RUSSELL UPDATE
The nursing student faces one year in jail and $18,000 restitution
Carlethia ‘Carlee’ Russell, a woman who admitted that she lied about being kidnapped when she went missing for two days in July, was found guilty of two misdemeanor charges during her court appearance in Hoover, Alabama.
The nursing student was charged with one count of false reporting to law enforcement authorities and one count of falsely reporting an incident, according to NBC 15. Russell could face one year in jail, as each charge carries up to six months, and an $831 fine. According to the outlet, Judge Thomas Brad Bishop recommended she pay restitution of nearly $18,000.
“I think she understands what has happened. She has apologized, I know you all said through me but that’s not good enough, but she has apologized for what transpired. I don’t want her to have any type of breakdown or anything of that nature, so we are handling her with kid gloves and make sure her mental state is just fine,” said Russell’s attorney Emory Anthony.
In July, Russell was charged with filing a false police report and filing a false statement to law enforcement authorities. Days prior, Anthony stated Russell had not been abducted as she and her family previously claimed.
“My client has given me permission to make the following statement on her behalf. 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 Hoover area when she was identified as a missing person. My client did not have help in this incident, that 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,” wrote her attorney.
The statement continued: “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 as 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. Carlee, again, asks for your forgiveness and prayers.”