this single incident undermine our efforts to help us find us. We have shown that we have the power to make our cases a priority too, and we must move forward and build upon this momentum.”