Missing Woman Suddenly Returns Home, Suspicious Details Remain Open
Mystery surrounded the disappearance of an Alabama woman Thursday who went missing after reporting seeing a toddler walking by the side of a road.
And mystery has so far also surrounded her surprise return Saturday night.
Carlee Russell arrived unannounced and unaccompanied at her family’s home in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover, Police Chief Nicholas Derzis said, according to The New York Times.
Police were notified at about 10:45 p.m., according to CNN. First responders arrived at the home and took her to a hospital for evaluation.
“She walked up, banged on the door, and that was her,” Derzis said, according to WBRC-TV.
Derzis said police will interview the 25-year-old to learn what took place.
“The first thing is to give Carlee and family a little time to get themselves back together,” he added. “I know it’s been a tough experience for them. When we think it’s time to sit down and have a conversation with Carlee and try to get some facts, we’ll do that,” he said.
Since her Thursday night disappearance, police had led a search that was augmented by dozens of volunteers.
“There were times that were 50 to 60 plus Hoover police officers working. There are times you get overwhelmed, the story kept getting bigger and bigger. We were out until almost eight or nine o’clock tonight following leads and a lot of work, from not only our folks, from other agencies,” he said.
For now, what matters most is that Russell is safe, he said.
“Just know that the police department is very happy. We wanted her to come home safe and sound – and we’ll hope that’s what happened here. The investigation portion… we’ll get to, but to me the main deal is making sure that she got home safe with her family. And I couldn’t be more excited, and I hope the community feels the same way,” he said.
On Thursday night, Russell had called first 911 and then a family member, telling both she saw a toddler walking along Interstate 459, according to WAGA-TV.
“She got out of the car. My daughter-in-law could hear her ask if the child was OK, and she didn’t hear anything,” Carlee’s mother, Talitha Russell, said. “Then she heard our daughter Carlee scream.”
The line remained open afterward. Police found Russell’s phone at the scene, along with her vehicle and some of her belongings.
Police said there were no reports of missing children in the area.
Police said there was a report of a man standing near Russell’s vehicle shortly before they arrived on the scene when she disappeared.
Hope had never died among the hundreds searching for her, according to WIAT-TV.
“Today, we just want to focus on just hope and faith and trust in God,” D’Kota Wyatt, said before Russell returned. “That’s how we’re feeling today. We are hopeful. We are faithful that God has the final say, and that’s what we’re holding on to.”
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