Police Cast Doubt on Carlee Russell’s Kidnapping Claim After Reporting Toddler on an Alabama Highway

Police Cast Doubt on Carlee Russell’s Kidnapping Claim After Reporting Toddler on an Alabama Highway
Carlethia "Carlee" Nichole Russell in a photo released by the Hoover, Alabama, police department. Courtesy of Hoover Police Department
The Associated Press
Updated:
0:00

Authorities in Alabama cast doubt Wednesday on the story of a woman who set off a frantic search when she disappeared for two days after calling 911 to report a toddler wandering on the highway. Carlee Russell told investigators she was abducted and forced into a car Thursday, but they have been unable to verify her account, police said.

The 25-year-old’s return home Saturday prompted intense speculation about where she had been and what had happened to her.