Carlee Russell Speaks Out for the 1st Time Since Admitting Kidnapping Was a Hoax: Reports

Carlee Russell, the Alabama woman who faked her own abduction last year, spoke for the first time since her March sentencing.

In July 2023, Russell, a 27-year-old nursing student, made headlines after she made a 911 call that led to her being reported as a missing person. The search that ensued became a state-wide manhunt, with local, state and federal authorities joining the investigation as well as hundreds of concerned community members. Ultimately, she revealed that it had been a hoax, and in March, she was sentenced to probation.

In celebration of her 27th birthday, Russell shared a private post to her social media accounts and wrote a lengthy caption reflecting on her experiences over the past year, E! News and FOX 5 reported.

“I wasn’t going to make a birthday post but I would be remiss not to publicly acknowledge the goodness God has shown to me,” she wrote in the post on July 22, per the outlets. “He not only allowed me to see another year but He changed the trajectory of my life from the negative place I was in this time last year.”

“To those who have been there for me, your kindness and support have meant the world to me,” she continued. “Whether it was a text, call, direct message on social media, post, prayer, thoughtful gift, or words of encouragement, nothing was too little and each helped me to fight to live another day. Thank you sincerely for helping me find the light in the darkest of moments.”

Russell also acknowledged that “the work is not finished yet,” and that she has much more “hope and optimism” in her future.

“[As] I step into this next year of life, I am filled with hope and optimism toward continuing to overcome challenges, cherishing those who cherish me, and embracing the future and God’s plan for my life with an open heart and mind,” she concluded.

During her sentencing earlier this year, Russell was spared jail time (despite requests from prosecutors) and was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident. She was first found guilty in October 2023 by a judge in Hoover, Ala.

In July 2023, while driving along Alabama’s interstate, Russell placed a call to 911 at 9:34 p.m., during which she reported that a toddler in a diaper was wandering along the highway. She then called a family friend, who heard screaming before she lost contact. When police arrived at the scene, her car was still running and Russell was nowhere to be found.

After 49 hours of police and community members searching for Russell, the then-25-year-old walked home with a torn shirt and $107 stuffed in her right sock.

In her interview with police, Russell said her alleged kidnapper, a man she described as having orange hair and a bald spot as well as a woman she never saw, “came out of the trees,” blindfolded her and forced her onto an 18-wheeler truck. Russell alleged at the time that the man later made her remove her clothes and pose for nude photographs before she eventually escaped.

After the search and media frenzy, it finally came out that Russell had faked her kidnapping following an argument with her then-boyfriend — and had never really been missing. Just over a week after she returned home, she admitted through a lawyer that the entire abduction had been made up.

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“I made a grave mistake while trying to fight through various emotional issues and stress,” Russell told the judge through tears during her March sentencing.

“I absolutely regret my decision and in hindsight wish I had cried for help in a totally different manner,” she added at the time. “My prayer is that I will be extended grace and be given the opportunity to redeem who I truly am and restore the positively esteemed character that I have worked so hard to obtain for the 25 years of my life prior to this incident.”